Read the latest research behind the learning module: Collaborative Leadership: Mentoring and Coaching.
- Benigni, Mark & Petrosky, Sheryll. (2011). Mentoring Matters: A Toolkit for Organizing and Operating Student Advisory Programs. Lanham, MD: Rowman Littlefield. As schools are trying to connect with their students and assure that every student has an adult mentor in the building, the need for school-based mentoring programs could not be greater. When creating the school district’s mentoring programs, the authors could not find age-appropriate, current, user-friendly mentoring lessons. With limited financial and human resources, schools are searching for a practical, innovative and trial-tested resource. This book is it. Mentoring Matters is the action plan with all the resources necessary to launch a school-based mentoring program. The 45 30-minute lessons will serve as the foundation of the mentoring program. From Facebook to bullying to teenage stressors, this book covers it all. The authors live it everyday. They have eliminated all the hurdles and obstacles and created a handbook for mentoring success.Visit the Rowman website to purchase Mentoring Matters
- Bland, Carole J.; Taylor, Anne L.; Shollen, S. Lynn; Weber-Main, Anne Marie & Mulcahy, Patricia A. (2009). Faculty Success Through Mentoring: A Guide for Mentors, Mentees, and Leaders. Lanham, MD: Rowman Littlefield. The authors describe the tangible benefits of formal, traditional mentoring programs, in which mentor–mentee interactions are deliberate, structured and goal-oriented. They outline the characteristics of effective mentors, mentees and mentoring programs, and cover other models of mentoring programs, such as group and peer mentoring, which are particularly suited for senior and mid-career faculty.Visit the Rowman website to purchase Faculty Success Through Mentoring
- Corwin & Ontario Principals’ Council. (2009). The Principal as Professional Learning Community Leader. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin. This resource provides principals with practical support, step-by-step plans and hands-on strategies to lead the development of thriving professional learning communities in their schools.Visit the Corwin website to purchase The Principal as Professional Learning Community Leader
- Danielson, Charlotte. (2009). Talk About Teaching! Leading Professional Conversations . Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin. Written by a renewed educator, this breakthrough work helps leaders understand the value of professional conversations in promoting reflection, inquiry, support and ongoing teacher development.Visit the Corwin website to purchase Talk About Teaching! Leading Professional Conversations
- Fibkins, William L. (2011). An Administrator’s Guide to Better Teacher Mentoring, 2nd Edition. Lanham, MD: Rowman Littlefield. This book addresses a major gap in the current mentoring programs at the secondary level. Staff development resources are often concentrated on helping new teachers be successful in their early school experience. Yes, it’s a good idea, but a limited vision. Meanwhile many veteran teachers go without the mentoring assistance they need to be effective classroom teachers. While a few become mentors themselves, many veteran teachers just settle, slowly giving up, and become at risk of failure, burnout and thinking only of retirement. This book is a call to school superintendents, building administrators, department chairs, school board members, union leaders, parent leaders and teacher educators to address the need to provide ongoing mentoring for all teachers.Visit the Rowman website to purchase An Administrator’s Guide to Better Teacher Mentoring, 2nd Edition
- Strike, Kimberly T. & Nickelsen, John. (2011). Mentoring the Educational Leader: A Practical Framework for Success. Lanham, MD: Rowman Littlefield. This book provides short, pertinent content relevant to everyday events within a school. Based on theory and experience, the practical application is directly aligned to administrative duties, and chapters can be read as needed. The format allows the administrator to read the content, apply the information through completion of a follow-up activity, and record one’s reflection which serves as a foundation for discussions with one’s mentor. An administrative evaluation instrument is provided so readers can review administrative standards and self-assess strengths and weaknesses. Administrators set goals and maintain accountability through quarterly self-assessments.Visit the Rowman website to purchase Mentoring the Educational Leader
- Venables, Daniel R. (2011). The Practice of Authentic PLCs: A Guide to Effective Teacher Teams. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin. Creating an authentic professional learning community requires breaking down the walls of isolation and collaborating to improve student learning, because collectively we are more than the sum of our parts. Grounded in the award-winning author’s foundational work with the Coalition of Essential Schools, this book enables educators to hit the ground running with a research-based process that includes setting the foundation for collaboration and team building, facilitating protocols, examining student and teacher work, implementing teacher-designed common formative assessments, and analyzing and responding to data.Visit the Corwin website to purchase The Practice of Authentic PLCs
- Wiseman, Pery P.; Arroyo, Hector & Richter, Nicholas. (2012). Reviving Professional Learning Communities: Strength Through Diversity, Conflict, Teamwork, and Structure. Lanham, MD: Rowman Littlefield. A professional learning community is undeniably one of the most effective processes out there for improving student achievement, as well as a school’s overarching culture and climate. With such widespread notoriety, though, there has been a dilution of the true essence of the term. Understanding of what a professional learning community is varies from one district, school or educator to another. It’s about time for a resurrection. Reviving Professional Learning Communities does exactly that through the lens of a simple framework called the “4S Approach.” This new development helps practitioners build thriving learning communities through: recognition and validation of each staff member’s unique point of view, natural conflict that accompanies the assorted viewpoints, healthy teamwork, and effective systems. Sprinkled throughout the book are also 32 practical, high-leverage strategies that are easy to understand and simple to put into practice right away. This book will most certainly help answer the perennial question: How do we achieve a genuine professional learning community?Visit the Rowman website to purchase Reviving Professional Learning Communities
- Barton, Rhonda & Stepanek, Jennifer. (July 2012). The Impact of Professional Learning Communities. Principal’s Research Review, v7 n4. (NASSP member only resource)Download the article: The Impact of Professional Learning Communities
- Conner, Evguenia & McKee, Jan. (November 2008). Drop-Out Challenges: Pathways to Success. Principal Leadership, v9 n3 p38–43. An alternative high school at the crux of the dropout crisis uses mentoring and individual graduation plans to encourage students to complete school. (NASSP member only resource)Download the article: Drop-Out Challenges: Pathways to Success
- Hallam, Pamela R.; Chou, Po Nien; Hite, Julie M. & Hite, Steven J. (September 2012). Two Contrasting Models for Mentoring as They Affect Retention of Beginning Teachers. NASSP Bulletin, v96 n3 p243–278. Research indicates that mentoring programs help increase the retention of beginning teachers. School administrators may be presented with competing mentoring models, with various sources and types of support, aimed at improving beginning teacher retention. This study collected both qualitative and quantitative data under the rubric of a comparative case study method to investigate mentoring models in the Asher and Dane School Districts (pseudonyms). Using this approach, the authors explored the two distinct models related to beginning teacher retention. Although both districts used collaborative teams, inschool mentors and principals within the context of professional learning communities to participate in the mentoring, only the Dane School District employed district coaches. Findings from this research suggest that these coaches were not as effective as inschool mentors or collaborative teams in increasing retention, possibly because of lack of proximity and personal relationship. Additional findings describe and explain mentoring characteristics and different sources of support that benefited the mentoring experience and subsequent retention of beginning teachers. (NASSP member only resource)Download the article: Two Contrasting Models for Mentoring as They Affect Retention of Beginning Teachers
- Hopkins-Thompson, Peggy A. (September 2000). Colleagues Helping Colleagues: Mentoring and Coaching. NASSP Bulletin, v84 n617 p29–36. Expectations from the standards movement, reform and advances in technology pose challenges that school leaders must be prepared to face. This article advocates principal preparation and cultivation through mentoring and coaching. It clarifies the differences, uses in succession planning, interactions with new principals and job changers, and benefits to both the mentor and protégé. (NASSP member only resource)Download the article: Colleagues Helping Colleagues: Mentoring and Coaching
- Ingersoll, Richard M. & Smith, Thomas M. (2004). Do Teacher Induction and Mentoring Matter? NASSP Bulletin, v88 n638 p28–40. In recent years there has been a growing interest in support, guidance and orientation programs — collectively known as induction — for beginning elementary and secondary teachers during the transition into their first teaching jobs. This study examines whether such supports have a positive effect on the retention of beginning teachers. The study also focuses on different types and components of induction, including mentoring programs, collective group activities, and the provision of extra resources and reduced workloads. The results indicate that beginning teachers who were provided with multiple supports were less likely to move to other schools or leave the teaching occupation altogether after their first year. Some forms of assistance and support, however, did not appear to increase retention. (NASSP member only resource)Download the Article: Do Teacher Induction and Mentoring Matter?
- Petzko, Vicki Nord. (November 2004). Tailoring Professional Development for a Better Fit. Principal Leadership, v5 n3 p16–21. The author recommends using research to ensure that professional development programs are the best fit for the desired results. (NASSP member only resource)Download the article: Tailoring Professional Development for a Better Fit
- Sather, Susan. (September 2006). Implementing Professional Learning Teams. Principal’s Research Review, v1 n5. (NASSP member only resource)Download the article: Implementing Professional Learning Teams