The analysis of the relationship between the experienced teacher

and the newly qualified teacher through a coaching and mentoring

perspective

Relationships between people began to be studied long ago in sociology and psychology and
numerous studies have shown how these relationships affect communities, organisations and
even people's actions. It has proved that a good relationship between individuals is beneficial
to the world and it is undeniable that the human being is sociable. During life, the individual
reaches the peak of his development in all spheres (professional achievements, family life,
intimate-personal relationships, social life, civic activity) only through communication with
other people, through a distinctive lifestyle in relation to others. According to Adler (1927),
man's wellness is determined both by his ability to love and work, and by his ability to
establish friendships. Radical transformations in society greatly influence behaviour, lifestyle
and interpersonal relationships. Therefore, we can see that interpersonal relationships and
social integration are one of the subjective indicators of quality of life, which have a major
weight in the whole set of constituent elements of this structure. A concept that is based on
the relationship between people and their progress is mentoring. The roots of mentoring can
be found in the concept of apprenticeship, and the relationship between individuals represents
the foundation on which an entire transformative process is built. The relationship is usually
developed at a time of transition in the mentee’s life and it lasts for a significant period
(Clutterbuck, 1992). In order to create a relationship based on trust, fairness, common goals,
cooperation and development (Zachary, 2000), the mentor must embody emotional
intelligence, ethical and psychological traits, as well as wisdom (Caldwell and Carter, 1993).

In an educational context, mentoring is a temporary collaborative relationship between two

teachers, based on sharing experiences of a mentor (the experienced teacher) to a novice
(newly qualified teacher). The traditional one-to-one mentoring model will be used in this
situation, where the main focus is on the relationship between the experienced mentor and the
protégé (Crisp & Cruz, 2009; Higgins & Kram, 2001). The purpose of this relationship is to
provide the new teacher with a support system that can help him succeed. Mentoring is an
accepted aspect of learning and developing new abilities at all levels of teacher education.

1
Newly trained teachers gain professional skills and tactics from more experienced staff as a
part of the induction programme. Student teachers in elementary and secondary schools get
initial teacher education (ITE) from experienced class instructors (HMIE, 2008). Research
has shown that there is a link between the collaboration of the experienced and newly
qualified teacher in the sense that it is more likely as the latter to remain in the teaching
profession, than those who are not supported. Effective mentors must have the training and
practice of working with adults, know how to listen, make observations, and be able to solve
problems (UC Santa Cruz New Teacher Centre, Peer Coaching Models Information).
Moreover, the success of the mentoring relationship is based on mutual emotion between the
mentor and the novice teacher, on the common way they see work together and the learning
styles they approach. In the most successful partnerships, participants achieve intellectual and
creative growth with common ideas that act as a stimulus for their growth.

In the field of education, mentoring is a complex and multidimensional process of guidance,

teaching, influencing and supporting the new teacher. It is generally accepted that a mentor
teacher leads, guides and advises the younger individuals in professions and experiences, in a
work situation characterised by mutual trust and conviction. Mentoring will often require the
use of coaching and counselling techniques, but it differs from both. A coaching relationship
is much more limited and is often focused on developing particular work skills and acquiring
knowledge. Coaching is usually for short-term and performance oriented. A person can share
its coaching relationship with several other people (State of Victoria, Department of
Education and Early Childhood Development, 2010). Coaching represents the process of
unlocking people's potential to maximise their performance. It helps them learn rather than
teach them (Whitmore, 2009). Like mentoring, coaching can be understood in a number of
ways because there are several types and approaches to coaching.

In a mentoring programme, the mentor will often play the role of a counsellor for the mentee.
Counselling represents a process performed by psychologists or counsellors who address
psychological problems and disorders. Mentors play the role of counsellors when providing
special types of support for those in stressful or difficult situations (Ehrich & Hansford,
1999). Training is also a part of the mentoring programme. It is a structured teaching process
through which the trainer focuses on developing the skills, knowledge and attitudes needed to

2
complete an activity or to perform at a job. Training as a direct form of training can be based
sometimes on coaching and mentoring (Ehrich & Hansford, 1999). Therefore, we can
observe how complex the mentoring process could be, involving many concepts, such as
coaching, counselling or training.

There are different types of mentoring, depending on the aspect highlighted: formal or
informal mentoring, traditional mentoring, group mentoring, peer mentoring, e-mentoring
(Mullen, 2016). All this can take place in various contexts, such as school, work, different
organisations, community assemblies and virtual communities. There are also different
opinions regarding the duration of a mentoring programme, but it depends on the relationship
and the meaning of the connection that takes place over time between mentors and mentees
(newly qualified teachers). For some authors, mentors and mentees should meet regularly, at
least four hours a month and at least one year. There are exceptions, such as mentoring at the
decision of the school, which coincides with the school year and other types of special
initiatives of mentoring. In such special circumstances, the mentees need to know from the
beginning how much they should expect from the relationship to last, so that they can adjust
their expectations accordingly. Mentoring studies considers that an important distinction is to
see mentoring as being done by someone’s colleagues, as in the case of peer mentoring, or
more traditionally, being done by a senior colleague or more experienced one.

According to Clutterbuck (2004), some advantages of informal mentoring are represented by

the fact that people who are informally mentored tend to be more satisfied than those who are
in a formal mentoring relationship, informal mentors are “there” because they want to be and
it is a voluntary process. Longevity, greater commitment and motivation are characteristics of
this type of mentoring. The disadvantage of informal mentoring is that not everyone wants to
be guided.

Formal mentoring appears if the organisation provides support structures to ensure that
participants are provided with the support they need and have a clarity of purpose, in order to
be able to cope successfully with the relationship (Clutterbuck, 2004). It is an interventionist
strategy, based on the model of processes and activities from informal mentoring, used by
organisations as a means to provide staff development and the necessary support. The

3
common part in formal programs is support, learning and growth, skills development, and
building confidence. Advantages of formal mentoring are the social inclusion, the fact that
arrangements tend to become more focused and structured and the specific objectives of the
program are known by all participants.

In all professions, when we talk about professional mentoring, it is necessary to refer to a

code of ethics. The European Council for Mentoring and Coaching (EMCC) has updated its
Global Code of Ethics for professionals in general and for its members of EMCC in 2008,
and the main goal is ”to promote best practices and ensure the highest possible standards are
maintained in the coaching/mentoring environment, providing the greater opportunity for
learning and development”. The EMCC Global Code of Ethics covers the following
professional areas: competence, context, limits of management, integrity and professionalism,
in which professional mentors must act ethically. The mentor has to ensure that his level of
experience and knowledge is sufficient to respond to the needs of mentees. Therefore, the
experienced teacher should be aware of the Code of Ethics and to provide the mentee with all
the information needed regarding integrity, confidentiality, legal and statutory obligations and
duties (Global Code of Ethics, 2016).

In the situation of the education mentor, the experienced teacher and the newly qualified
teacher must establish from the beginning of the relationship what their goals are (Philip-
Jones, 2003). They also need to design a well-structured plan and establish the way in which
they will progress and solve problems that may arise during the mentoring period. The
mentor should develop and then increase the level of competence by participating in relevant
training courses suitable for continuous professional development activities. It is also
important for the mentors to maintain a relationship with the appropriate qualified supervisor
who will evaluate regularly their competence and to support the development. Another role of
the mentor is to understand and to ensure that the mentoring relationship reflects the context
in which mentoring takes place, ensuring that the expectations of the mentee are understood
and that he understands how to meet these expectations. The mentor and the newly qualified
teacher must create together an environment in which they can focus on their goals and have
the opportunity to learn and create a connexion ((Kay & Hinds, 2012).

4
There could also be certain limits of the relationship. The mentor will always operate within
the limits of his own competence, it will recognise when this competence can also be
exceeded and when it is necessary to guide the mentee to a more experienced mentor. It
should also be aware of the possibility of conflicts of interest in the mentoring relationship
and to deal with them quickly and efficiently, to ensure that there is no harm for the mentee.

Even though the relationship of mentoring in education is meant to help the new teachers
coping with the transition to the classroom and to help them adjust to school and the
environment in which they will work, there could also exists benefits for the mentor, such as
career development. The mentoring programme could offer a path of leadership, public
recognition and reward for qualified experienced teachers who serve their schools as mentors,
which support the development or contribute to the curriculum and the improvement of
training. The professional development and programme innovation could help to develop the
school's capacity for innovation and to guide education reform at the local level. The mentee
will have access to the knowledge, experience and the support of a mentor, will learn about
the methods for planning the distribution of teaching content in one school year and the
criteria for evaluating student performance. For the mentor will be a good opportunity to
share materials and experiences, increasing learning, renewal and performance in teaching.
(Ehrich, 2013).

In a mentoring relationship, certain interferences or pitfalls may occur during the programme,
such as the following aspects: mentoring without a purpose, the lack of regular meetings,
cloning or incompatibility. Each aspect will be discussed. For the mentoring process to
become a satisfying experience for both mentor, as well as for the mentee, setting goals is
extremely important. This will allow an anticipation in the aspirations of the mentee, but will
also provide a clear picture of the current situation in which it finds itself. In a mentoring
relationship it is very important to schedule regular meetings, and both parties to respect
them. This establishes a contact model that improves confidence, coherence and progress.
The same applies to cancelling or postponing the meeting. Once a date is skipped, the

5
probability of this happening again is very high. Thus, a lack of planning could be another
trap in mentoring (Clutterbuck, 2004).

Mentoring relationships require a match of character and interest to connect with people.
There is a need for similarity between the participating parties. When there is an
inconsistency between the mentor and the mentee, the chances of failure in mentoring
increase. The two individuals does not necessarily has to be the same in all aspects. Another
issue that may occur is cloning. This is what happens when a mentor is trying to shape the
mentee as an identical replica of itself, instead of listening and guiding the mentee to become
his best version. In a school setting, the experienced teacher must provide the mentee with
methodologies and approaches of teaching, but in the same time he must give the mentee the
freedom to be itself and to have his own professional experience. Active listening is a major
strength for their relationship to work (Weger, 2014).

There are 4 distinct stages of a successful mentoring process: preparation, negotiation,

enabling growth and closer (Hamilton, 2003). Both the mentor and the mentee must prepare
individually, but also in partnership. Mentors explore their personal motivation and their
preparation to be mentors, assesses their skills and identifies their own areas for learning and
development. Both sides clearly set out their expectations and roles. Furthermore, the
partners reach an agreement on the learning objectives and define the content and the
relationship process. They have to establish basic rules and create a common understanding
of hypotheses, expectations, objectives and needs.

The two individuals need to talk about privacy and limits, no matter how delicate are these
topics. They determine when and how to meet, responsibilities, success criteria, holding
records and a closing schedule. It is also necessary to complete and sign a Mentoring
Agreement (Zachary, 2000). Learn and develop, communicate openly, reflect on the progress
of continuous learning. The mentor establishes and maintains an open learning climate and
provides attentive feedback, timely, sincere and constructive. Together they monitor the
progress in learning, to ensure that they are reaching the main goals. At the end of the
programme, they have to be aware of the signs that indicate the time for completion and to

6
assess whether the learning objectives have been achieved or whether the relationship is no
longer effective. They can evaluate learning and celebrate the progress (Zachary, 2000).

It should be remembered that the roles of mentor and mentee/newly qualified teacher require
to be understood as being based on equality. The individuals should be partners. Their
relationship is based on reciprocity, empathy, understanding and trust. Respect is the
foundation of cooperation and moral judgments are not accepted. Regardless of their personal
opinions, neither of them should make moral judgments. For the personal respect of each
individual it is necessary to manifest tolerance. It is important that the mentor who guides the
mentee to be dedicated to problem solving, to give the mentor his time and patience. On the
other hand, feedback on the work of the mentee and some measure of control provided by the
mentor is essential. The mentor should keep in mind the fact that the newly qualified teacher,
as a learning adult, has a strong sense of maturity and independence in the learning process.
For this reason, it should be treated in a suitable way. In fact, this approach will have a
positive influence on the learning process and the results of mentoring activities will be
satisfactory, through the contribution of a good self-esteem involved in the activity of
learning. Therefore, when giving feedback, the mentor should focus on the behaviour and
results of the mentee's activity, and not on judging the person. The control should have a
formative character, in order to be easily accepted by the adult learner. This should not only
include the facts about the mentee’s progress, but how it can change and improve certain
aspects.

The relationship between the experienced teacher and the new teacher develops in three
areas, which makes this relationship so complex: the personal area - based on mutual trust,
positive attitude, motivation and enthusiasm for progress in school; the intellectual area -
based on similar professional interests and willingness to share knowledge and experience at
work by the mentor, as well as on the openness of the mentee for new experiments and
knowledge, and the organisational area - based on more or less formal contacts, mentioning
the form and frequency of meetings and activities.

The obligations and the basic duties of the mentor in an educational mentoring programme
are represented by the respect for the mentee, the desire to cooperate and acceptance for his

7
choices. Helping and supporting the mentee to integrate as soon as possible in the school life
is another aspect that should be taken into consideration. Working with students and solving
the student’s issues could be difficult in the beginning, so this is one of the reason why the
mentee will need assistance. The mentor should help him to create a better organisation of the
class, to development a class management, as well as to improve teaching practices through
effective strategies (Ehrich, 2013). The mentee will also have obligations and duties in the
mentoring programme. Some of them will include meeting with the mentor to discuss and
plan activities, full participation in the mentoring programme and discussing all issues that
may occur with the other teacher (The National Framework for Mentoring and Coaching,
2005) without hesitation and as soon as possible.

To summarize, the teacher's work is very demanding and requires a combination of skills and
qualities. Prospective professors gain theoretical support at university or through courses for
teacher training. They are taught about the obligations and rights of the teacher, about the
different roles they can play during a lesson, about the latest methods of teaching and
assessment techniques, etc. However, in practice, the new teachers face so many problems
that only their theoretical knowledge is not enough for them to solve the issues. This is when
the presence of a mentor is really needed. A mentor will have more experienced and will be a
fully qualified and well-trained teacher, with the responsibility to prepare, support and
instruct the newly qualified teacher in coping with all the problems that could interfere.

In order for the mentoring programme to be fully functional in a school setting, the most
important step is to obtain the institutional support of the school council administration. It
will play a decisive role in disseminating the program and recruiting mentors, as well as for
those who will be mentored. Implementing the mentoring program in the school it depends
on the school management, for example the headteachers. They could initiate mentoring
activities between teachers in their school, if they find them relevant. Sometimes they may
need help from school guidance institutions (e.g. the inspectorate). It is very important that
the governing bodies of the school are convinced of the mentoring process, so that they can
make supportive decisions and monitor them accordingly for the program implementation. It
is necessary for the headteachers to have adequate knowledge of mentoring between

8
teachers and to consider it a necessary process to apply in schools. The initiative of informing
the headteacher about mentoring opportunities and convincing him of the positive effects
may belong to the higher forums (inspectorate, institutions of teacher training) or even
teachers. If the initiative comes from the outside of school management structures, the first
goal is to have a meeting with headteacher, in order to explain the benefits of a mentoring
programme. At this point, it is important to understand whether the school management is
aware of the importance of these initiatives that are capable to improve school adequacy, job
satisfaction for teachers, pedagogical strategies and subsequently to increase student success.
It is important to investigate whether they have been implemented in that school before
mentoring activities and what were the results. If they have ended with few positive effects,
the reasons for this situation should be known and discussed with the headteacher.

In conclusion, mentoring is one of the most complex professional development processes and
includes many aspects such as counselling, support, sharing experiences and interpersonal
relationships. It is necessary for the two teachers to establish a connection, and for both to
have common goals. It is important for this relationship to works, due to the fact that students
are involved, and they will take part in the progress of this relationship. Furthermore,
problems can arise, and must be managed very tactfully, in order to move forward in the
development process.

9
 References

1. Adler, A (1927) – Understanding human nature. Translated by Walter Beran Wolfe.

George Allen & Unwin LTD Ruskin House, Museum Street, London
2. Caldwell, B. & Carter, E. (1993) The Return of the Mentor. London: Falmer Press.
3. Clutterbuck (2004) - Everyone needs a mentor : fostering talent in your
organisation.London : Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development
4. Crisp, G. & Cruz, I. (2009). Mentoring College Students: A Critical Review of the
Literature between 1990 and 2007. Research in Higher Education
5. Ehrich, L. C. , & Hansford, B. C. (1999). Mentoring: Pros and cons for HRM. Asia
6. Ehrich, L. C. (2013) Developing Performance Mentoring Handbook. The State of
Queensland (Department of Education, Training and Employment)
7. Global Code of Ethics (2016) The European Council for Mentoring and Coaching
(EMCC)
8. Hamilton, R (2003) Mentoring. Spiro Press
9. HMIE (2008) Mentoring in Teacher Education
10. Kay, D.C. & Hinds, R. (2012) - A practical guide to Mentoring: Using coaching and
Mentoring skills to help other achieve their goals. 5th edn. Oxford, U.K
11. Mitsunori, M. Mcclain, A. (2020) A Mentoring Approach: Fostering Transformative
Learning in Adult Graduate Education. Journal of Transformative Learning 2019
12. Mullen, C. A. (2016) Alternative Mentoring Types, Kappa Delta Pi Record
13. National Framework for Mentoring and Coaching (2005) CUREE: Mentoring and
Coaching CPD Capacity Building Project
14. Philip-Jones, L. (2003) Skills for successful mentoring: Competencies of Outstanding
Mentors and Mentees
15. State of Victoria, Department of Education and Early Childhood Development
(2010): A Learning Guide for Teacher Mentors. Published by Teacher and Education.
Support Development Unit. School Improvement Division. Office for Government
School Education. Department of Education and Early Childhood Development.
Melbourne, Australia;
http://www.education.vic.gov.au/Documents/about/programs/partnerships/learninggui
de.pdf

10
16. UC Santa Cruz New Teacher Center. Peer Coaching Models Information;

http://education.qld.gov.au/staff/development/performance/resources/readings/peer-

coaching-models.pdf

17. Whitmore, J. (2009) - Coaching for Performance: Growing Human Potential and

Purpose—The Principles and Practice of Coaching and Leadership. 4th Edition,

Nicholas Brealey Publishing, London.

18. Weger, H., Bell, Minei, Robinson (2014) - The Relative Effectiveness of Active

Listening in Initial Interactions

19. Zachary, L. (2000). The Mentor’s Guide: Facilitating effective learning relationships.
San Francisco: Jossey Bass.

11