Demonstrate interpersonal skills appropriate to mentoring and coaching, eg. Observation, giving feedback, counseling, empathy and support, self and peer evaluation.
Case Study Maya 2007
During the spring of 2007 I was asked to take on what was described to me as a failing student, who had in essence crashed and burnt through her second PGCE placement. The lead teacher in my school gave me two weeks to either bring the student to a pass level at QTS standards or to confirm the fail.
What followed was for me the most fulfilling mentoring experience I had thus far. This account is of a questionnaire I sent in the spring of 2009 to the now fully employed teacher asking her to reflect on her time with me. For the purposes of this report I will call my mentee Maya. At the time I also kept a diary of my experiences as post-its on my computer. Maya was made fully aware that the questionnaire would be used as part of my MA assignment on mentoring. Using these two sources I will try to demonstrate those interpersonal skills that are appropriate to mentoring and coaching. Fletcher (2000) describes these as a ‘particular constellation of skills, attitudes, knowledge and action to enable an expert classroom teacher to become an expert mentor’ She also goes on to list a self audit that I used as a template for my questionnaire to Maya.
· What do I bring to the mentoring relationship?
· How can I communicate what I know about teaching and learning to my mentee?
· Am I prepared and able to be more than an instructor and a coach?
· Am I willing to open my own practice to the scrutiny of a trainee?
· Am I willing to support, challenge and educate beginning teachers?
· Do I understand that the dynamics and focus of my role must change?
· Am I prepared for the sacrifices, changes and challenges this will entail?
Fletcher (2000)
It is one of my abiding reflections that the toughest students are most often the most memorable experiences, and those that slip the net are the heaviest regrets for the serious educator. Fletcher (2000) comments on how mentoring ‘…is “not done to” the mentee but rather it is “done with” the mentee, because the mentee and the mentor are both actively engaged in the process of gaining understanding about teaching to improve it’ Fletchers idea of both parties gaining understanding makes Mayas case stand out in my mind.
Maya was a failing student who had been placed in two very prominent high schools. On reading her mentors report I was shocked to read the amount of personal criticism of her in both lesson observations and mentor meetings. She was clearly one of those to whom mentoring had been “done to”. Initially it was this criticism that provoked me to take her on and try to expand the two week window that I had to work with her. This did not happen as the university was fast losing their patience. So Maya arrived with me for a brief two weeks.
Observation
Anderson and Shannon (1988) define mentoring as ‘a nurturing process in which a more skilled or more experienced person serving as a role model teaches, sponsors, encourages, counsels and befriends a less skilled or less experienced person…’ this is exactly the attitude I took. After observing Maya’s lessons I noted that they were very well prepared yet lack any real change of pace and tone. Maya had all the organizational skills of a classroom teacher but none of the charismatic behavior that a teacher might use to maintain interest of students. In fact one of her real problems was the monotone voice and lack of facial expression.
This is one of the harder things to pass on. Through one lesson observation I isolated one area that I wanted to alter, I called this her ‘classroom presence’ in my notes. Anderson and Shannons ‘ nurturing process’ was at the core of my approach, to get her onside was crucial in order for her to trust my approach. Additionally as her answer to question 1 shows (Appendix 1.1) her faith in the entire mentoring process had been systematically undermined.
Giving Feedback
Due to the time constraints I decided on an unconventional way of giving feedback. As Fletcher (2000) points out, citing the example of Athena and Telemachus ‘Mentor is not above manipulation- but strictly for Telemachus’s good’ if I had a point to make I wouldn’t explain my reasoning behind the point. I would state it as a throw away comment. Something not to be listened too, Clutterbuck (2004) describes this idea very concisely ‘Effective mentors tend to treat their wisdom like a nuclear arsenal- they rarely let it fly’ he goes on ‘ …instead they use their experience to inform the questions they ask and to challenge assumptions the mentee may be making’ the assumption I most wanted to challenge in Maya was that she couldn’t teach. So when I gave her feedback it would be brief.
Her answers to question 2-3 (Appendix 1.1) bear this out. Her answer to question 4, where I literally asked her to be reflexive, through watching herself on a video camera while I waited outside. Jumpstarted the attitude I wanted to instill, someone watching themselves achieve. At this point I felt it unnecessary to be in the room, as by deception my feedback task was doing all the talking for me. The fact that she trusted the process at this very early stage made life easier. Demonstrating successful counseling of the student.
Counseling
The issue of counseling is contentious amongst various authors; Fletcher (2000) sees part of the mentor’s unique task as befriending the protégé, where as Clutterbuck (2004) sees the key difference between Teacher and Pupil and Mentor and Colleague within the power management of these relationships. For Clutterbuck (2004) the mentor relationship has lower exerted power, and is far more collegial, conversely it is therefore, a closer relationship than with the pupil. As table 1.1 demonstrates:
| Role | Relationship | Dominant style | Affinity | Learning transfer | Power management |
| Teacher | Pupil | Tell | Aloof | Explicit data and information | High exerted power (parental) |
| Tutor | Student | Discuss | | knowledge | |
| Coach | Learner | Demonstrate/ give feedback | | Skills | |
| Mentor | Colleague | Encourage/stimulate | Close | Intuitive data and wisdom | Low exerted power (collegial) |
Table 1.1 Key differences in style when helping others to learn Clutterbuck (2004)
My issue here was that the even though my style was to encourage and stimulate, I did have to tell Maya explicit information. Also due to the make or break scenario of the relationship I exerted a higher than usual mentoring power. I did try to keep counseling to a minimum, simply because I did not think we had the time to open that can of worms, also I did not see it relevant to her professional development. A lot of Mayas criticism from other mentors had been personal, so to ape that behavior even in a positive manner was not something that appealed. Maya’s answer to question 9 (appendix 1.1) clearly shows how I pulled the counseling into a professional context. In this manner it seems mentoring can walk a line that is difficult to quantify academically.
Empathy and support
Empathy is a skill that for Clutterbuck (2004) is crucial for a mentor, it is when the ‘mentor supports the mentee in taking responsibility for his or her career and personal development’. The answers to question 6, 7 and 9 (Appendix 1.1) clearly demonstrate this responsibility. An abiding memory is the clarity I tried to instill by linking lesson planning (at which Maya was very good) and to classroom discipline (at which she needed to improve) trying to engage students creatively. This is a difficult skill to explain, so I demonstrated it lesson after lesson. While at the same time warning off any attempt at copying me, I encouraged the development of a more conversational relaxed approach to teaching. Teaching Maya low voice warnings and throwaway comments that were designed to defuse rather than confront situations. In Maya’s answer to question 13 (Appendix 1.1) she describe what she thought as her major difficulty, namely confidence, through continual support and an understanding on her confidence issues Maya learnt to develop her own confidence boosting strategies. Using fire and forget warning in class became her favourite, and was one of the strategies she employed in her final observation that was commented upon.
Self and peer evaluation
I later had the chance to sit with the link teacher from her university, who was very taken by Maya’s radical change. At the time I did not see this change as a great a swing as he did, perhaps it was because I had isolated those aspects of the Maya that worked and focused on these, rather than those aspects of Maya that didn’t work. To use abilities and mannerisms that are already present in the mentee became something I did as a matter of course, to play to the students strengths while introducing them to new things slightly outside of their comfort zone.
At the time I did not see this case as a real achievement, since she was only with me for two weeks, I saw my job at the time as simply allowing her to be the teacher she could be. Later on however, I saw the small steps that I took as an example of the right pushes in the right direction, and am very surprised that the events on the ground conspired to produce such perfect outcome. It made me see the mentoring process as a very powerful tool. That could transcend protocols, standards and be genuinely life changing. Clutterbuck (2004) echoes this when he says ‘the core skill of a mentor can be described as having sufficient sensitivity to the mentee’s needs to respond with appropriate behaviors’ in terms of this case this is exactly what happened. Moving a student who answers as they do to question 3 (Appendix 1.1)
‘I hated teaching, I hated schools and most of all I hated myself.’ Maya
To someone who can respond as she does to question 9
‘You made me believe I had the confidence to do this job’ Maya
Appendix 1.1
Maya’s 2009 Questionnaire sent by post
1. How did you feel when you first met me and I introduced myself as your mentor?
I had absolutely no idea what to expect. At the time I was being shoved from one mentor to link teacher. But I had coming to Lime Tree High with a clear idea that I was going to fail. It seemed like a rubber stamping procedure, but I remember thinking how odd it was that you were smiling at me.
2. What are your memories about how I explained my purpose as your mentor?
I remember that we were sitting in the library upstairs and I burst into tears (not for the first time) and you were explaining to me how I was doing everything right and my last mentors were complete b@*%?*ds and although I can’t remember what you said I knew you would believe in me.
3. At that stage how did you feel about your experience as a mentee thus far?
I hated teaching, I hated schools and most of all I hated myself.
4. What are your strongest memories about how I explained to you good practice?
When you locked me in the empty classroom with a video camera pointed at my face and the projector screen showing my round mug on it. You told me to go through an entire lesson looking into the camera and change my expression every 60 seconds. Then you left the room. For the first five minutes I just looked at myself and I think if you had been in their- I would have given up there and then, but you had gone. It made me think how much you trusted me to just get on with it. I think more than anything you made me think I could do it, you made me believe it first, and taught me how second. That made all the difference.
Appendix 1.1 (continued)
Maya’s 2009 Questionnaire sent by post
5. What advice do you remember from that time that you still use today?
Oh the double A had so many good one liners, my favourite was ‘you only know you’ve learnt something perfectly when you forget how you do it’ that’s a doozey!! But I still think it today.
6. What was it about my practice that you did like?
I wanted to have that easy rapport with students, where behavior management was just not an issue, it looked so easy so comfortable. And I always felt awkward and edgy, I just never knew how to take a risk or make a chance. And I really admire that easy discipline, also you’re a funny guy Ash.
7. What was it about my practice that you did not like?
Sometimes I thought I could never do that.
8. What could I have improved about your mentoring experience?
Started off with me at the beginning.
Appendix 1.1 (continued)
Maya’s 2009 Questionnaire sent by post
9. What techniques do you remember me using to support you?
You spent what seems like forever just talking to me about me. You took an interest in me and how I do things. I remember you pointing out what I did with my feet in class during an observation. But you concentrated overwhelmingly on what I did well. I remember after an observed lesson with you, you came out and said something like “I can’t see what the damn problem is” I remember laughing and crying at the same time. You made me believe I had the confidence to do this job, you looked at my folder and told me I was working too hard and stop working so damn hard. You took me through each thing I did and how I had done it well, and you showed me what I had to achieve and how I had already got there. It made sense I think you were being generous but that’s what I needed. It was silly but by the end of it I wanted to be as good as you, rather than just wanting to pass, I wanted to pass with flying colours.
10. What techniques do you remember me using to challenge you?
The video camera sticks out, so does shouting at the chair. Which still brings a smile to my face. Shouting at an empty chair, then laughing at it, getting the words right in my head. So when It came to the classroom I’d forget what I’d learnt and just do it. I remember there being lots of lesson observations with you constantly asking me what I did well. You also linked classroom management with innovative lessons, its something that I still work on, trying interesting things to keep them actively engaged in the lesson is truly the best discipline.
Appendix 1.1 (continued)
Maya’s 2009 Questionnaire sent by post
11. What techniques do you think were the ones that most educated you as a mentee, that you might be willing to pass onto your students?
Don’t think I will have a student, but if I was to pass on one technique it would be how to boost a person’s confidence. It lets them do for themselves what they think is simply impossible otherwise.
12. Can you remember how our roles changed during the short time you were with me?
I came in failed and walked out passed. I remember (name of link teacher from university) shaking my hand on my last observation saying how I was a different person from the one he had observed two weeks ago. I think I said something like has it been two weeks? It seemed a lot shorter. Very short to be a different person. I think I was the same person with a different attitude.
13. When did you feel you did not need me to support you any longer?
I think you said something like everything I learnt so far I was to forget. Because it was time to learn it all over again each day, every lesson. I realized that all I needed was confidence the rest I knew how to do.
14. Did I manage to empathize with your mood at the time?
I’m not sure anyone could have empathized with me at the time, but you did know how to get me out of the blue I was in.
Appendix 1.1 (continued)
Maya’s 2009 Questionnaire sent by post
15. Do you remember how you changed knowledge into action in the classroom?
Not sure what you mean here, I certainly started to teach by deception. Talk to them about one thing that links to another, make them learn without feeling it. It doesn’t always work but it keeps me changing what I’m doing. I think trying to keep the lessons interesting and active also helped me.
