Description:
According to Rowley (1999), there are certain qualities associated with good mentors. “The good mentor must be committed to the role of mentoring, must be skilled at providing professional support, is effective in different interpersonal contexts, is a model of a continuous learner, and communicates hope and optimism.” The good mentor must convey the message that the learner is capable of making the transition, the change, basically becoming the mentee’s cheerleader. Mentor teachers have typically been used to guide beginning teachers through the early years of their careers. Recently though, mentor teachers are being used to create collaborations between teachers who may need some guidance with change or updating teaching strategies. The teachers participating in the Research Center for Educational Technology’s grant program are examples of how teacher mentors are successfully aiding their peers in gaining new technology experiences and updating their teaching skills to incorporate technology into the classroom.