The aim of this assignment is to look at how the social context influences mentoring beginning teachers. We discuss different conditions that affect the performance of the mentoring process and look at the context and the people and analyse interaction between them.
The model We use follows the basic principles of the Theme Centred Interaction (TCI) of Ruth Cohn. Instead of the term “Globe” that is used in TCI, we will look at the context in which mentoring takes place. Then we will look at the people involved, the actors and their roles and finally, we will reflect on the interaction.
It can be suggested from this discussion that social context does attribute in a significant manner on the relationship between a mentor and his/her mentee. It would be only logical to be aware of this influence of social or outside environment and make it conducive for both the mentor and the mentee so as to nurture this relationship into a strong bond. "Trust is something that happens within people only when it is created between people." (Chip R. Bell). In the process of mentoring, relationship between the two individuals involved have to build on this trust themselves for a better outcome; therefore one has to believe in the process and its consequences. As Vivian Buchen said, "One change makes way for the next, giving us the opportunity to grow." Social growth of those involved depends on the process and in turn they help in growth of the society. “Coming together is a beginning...Keeping together is progress...Working together is a success.“
Introduction
Mentoring is a complex human interaction. When we talk about Mentoring there are at least two people involved, the mentor and the mentee. Each one has an individual background, different life experience and often a difference in age. Moreover, both mentee and mentor are “prisoners” of their socio cultural conditions, their education, upbringing and heredity. Their values and ethics influence the outcome of the mentoring process the same as the process has an influence on the personality of each one. Some factors are the same for both e.g. the social context in which mentoring takes place. Others may be different like the power to lead the mentoring process. Failures of perception occur and neither the Mentor nor the Mentee are immune against it: Primacy-effect, Halo-Effect, Contrast-and Similarity failures, stereotypes are only a few to be remembered. The quality of the relationship always depends on the social norms, roles, expectations and prejudice. It does matter how the helping activity is defined and what the expectations are. Expectations form our behaviour or at least influences our perception. The concept of the self-fulfilling prophecy – known as Rosenthal-Effect[1] or Pygmalion Effect - can be summarized in a few principles that we always should be aware of when we talk about influence:
- We form certain expectations of people or events
- We communicate those expectations with various cues
- People tend to respond to these cues by adjusting their behaviour to match them
- The result is that the original expectation becomes true
This creates a circle of self-fulfilling prophecies.
In this assignment I would like to reflect systematically on the social influences in mentoring beginning teachers at Grammar schools. I will look at the context within which mentoring occurs, at the people involved, and in terms of their roles and the content of the interactions between mentee and mentor. The model I use follows the basic principles of the Theme Centred Interaction (TCI) of Ruth Cohn[2]. Instead of the term “Globe” that is used in TCI, I will look at the context in which mentoring takes place. Then I will look at the people involved, the actors and their roles and finally, I will reflect on the interaction.
The Context
Overall context
There is an overall context such as the national culture, economic aspects, social expectations, legal constraints and so on. Although these apply to all parties, the impact of various factors may be quite different. The contexts that occur within Mentoring Beginning teachers might be different from country to country. It might be useful to have a look at the Swiss Education System:
Switzerland has a largely decentralised education system. Most decisions on the running of primary and secondary schools are taken at cantonal level. Switzerland does not have a federal minister of education. Nevertheless, some organisational aspects of the education system apply across the country. These include the duration of the school year, and the number of years of compulsory schooling. In other areas the cantons, and even the communes, have traditionally enjoyed a large degree of autonomy. Each canton has its own head of education, all of whom together make up the Swiss Conference of Cantonal Ministers of Education (EDK in German).
Specific context
The specific context is the work environment, which may or may not be shared. In this case it is the specific school I was working for years, where mentoring beginning teachers takes place for over six years already. It is the Matura School of Lucerne, one of five schools in Canton Lucerne that is run by the government.
Matura schools (equivalent to grammar schools in Britain) are located in all cantons. The schooling from the first primary classes until the Matura takes at least 12 school years. The actual commencement of the Matura School is after the obligatory schooling period (short Matura school period of three to four years); in several cantons it can also begin earlier (longer Matura school period of six to seven years).
In Lucerne, induction is one component of a strong staff development program. Mentors are chosen by the principal and often are experienced teachers with high reputation in their specific subject.
A novice in her/his first two years is employed on the basis of a yearly contract and therefore in some cases is dependent on the judgement of her/his mentor. This may lead to a conflict between the two because of counselling and/or assessing at the same time. It can happen that a mentor finds him/herself in a role conflict. Sometimes she/he is the critical friend, sometimes coach and sometimes a colleague, “parent”, adviser or teacher. Moreover the conflict may arise because of the influence he/she can have on the mentees’ further career. Questions arise about the intensity of mentoring relationships, the voluntariness of being a mentor and choosing a mentor.
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[1] In 1971 Robert Rosenthal, a professor of social psychology at Harvard, described an experiment in which he told a group of students that he had developed a strain of super-intelligent rats and the other half that they got “maze-dull” rats. The rats believed to be bright improved daily in running the maze they ran faster and more accurately. The “dull” rats refused to budge from the starting point 29% of the time, while the “bright” rats refused only 11% of the time.
[2] Dr. Ruth C. Cohn, born in 1912 in Berlin, is a psychotherapist, educator, and poet. She is best known as the creator of a communication method called theme-centered interaction (TCI). She is the founder of the Workshop Institute for Living Learning (WILL), which is known today as the Ruth Cohn Institute for TCI
- Arbeit zitieren
- Bruno Rihs (Autor:in), 2007, How the social context influences mentoring beginning teachers at grammar schools in Lucerne, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/85718
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