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Mentoring Incentives Support & Recognition

Barry Sweeny, © 2008

To achieve the most effective mix for your program goals, I strongly suggest that you carefully read this article in sequence.

PAGE INDEX:

• WHEN Relates To HOW - Definitions
• Incentives
• Support
• Recognition
• Rules of Thumb for Application of this Information and Structure

WHEN Relates To HOW - Definitions

• Incentives generally are useful BEFORE a person becomes a mentor as an attraction to being one. This means that incentives you select should:
  • Be a mix so as to attract mentor candidates with a wide variety of motivations
  • Promote mentoring that will enhance personal and professional growth.
  • Be advertised along with all other info about mentoring that are used to attract mentors, such as program brochures, web pages about becoming a mentor, and announcements of mentoring information meetings.
• Support is used DURING the time a person is serving as a mentor to ensure that the mentor has the training, tools, and other resources and support they deserve to do the work well that is expected of a mentor. That means that the program should:
  • Inquire of mentors to discovery what they need for their work and when they feel they need it
  • Use a development model like the CBAM Stages of Concern to anticipate and provide what is needed for the work before it is needed.
• Recognition can be provided during mentoring, but should at least be given AFTER a formal mentoring relationship is finished. This suggests that:
  • Recognition should be both personal and individual, such as a personal contact and letter of thanks from a principal, AND a whole group activity, such as an end-of-year Mentor Recognition Dinner with a district leader stating the "thank yous".
  • Since most mentoring is structured around the school year, that recognition should occur near the end of that time.
  • Since most mentoring relationships take several full years, whole group activities make the most sense, and are the most efficient.
  • If some mentor relationships are concluded during the school year, the mentor should receive some individual and personal recognition immediately after the relationship ends, AND also with other mentors at the end-of-the-school-year event.

Incentives

Incentives are all about attracting the mentors your program and novice teachers need. What that means specifically is that the program wants to attract qualified candidates to fill the mentoring positions.

Typically, when we think of an incentive, we think of money. However, most persons who serve as mentors do not do it for the stipends, recognition, or other benefits that a mentoring program may offer. Most people mentor because they want to help a new person in the profession to succeed and because they know the students of the beginning teacher deserve the best teacher possible. THAT is the true motivation to which we must pay close attention.

The background of the research by Herzberg, one of the gurus of motivation theory, really helps us to understand what mentoring programs should consider doing that would serve as an incentive. (See the "Research" link for this category.) Using his theory of hygenic and motivational factors we can better plan what would serve as an incentive to become a mentor, be viewed as support for mentoring, and as recognition for having served as a mentor. Those things that are "motivators" will serve as effective incentives.

1. Mentors should be provided what they need to succeed as mentors. Also, they need to perceive that they are supported in their work as mentors. That is, mentors need to feel they have what they need to do an effective job of mentoring. This is one reason we train and provide support groups for mentors. Mentors DESERVE that from a program if they are to succeed at doing what the program desires. Does your program provide the things mentors need to do their job well? To NOT do these things leads to dissatisfaction, and that can lead to strong people not serving as mentors.

2. Mentor candidates know that mentoring is not simple, nor is it easy. It will require considerable time and energy from people who may wish to contribute as a mentor, but who may not feel they want to do so right now. This is so because many of these same persons have probably served as cooperating teachers for student teachers, or may have helped other new teachers informally. If people who have served in these less formal roles have felt no one appreciated their contribution, they are likely to expect the same in a formal mentoring program. They are less likely to serve in that formal mentoring program because a formal program includes expectations and accountabilities that an informal approach does not. More work for no recognition?! The point is people expect more of the same of what has gone on before. This is especially true early if the life of an induction program when there are few or no experienced mentors in the program who can let people know that the new program DOES recognize and appreciate the extra work of mentors.

• Money
  • A salary differential such as received by athletic coaches. This is critical since mentoring is about improved instruction, the core purpose of the schools.
  • A stipend
  • Advance on the salary schedule
• Professional Growth Credit
  • On certificate renewal
  • As required for contract renewal
  • As required to move up on the salary schedule

Support

For clarity, support is providing mentors with the training, tools, and other resources and supports they deserve to do the work well that is expected of a mentor.

In fact, your program is very likely to provide some supports as a natural and common sense response. However, you are also likely not to realize the full extent of support that must be provided for your mentors to function as "high impact" mentors and to deliver the kind of professional growth and results in novices that I have been describing on this web site. If achieving such a big impact on teacher and student performance was a matter of common sense, most programs would already be doing it and education would look very different than it does!

One element that you must consciously consider and do is to alter what you say as you provide mentoring support. In other words, what is most often done is to provide support, but not always to clarify, as you do that, that you are providing support that effective mentors DESERVE. This may seem a very subtle ting to you, but it is almost always a distinction that is lost on the mentors. They just don't think about why you are doing it. Instead, the language you use and their expectations from past staff development experiences makes them perceive a mentor training, a peer support meeting or other supports as REQUIRED ACTIVITIES, NOT as something they might actually enjoy, and from which they might really benefit!

Part of accomplishing this happens when you place mentor training as a step in the mentor selection process, and not as a separate activity done after a person becomes a mentor. In other words, it is expected of all (required is implicit) because it is part of the process to become a mentor.

This is also why your language used as you describe and seek their attendence is so critical. You want to frame the expectation in terms that make it clear they WILL benefit, and BE GLAD they came. An example might be as follows.

"We certainly know the commitment, time, and work that being a mentor entails. We understand that you are already some of the busiest teachers in our system. We know that you will carefully balance your dual commitments of teaching students and mentoring. We also know that, as experienced and excellent teachers, you already know a great deal about what novice teachers need to learn. That is why we have decided to limit our Initial Mentor Training to only that information and those strategies that we believe you will not already know. This information and set of strategies comes from a knowledge base created by experienced mentors who were asked what was most essential to know how to do. We feel this is the kind of support you deserve for the challenging task of being a menor to our new teachers while still being a full time teacher of our students. Much is expected of you. We need to do what is right to support you in doing that work effectively. Finally, we believe that our efforts to provide a streamlined and practical mentor training will result in an experience you might actually USE and enjoy!"

This language should accomplish sevral importnat things.

1. It is a form of RECOGNITION that states your appreciation for the major challenge the mentors have agreed to undertake.
2. It clarifies that the program holds high expectations for their work and results.
3. It clarifies that you know they DESERVE SUPPORT to successfully meet expectations.
4. It is realistic about the challenge, which will scare away persons who probably should not be a mentor anyway.
5. It lays out that training content will be essential and practical. They know they will benefit form coming to the training.
6. It clarifies, although perhaps subtlely, that THIS program, may be different from past, perhaps not so positive, staff development events. It certainly clarifies your intention to make it so. Now, be sure you deliver on that promise.

The Range of Mentoring SUPPORT

• Released Time
  • To mentor
  • To do research on effective mentoring, instruction, or new teacher needs
  • To collaborate with peers on projects
  • To receive training during work hours
• Professional Growth Requirements
  • There must be multiple explicit and implicit messages, before, during, and after mentoring, that the professional growth of mentors is NOT an option. It is expected and supported. This is necessary since one of the mentoring Roles and Tasks is mentor modeling of openness to learning from others and of continual growth.
  • What is required is not a certain amount of growth, but rather, continual effort and activities to grow. Requirements should include:
    • Attendance and active participation in the "initial" mentor training, typically 2-3 days long
    • Attendance and active participation in quarterly Mentor Peer Support meetings, typically held for 2-3 hours after school the first year and 1-2 hours thereafter.
    • Individual, on-going work with the Mentor of Mentors (MoM), based on the mentor's professional growth plan - see below for more info
• Other Professional Growth Opportunities
• Allowed to present at conferences and meetings about their mentoring experiences, novice teacher benefits, etc.
• Payment given to reimburse conference fees
• Priority given to attend conferences
• Priority for courses they are assigned to teach
• Tuition reimbursement
• Summer mentoring training in August that is offered and described as "support mentors deserve"
• Mentoring of Mentors (MoM) - This support is perhaps the most crucial after training. Mentoring of Mentors is the specific work of the mentor program leader to model for mentors exactly what excellent mentoring looks like. This is done because it's likely that no mentor has ever received the kind of mentoring during their life and career that we need them to provide to their proteges. This is crucial since "you can not GIVE a gift that you have not first RECEIVED." In other words, you cannot expect "high impact" mentoring of mentors just from training alone. If they don't have personal experience of receiving that powerful form of mentoring, they simply ca not use it in their own mentoring. How does the Mentor program Leader know how to BE that kind og "high impact" Mentor of Mentors? The ONLY way is for them to receive training in these strategies AND then BE mentored themselves as they learn to do it in practice. Providing that kind of mentoring to MoMs is one of MY most importnat tasks as a consultant an trainer. I can train your mentors to show you how to do it, but I also need to train and mentor your mentor Program Coordinator so they can effectively serve as the MoM for your mentors. To arrange that service CONTACT ME.

Recognition

Issues Related to Recognition

Issue #1: Just because people do not mentor to gain recognition does not mean they will not appreciate that recognition. In fact, if you do not recohnize the efforts made by mentors, they will grumble and perhaps even stop mentoring in the future, stating, "No one cares or even knows what we do and what it requires to do it well." Whether you realize it or not, NOT recognizing people when they deserve it is a big mistake and creates reactions that may be subtle, yet are pervasive and lingering in their effect.

Mentors appreciate the recognition of others as a statement that others understand the commitment and time that mentoring requires. The esteem of one's peers is a wonderful thing, but it is rarely stated! That is actually part of the problem. It would be easier for folks to accept the recognition of others if it were not so unique an experience.

The solution?? Don't award recognition to mentors as if they are the only ones who care. As you recognize any mentor for their contribution, point out "What a wonderful staff we have in this school. We all find our own ways to contribute to each other's success. Many of you have offered and provided help to our new staff, whether you are the formal mentor or not! Informal mentoring is how we respond to our calling to be professionals. At this point, we take the time to recognize those who have served as formal mentors to the new teachers on our staff." Expounding along these lines not only clearly recognizes that others contribute in other ways than formal mentoring, but it also states the expectation that everyone should be contributing to others in some way, and it makes that expectation more the norm every time it is expressed. Finally, it creates a situation in which formal mentors will not mind being recognized for their contribution.

• Events
  • A recognition banquet
  • A formal thank you from the Board of Education at their meeting or at the school site
  • A thank you from the principal at a Faculty Meeting
• Expressions of Appreciation
  • Official thank you letters with copies placed in individual's district personnel file
  • Thanks in the district and school newsletters
  • A open letter to the community in the local newspaper thanking and naming the mentors & naming new teachers they helped
• Gifts to Express Appreciation
  • Pin, such as "Mentor", "I help others", "Thanks for sharing what you know", etc.
  • Coffee Mug with symbol or program name or name of mentor and the title "mentor"
  • Small Gift like "golden apple" or "school hand bell" with name and "mentor" engraved on it
  • Business cards as a teacher and new teacher mentor
• Other
  • Priority given to mentors for budget support for teaching items
  • Use of personal days when desired (ie. just before or just after a holiday)

Rules of Thumb for Application - With all these options how can a program leader decide what to choose and use? Just what appeals to you? No. In fact there are clear "Rules of Thumb" for assembling a balanced and effective mix of incentives, support, and recognition. This balance is needed to make sure the impact of these elements is powerful and effective in accomplishing what the program needs them to do.

• HOW MUCH?

• Try to select and use at least TWO ITEMS from EACH OF THE THREE CATEGORIES. Certainly, more options in any category are fine, up to a point.
• If you cannot provide at least TWO from each category, try to add an extra one in the other categories. In other words, that might look like, three incentives, two supports, and one recognition.

BE CREATIVE! This list is provided to help you generate your own ideas. Since what may serve as an incentive for one person, may not entice or mean as much to another person, involve the teachers in the collaborative "negotiation" of incentives, or at least provide a menu of choices from which to select.

Some of the "Range of" items in this article were adapted from an article on incentives originally written by Ami Hicks. The original article is provided by the Mentoring Leadership and Resource Network, an affiliate of the ASCD. Access the MLRN web site at <http://www.mentors.net> Thanks Ami.