The concept of mentorship also takes various forms in different cultures and periods of history. The Ancient Greeks had the concept of pederasty, in which teachers could hone young men to greatness. The Hindu and Buddhist religions have the concept of the guru, where a wise, religious man serves as the spiritual guide of someone who is misguided or who needs to know the Truth. In Judaism and Christianity, the concept of discipleship forms both history and current practice, as clergy or deeply spiritual people guide their respective flocks or followers. Lastly, in the medieval guilds, an economic system was built in order for apprentices to learn from guild masters and thus ensure the longevity of their respective crafts. For many professionals, such as those involved in education and academics, mentoring is an important resource, particularly because it helps encourage new learnings and improve on established ones. Mentoring is a highly valued practice and it is a recognized method used by many educators for sharing information and knowledge. It is also a way for more senior members of the academe to train beginners, allowing protégés to be sponsored both professionally and organizationally. The purpose of teacher mentoring Teacher mentoring involves the pairing of a beginning teacher with a teacher who has more experience. Sometimes, the pairing can involve one or more new teachers or a group of more experienced teachers, depending on the perceived need of the beginning teacher/s and the goals of the organization. The purpose of teacher mentoring is not only to build a mentor-protégé relationship between two or more individuals but also to provide support for the new teacher. This will help establish the teacher's confidence, allow them to settle into the organization immediately and maximize their effectiveness as instructors. Mentoring can also help establish an educational system's quality standard, allowing a school to ensure compliance with prevailing benchmarks. It is also helpful in the recruitment and retention of new staff. As a process, teacher mentoring may be used formally, such as when a school wishes to implement particular programs or informally, where no programs are in place. Either way, it can benefit a system if the program is implemented correctly. Use the Best-Kept and Best-Selling Collection of Self Help, Success & Spiritual Ebooks Ever Written... At Your Fingerstips Just One of These Tips Will Help YOU To Save More Money, Make A Better Relationship, Have A Healthier Body and Create Huge Success In Life and Business! Benefits of teacher mentoring in education Teacher mentoring is one of the best interactive systems that mentors, mentees and the educational system can actively participate in. It helps create a quantitative program to help train new teachers, develop more experienced educators and improve the techniques and methods used in instruction. It also helps build a sense of community within the school and help it comply with existing standards. Limitations of teacher mentoring Teacher mentoring has its benefits and has been acknowledged as very advantageous especially for beginners. However, it has its list of disadvantages. In 1996, teacher mentoring was criticized as a means with which to promote practices and norms that are deemed too conventional. Critics say that most teacher mentoring programs encourage participants to learn and implement outdated practices. Teacher mentoring participants may also risk picking up bad habits as demonstrated by their mentors. The lack of trust and follow-up can also spell a huge difference in teacher mentoring programs. If the system cannot be assessed or evaluated properly, it is easy for the program to fail. An ineffective evaluation system can also frustrate the mentor, especially if the system is too saddled with details and other unnecessary activities. Implementing an effective teacher mentoring program The most important consideration when implementing a teacher mentoring program for an educational institution is determining its match to the goals and objectives of the school system. Choosing the type of mentoring programs that are appropriate to the grade level of the teacher mentee is also essential. If there is a fit, it is easier for the program to be designed and put into practice. It is also important that the processes and methods are clear and specific, something that can be quantified and measured, to allow administrators to determine whether the program works or not. It is also important that the teacher mentoring program receives sufficient support from the school management and that sufficient resources are provided for the participants. Without support from the administration, a mentoring program will be difficult to sustain if it is run independently of the institution. Appropriate methods for assessment of the program is also important, to allow the organization to determine if it is effective or if there is a need to improve certain aspects. These are only a few facts that are associated with mentoring. There are many mentoring and mentorship programs available, and you can find out more about them through the Internet. Use the Best-Kept and Best-Selling Collection of Self Help, Success & Spiritual Ebooks Ever Written... At Your Fingerstips Just One of These Tips Will Help YOU To Save More Money, Make A Better Relationship, Have A Healthier Body and Create Huge Success In Life and Business! Copyright © Anne-Marie Ronsen You have permission to publish this article electronically, in print, in your ebook or on your web site, free of charge, as long as the author bylines are included. FREE Download Ebooks FREE Ebook Membership FREE Software FREE Premium Content Manual Website Submission FORUM FREE Quality Content ALL About AUTISM Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read. ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ Anne-Marie Ronsen is the author of many wealth and self development books. Download FREE e-books from http://www.e-bestsellers.com, http://www.plrbestsellers.com or http://www.universalpublishingltd.com ...You will learn about the best tips and recommendations to improve your health, weight and wealth. You'll also discover FREE Premium content at http://www.ibestof.com/ and Manual Submission Directory at: http://www.webdirectorybank.com ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤
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