Paul G. Young - Mentoring Principals: Frameworks, Agendas, Tips, and Case Stories for Mentors and Mentees

In tribute to
Norman and Frances Kendrick
and
Roy and Carol Sheets
and
Howard and Winifred Young
who were our first and most influential mentors; our wives
Gina Knight
and
Kerry Sheets
and
Gertrude Young

who support us with their unending love and encouragement; and the many other principal mentor-mentee partnerships that we hope will be able to develop into as meaningful and fulfilling a relationship as ours.

Copyright 2005 by Corwin Press

All rights reserved. When forms and sample documents are included, their use is authorized only by educators, local school sites, and/or noncommercial entities that have purchased the book. Except for that usage, no part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Young, Paul G., 1950
Mentoring principals: frameworks, agendas, tips, and case stories for mentors and mentees / by Paul G. Young, Jeromey M. Sheets, Dustin D. Knight.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 1-4129-0515-X (cloth) ISBN 1-4129-0516-8 (pbk.)
1. School principalsIn-service trainingCase studies. 2. Mentoring in educationCase studies. I. Sheets, Jeromey M. II. Knight, Dustin D. III. Title.
LB2831.9.Y68 2005
371.2012dc22

2004026605

This book is printed on acid-free paper.

05 06 07 08 09 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

T he Mentor: taken from Greek mythology, loyal friend of Odysseus, left in charge of Odysseuss household and son. By definition, a wise and trusted counselor.

My definition would be simpler: a professional person who recognizes the need to promote his or her professionthe professional who not only will give back to his or her profession, but by doing so, really invests in the future of the profession by paying forward.

The three authors of this book know the meaning of mentor and mentee. Each has given and received knowledge, strength, and love that will make each a better person and a better professional through his experiences. The mentees can look back on the experience and now begin modeling for others what they have learned. The mentor has planted his field and with a little water and fertilizer can watch it grow into a productive crop, which can be passed on for growth. The chain should never be broken.

This book, Mentoring Principals, contains six distinctive sections:

First, supporting data and rationale for mentoring;

Second, a guide to begin your own mentor program, whether with one person or several;

Third, a set of formal mentoring agendas spanning the academic year and linked to NAESP standards for principals;

Fourth, stories of job-embedded mentoring-in-the-moment as told frankly by the mentor; enriched by the reflections of his two mentees; recording both sides of their triumphs, their frustrations, their challenges; providing an authentic case study of how, in this partnership, each worked to make the other successful and together they turned crises and crunch times into professional growth opportunities. Readers are very likely to relate these stories to the everyday experiences of their own learning and professional development;

Fifth, widening the lens from this case study to exemplary mentoring practice around the country, lead mentors share words of wisdom, tips for mentors, their own stories, and lessons learned;

Last, the authors reflect on how the mentoring partnership has impacted and been of value to their professional development and job performance.

Reading the stories and reflections in , sometimes you will laugh, sometimes you will say that happened to me, and sometimes you will just scratch your head.

You too can create an experience for yourself and some other professional by reading this book and following some of the suggestions, noting some of the pitfalls, but more importantly, giving your knowledge and skill learned from the smooth pavement or rough road you have traveled in your professional life.

While this book centers on school administrators, it can be applied to any job, profession, or station in life. A wise and trusted counselor is a valuable asset for anyone.

D. Richard Murray
Executive Director Emeritus
Ohio Association of Elementary School Administrators

T here are books and resource materials for mentoring in the business section of bookstores, but few exist that specifically describe for elementary and middle-level principals what mentoring is, how its done, or what outcomes are possible. By writing this book, we hope to contribute authentic information that in a variety of ways might fulfill that need. The literature for the business world is designed to help people become better leaders and advance in their careers. This book is designed to help elementary and middle-level principals gain insights that will enable them to do the same.

We envision this book being of primary valuebut not limited tothe following audiences:

Students and faculty engaged in college or university administrative training programs

Aspiring principals

Practicing principals

Assistant principals

Retired principals

Association leaders

Boards of education

Superintendents, assistant superintendents

Directors, supervisors, educational support personnel

Service industry personnel

Teachers

Interested constituencies

As the legions of baby boomer principals retire, trained, effective mentors are critically needed to help pass the torch of leadership in our nations schools. Mentors know how to impart lessons in the art of being a principal. They share the ins and outs of the job that are unlikely to be learned from any other professional. They see their protgs and mentees in ways they have never considered themselves before, helping them develop into leaders in a world of change.