Coaching vs. Mentoring

When I became the Superintendent of District #1, one of my first priorities was to develop a formalized teacher mentoring program. I had read the disturbing statistics showing that up to half of new teachers quit the profession within the first five years. As a building principal, I had also witnessed the trials and tribulations of first year teachers, and most importantly, I remember the feelings I had as a first year teacher. Therefore, I believe strongly in the value of providing these new teachers with a mentor.

Mentoring provides new teachers with an immediate relationship with a colleague who is considered to be an expert in his or her field. This usually means the mentor is older and more experienced than the mentee, and during the process, the mentor bestows their knowledge and wisdom to the mentee. In return, the mentee usually looks up to the mentor and seeks his or her guidance and advice during difficult times. The desired result of this relationship is that the mentee has the necessary support to successfully transition into the teaching profession. In our District, I have personally seen the positive effect this relationship has had on our new teachers.

Although I am happy with the success of our mentoring program, I am always searching for opportunities for continuous improvement. Recently, I have been participating in a training that has me questioning if there may be a better way. The Illinois Association of School Administrators is sponsoring an intensive training on "coaching". Prior to the training, I was really unsure of what coaching was. However, the more I learn, the more excited I am becoming about the possibilities coaching has for the teaching profession.

As stated earlier, the mentoring relationship is based on the assumption that the mentor has the knowledge and must impart it upon the mentee. The coaching relationship is much different, because there is not necessarily a higher or lower relationship between the coachee and coach. In fact, the coaching relationship is more of a partnership where the coach walks side by side with the coachee. The coach supports the coachee in drawing on his or her own wisdom and following their inner guidance. In short, the coach does not necessarily have all the answers. Instead, they have the questions that lead to the coachee finding his or her own answers.

Why does this coaching relationship excite me? I think it is because it's goal is to create a coachee who becomes an independent thinker confident in his or her abilities. The mentor relationship works under the assumption that if you just do what I do, then you will be successful. The coaching relationship assumes that you already have the ability to be successful, and the coaches job is to assist you in discovering your personal pathway to success, which might be very different from the path taken by the coach. In short, the coaching relationship allows the coachee to find his or her own answers.

How could this type of relationship be helpful for new teachers? I can give you a personal example. My wife is a high school teacher, and we met during my first year as a teacher at Reed-Custer High School. Her classroom style is "entertainment" and she gets wonderful academic results. She has a great sense of humor, and her kids thrive on her energy, creativity and fun. When I saw how successful she was, I attempted to mimic her style. However, as a new teacher, I quickly realized that I lacked the proper character traits to successfully emulate her teaching style. Had I continued trying to do so, I would have failed miserably, and probably would have been one of those who quit teaching within the first five years.

I was assigned a mentor teacher, but the purpose was focused more on procedures than pedagogy. Therefore, I had to find my own style that was congruent with my personal strengths and character. Fortunately, I had wonderful colleagues who supported me in this professional endeavor, but it took about three years before it clicked and I discovered a style unique to me. I can't help but wonder if a formal coaching relationship would have helped me to discover my own style more quickly.

As previously mentioned, I am still a proponent of the mentoring process, but as I learn more, I believe the coaching relationship has real possibilities for enhancing the teaching profession. If you are interested in learning more about coaching, I would highly recommend "Co-Active Coaching" by Whitworth, et al.