D. Effective Mentoring Programs
There is consensus in the field of education on the importance of mentoring for beginning teachers and that good mentoring programs are an important part of the induction process (NEA Foundation for the Improvement of Education, 1999).
The literature reports that a focused, systematic mentoring program has a positive influence on the performance of new teachers. Studies report that beginning special education teachers who had mentors that they rated as effective were more likely to remain in special education (NEA Foundation for the Improvement of Education, 1999).
The purpose of this discussion is to provide a brief overview of the basic components of good mentor programs.
You and/or your staff are encouraged to access the Mentor Tutorial that is provided by the Recruitment and Retention project. This tutorial provides training to mentors. More information on the components of an effective mentoring program for special educators can be found at: The Recruitment and Retention website's mentoring pages and the Bridges to Success website. Additional links will be provided at the end of this section and at the end of the tutorial.
