3.6 A mentoring mindset: preparing future principals to be effective  (Page 5/10)

Constant personal reflection was an element of each course activity. Zull (2002) emphasizes the importance of reflection in the learning process. He states that“while experience is necessary for learning, reflection is required because reflection is searching for connections -literally. Thus, dialogue that promotes reflection is a natural way of learning”(p. 164). Zachary (2005) also point out the importance of reflection in the mentoring process, stating that“transformational learning is facilitated through a process of critical self-reflection”(p. 225). As protégés become aware of their existing assumptions, self-awareness begins. As their existing assumptions are challenged, increased self-understanding can prompt them to let go of self-limiting and often unrealistic assumptions that may be holding them back. When this transformation takes place, the protégés have experienced learning which results in more productive thoughts and behaviors. In this leadership course, then, reflection was crucial for protégés to develop and practice. Every assignment included a requirement of written reflection of the students’emergent learning about mentoring. In addition to the important reflective activities, however, there were also some key dispositions that the protégés needed to develop.

Developing Dispositions for Protégéship

The dispositions necessary to become an effective protégéare willingness to learn, self-knowledge, taking initiative, maintaining confidentiality, and being aware of ethical considerations in the mentoring relationship (Searby&Tripses, 2007). In the Mentoring for Educational Leadership course, students had an opportunity to participate in a number of exercises designed to enhance self-awareness. As mentioned previously, they took the DISC personality inventory and wrote a reflective paper on the relationship of their personality profile to their future role as a protégé. Each student kept a reflective journal on the peer mentoring sessions conducted in each class period. In Blackboard online discussions, they were asked to share their personal reflections on each class assignment.

Students demonstrated their willingness to learn through practice of the newly introduced Cognitive Coaching skills. In addition, they were assigned to read and discuss articles pertaining to mentoring, and were asked to apply each reading to their present life situation or identify how their perspectives had changed as a result of exposure to new knowledge.

The disposition of‘taking initiative’was demonstrated by students’willingness to be courageous by approaching a person they respected and admired and asking that person to enter into a mentoring relationship with them. This proposition, without a doubt, was daunting for nearly all the students, and many admitted they would not have completed this task had it not been a class assignment. As a part of the mentoring agreements formed with their mentors, and also with their peer mentors in class, the disposition of maintaining confidentiality was discussed and confidentiality pacts were made.