Mentoring and coaching promote collegiality/student achievement

The number of teachers leaving the profession is increasing, according to a May 2006 study from the National Education Association. The study looked at trends in the teaching industry in the past five years: About half of new teachers quit within the first five years because of poor working conditions and low salaries. Twenty percent of teachers say unsatisfactory working conditions keep them from wanting to stay in the profession, while 37 percent blame low pay for their decision to quit. Nationwide, more than 3.9 million teachers will be needed by 2014 because of teacher attrition, retirement and increased student enrollment. School districts across South Dakota continued to be affected by the loss of teachers as they leave the field for early in their careers for other jobs.

A consensus is growing among policy makers, administrators, researchers, and professional organizations, that educational improvement occurs when schools promote the professionalization of teachers. Effective schools research has linked collaborative activities and collegiality among teachers with gains in student learning. Consequently, programs such as peer coaching and mentoring are being widely advocated. From "Research Update", Institute for Educational Research, Glen Ellyn, IL, USA. These programs are being advocated because they provide the support teachers need to be successful thus keeping them in the field of education. You might read this article for a detailed report about mentoring and coaching. http://www.mentors.net/03library/collab_pc.html.

Successful teacher induction programs have strong mentoring programs supported by coaching. The coaching process provides structure, tools and processes allowing mentors to have conversations that encourage and stimulate teachers to grow as a person and within the education community. Evidence-based research links cognitive coaching with an increase in student achievement as collegiality among teachers deepens.