Providing Effective Mentoring for Alternate Rout Beginning Teachers

Abstract

In this article the authors analyze the mentoring of an alternate route beginning teacher to better understand mentoring practices in alternative licensure programs and to identify how such programs might more effectively mentor this growing population of teachers. They draw on models of mentoring from traditional and alternate route programs to identify best practices in mentoring and analyze the case at hand. The analysis raises questions about the viability of current mentoring practices for alternate route teachers and uncovers important sources of mentoring beyond those typically advanced in the literature. In particular, the analysis highlights the promise of mentor teams for supporting beginning teachers in alternate route programs.

Acknowledgement

Data in this article were previously presented at the annual meeting of the American Education Research Association, April 2006.