Demographic Profile of Mentor Contacts - Essay Example

Mentors are expected to fulfil a myriad of roles and, as such, need good skills in leadership, communication, diplomacy and cooperation. They also need to possess that genuine desire to see their protégé improve. This may or may not equate to friendship, but mentors who possess such bonds with their protégés may be in for a more fruitful relationship – provided, of course, that they know where to draw the line. Either way, each party needs to know his role (University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1998).

Hudson and Hudson (2010) conducted a study on what motivates mentors and found varied results. For instance, some reported that they were mostly for intrinsic rewards rather than monetary gain, even noting how mentorships benefited them and their protégés. The same study was also able to show what a mentor is responsible for in actual practice and what traits are vital to his optimum performance. Among other things, good mentors are not merely skilled but are capable of reflection, tolerance, awareness, responsiveness and proper leadership (Hudson & Hudson, 2010).

Attrition rates hardly cause for celebration but have an upside in that administrators are pushed to come up with induction and mentorship programs. There will inevitably be those in the teaching profession to have second thoughts about their vocation and eventually leave; all that varies is the exact reason for doing so. The current study shows that while mentors do affect the decision of beginning teachers to stay with CMS and within the profession, it likewise presented a significant percentage whose decisions are not influenced by such.

Most rookies' working conditions need to deal with are yet another reason to further refine existing induction programs. Some of the factors which affect staying within the teaching profession include pay and training. All too often, rookies are left to their own devices, to sink or swim, or otherwise to go through an experience best described either as a ‘boot camp’ or as a ‘baptism of fire’ – issues best resolved through mentoring (Smith and Ingersoll, 2004).