ERIC Number: EJ1408709
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2023
Pages: 14
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Formalizing Mentorship in Adult Education and Beyond
Kelly Metz-Matthews; Alexandra Doria Ruhl
COABE Journal: The Resource for Adult Education, v12 n2 p107-120 2023
The benefits of informal mentorship have been robustly documented. This article makes an argument for formalizing mentorship as professional development in the adult education space so as to capture the advantages of informal mentorship for the success of classrooms, programs, organizations, or institutions. It offers examples of two types of mentorship programming that could prove especially beneficial in the adult education space--integration focused mentoring and trajectory-focused mentoring, with the former best suited to new instructor orientation and development and the latter best suited to emerging and/or prospective leaders. In the first case, the focus is on a new instructor mentoring program; in the second case, the focus falls on a job shadow program. In both cases, formalized mentorship in adult education proves exceedingly valuable; it offers opportunities for connection and mutually beneficial relationships, assists institutions in the integration and support of new educators, and helps both educators and administrators build and maintain more diverse leadership pipelines. Finally, potential challenges and barriers in the implementation of formalized mentorship programming are addressed, and key takeaways-- including how mentorship might be used strategically for inclusivity and leadership capacity building--are offered.
Descriptors: Adult Education, Mentors, Professional Development, Novices, Teacher Orientation, Leadership Training, Adult Educators, Administrators, Job Shadowing, Barriers, Interpersonal Relationship, Higher Education
Coalition on Adult Basic Education. PO Box 1820 Cicero, NY 13039. Tel: 888-442-6223; e-mail: journal@coabe.org; Web site: https://coabe.org/coabe-journal/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Adult Education; Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: N/A
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A