Mentoring in Action: The Interplay Among Professional Assistance, Emotional Support, and Evaluation

The growing emphasis on teacher accountability has led to increased integration of teacher evaluation and new teacher mentoring. This study examined professional and emotional mentoring supports within an urban school district that centered its induction program on structured teacher evaluation. Five mentors and 16 new special educators participated in this study. Data included evaluation reports for the 2009-2010 school year, mentor time allocation charts, and new teacher interviews. Results indicated the following: (a) Evaluation provided guidance for mentors' feedback; (b) emotional supports and professional supports were interrelated, wherein emotional supports occurred within the context of professional supports; and (c) the majority of the new teachers did not indicate that the evaluation adversely affected their mentoring experience.