QUALITIES OF AN EFFECTIVE MENTOR OR COACH
Note: The following information was gathered from a number of resources; references can be
found on the final page.
Definitions
Mentor
(noun) 1. A wise and trusted counselor or teacher. 2. Mentor. Greek Mythology: Odysseus’s trusted counselor,
under whose disguise Athena became the guardian and teacher of Telemachus.
(verb) To serve as a trusted counselor or teacher, especially in occupational settings.
Word History: In Homer’s Odyssey, Mentor is the trusted friend of Odysseus and was left in charge of the
household during Odysseus’s absence. Athena, disguised as Mentor, guides Odysseus’s son Telemachus in his
search for his father. Mentor became a common noun meaning ‘wise counselor’, first recorded in 1750.
Coach
The first use of the term ‘coaching’ defined as an instructor or trainer arose around 1830 at
Oxford University, England. Coaching was considered a slang term for a tutor who "carries" a
student through an exam. Coaching has been used to describe the process of transporting
people from one point or location to another. The first use of the term in relation to sports
came in 1831. Historically, the evolution of coaching has been influenced by many other fields
of study, including those of personal development, adult education, psychology (sports, clinical,
developmental, organizational, social and industrial) and other organizational or leadership
theories and practices. Since the mid-1990s, coaching has developed into a more independent
discipline, and has included efforts by professional associations to develop a set of training
standards for the groups they represent.
Professional coaching uses a range of communication skills (such as targeted restatements) to
help mentees or protégés shift their perspectives and thereby discover different solutions to
achieve their goals. These skills are used when coaching in any field. In this sense, coaching is a
form of meta-profession that can apply in any human endeavor, including education.
A PROFESSIONAL MENTOR or COACH:
 is a teacher and guide
 is entrusted with the education of another
 has knowledge and expertise
 is a role model
 is non-competitive
 demonstrates skills and accomplishments in chosen area
 is sensitive to the needs of others
 is patient, enthusiastic, encouraging
 is an effective communicator
Revised 09/2014
What Makes a Good Mentor or Coach?
Empathetic Communicator: Expresses/understands thoughts, feelings, and actions of self and others.
Problem Solving: Facilitates discussions and guides the process of identifying possible solutions when
faced with challenging situations.
Active Listening: Listens and uses non-verbal communication to indicate understanding.
Trustworthiness: Has integrity, good character and inspires confidence.
Introspectiveness: Examines own feelings, thoughts and actions.
Fairness: Is open minded, impartial, and honest. Has standard of rules, logic and ethics.
Non-judgmental: Withholds opinions, estimation, evaluation, and decisions of others. Gathers all facts
before making judgments or decisions.
Respectfulness: Shows concern, appreciation, and consideration for others.
Helpful Tips
Lending an Ear…
• Helpful
 Acknowledge emotion
 Suspend judgment
 Be empathetic
 Provide feedback appropriately
•
NOT Helpful
 Playing therapist
 Concentrating primarily on the protégé’s emotions
 Solving the protégé’s problems
Setting Realistic Expectations…
• Helpful
 Discourage moaning and groaning
 Balance compassion with challenge
 Ask questions
•
NOT Helpful
 Becoming permanent leaning post
 Thinking you are the only one who can help
 Interfering
Revised 09/2014
Helpful Tips, continued
Getting Started…
• Helpful
 Start with your protégé’s questions
 Identify the protégé’s goals
 Determine what the protégé wants to know
 Present alternative approaches for reaching the goals
•
NOT Helpful
 Telling everything you know
 Pontificating
 Talking about “how it used to be done”
Helping a Protégé Find their Vision…
• Helpful
 Ask the obvious AND the NOT so obvious
 Provide potential alternatives i.e., “Have you thought about…”
 Push the protégé’s thinking by facilitating the problem solving process, not by providing
solutions
 Encourage exploration of options before pushing to action
•
NOT Helpful
 Answers
 Demanding that the protégé do things your way
Needs of New Teachers/Protégés
What new teachers needed the most help with…
• Special Education paperwork - laws and procedures (84%)
• IEPs (84%)
• Referral, placement, reevaluation procedures (75%)
• Obtaining classroom materials – supplies (70%)
• Personal issues (frustration, job stressors, etc.) (69%)
• Getting acclimated to new school(s) (66%)
• Behavior management (60%)
• Using instructional strategies or materials to meet needs of students (58%)
• Using/interpreting formal/informal assessments (54%)
• Collaborating with regular education teachers (54%)
• Planning/conducting parent-family conferences (48%)
• Learning/utilizing general education curriculum (46%)
• Working with paraprofessionals (34%)
• Time management (28%)
Revised 09/2014
RESOURCES
Materials adapted from:
Characteristics of a Good Mentor; Roger Fatum, State of New Jersey Juvenile Justice Commission,
Jamesburg, NJ.
The Mentor’s Guide; Lois J. Zachary
The Mentoring Instruction Project, Marlene White and Christine Mason, Co-Principal Investigators
Wikipedia; Mentor/coach definition
Revised 09/2014