Mentoring New Teachers

Rating:
Summary: "Mentoring" is of great use in the private sector: MIS
Review: I am responsible for overseeing the implementation and maintenance of several important aspects of the Management Information System for a large multi-national company. Among other things, my job involves training and mentoring a sizable staff of MIS specialists; some veterans, others new to the field or to our company. Although I am not a teacher, I read "Mentoring New Teachers" by Hal Portner hoping to gain some insights on how to do this part of my job. Since many of the discussions, exercises and tips in the book seemed to relate directly to my situation, I decided to try them out. I was not disappointed! Especially useful were the chapters that dealt with establishing and maintaining productive mentoring relationship, and on how to coach employees in such a way that they gain the confidence and understandings to act productively on their own. I expect "Mentoring New Teachers" is very helpful to teachers, but I also highly recommend Portner's book as a "must read" to my counterparts in the private sector.