Reconsidering the novice/expert dichotomy in the K-12 mentor-mentee relationship

Abstract

Traditionally, the mentor-mentee relationship has been defined in terms of the inexperienced mentee and the experienced mentor. This study explores mentee-mentor relationships, which illustrate the tensions and difficulties that arise when this simplistic dichotomy breaks down, a situation that is becoming more and more prevalent when teachers pursue secondary certifications, validations or endorsements. The context of the study is a practica, where experienced teachers were going through a mentoring experience, while pursuing their TESL (Teaching English as a Second Language) endorsement in a mid-western university in the United States. The study finds that the mentoring relationship was mainly coloured by the discourse used by the mentors, the specific backgrounds and goals of the mentees, as well as the different understandings each mentor and mentee had of the TESL profession and their roles in the practica. Time and opportunities need to be allowed for these factors to be discussed and negotiated. © 2002 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.