Mentoring in the professional development of a novice teacher in the USA: a mentor’s position
Introduction: the article reveals the importance of the mentor’s personal professional characteristics, his tasks in the process of adaptation of a novice teacher, his influence on the successful entry into the professional community, and also considers the issues of special training of mentors. Materials and Methods: in the process of preparing this article, the scientific and methodological publications of American scientists were used, as well as methodological materials developed by educational organizations for participants in mentoring programs. Theoretical methods are used: study and analysis of scientific and methodological literature, systematization and interpretation of the data obtained. Results: the analysis of the scientific and methodological literature showed that the methodological support of a young teacher is just a part of the adaptation program. An important role in the process of entering the profession is the formation of a young teacher’s stable contacts with the staff, administration and students of the educational organization. A professional mentor is able to speed up the process of becoming a newcomer part of the professional community. With a bilateral nature of relations, mentoring contributes not only to the professional development of a novice teacher, but also to the professional development of the mentor. In mentoring programs special attention is paid to the training of mentors, since a specially trained mentor has special competencies that contribute to productive interaction with mentee. Discussion and Conclusions: the results of the study showed the importance of the mentor's personality in the formation of a positive attitude towards the profession and the successful professional adaptation of a novice teacher. Mentor training programs contribute to the establishment of effective communication within the mentoring couple, as a result of which novice teachers successfully adapt to the conditions of professional environment and become entrenched in the profession. The research results complement the theoretical field of the problem and can be used in the implementation of the Target model of mentoring in educational establishments.