This document outlines the roles and responsibilities of mentors. It defines mentoring as a method of staff development where a mentor is actively involved in a mentee's professional and personal growth. A mentor guides, inspires, encourages, and advises a mentee. Mentoring functions include career development through exposure, coaching, and sponsorship, as well as psychosocial support through acceptance, counseling, and role modeling. The goals of mentoring are succession planning, promoting diversity, and facilitating organizational change. Effective mentoring strategies include frequent contact, providing advice and direction without being the sole source of answers, understanding the mentee's perspective, and tailoring the experience to each individual.

1. MENTORING Roles & Responsibilities of Mentor

2. Mentoring A method of staff development whereby a mentor takes a responsibility for and becomes actively involved in the professional and/or personal development and empowerment of a mentee. (Botha & Van Zyl, 2001).

3. Who is a Mentor? Mentor is a combination of many different people-part cheerleader, part coach, part teacher, part student, part guide, and part listener. A mentor guides, inspires, encourages, counsels, advises, questions, and answers. A mentor can play many roles, such as a caring adult, door opener, career counselor, or Mentor Place activity advisor.

4. The Functions of Mentoring 1.Career Function - is aimed at the development of the professional skills of the mentee for the purpose of the advancement of his career. This function entails activities including; exposure and visibility, coaching, protection, challenging assignments and sponsorship

5. Cont’d… 2. Psychosocial Function - aimed at the development of interpersonal skills that enhance a sense of competence, identity and effectiveness in a professional role. This function entails activities including; acceptance and confirmation, counseling, role modeling and Friendship.

6. The Goals of Mentoring: To ensure that the future needs of the organization are taken care of (i.e. succession planning and management development) To ensure the application of equal opportunity policies; To address the impact affirmative action has on the organization; To promote a corporate identity or cultural change To create an awareness of the needs of diverse workers.

7. Monitor Support Guidelines . Be quality support monitor clear understanding of role and responsibilities, plan what you are going to do when and where, for how long and record it, Be positive towards teachers demonstrate positive behaviour reinforcement methods Focus on the strengths of teachers avoid discussing a teacher’s weakness with other teachers or the community Be professional, accountable, Acknowledge the different learning styles and experiences of Teachers Continue to develop, professional knowledge, practices, relationships, leadership and support advising skills

8. Strategies for Effective Mentoring Put in the time (frequency and type of contact with mentee /teacher) If the teacher is stuck, provide direction and offer advice Don’t fall into the trap of being the “answer person” with the golden piece of advice Put yourself in the Mentee’s shoes Do what is asked of you - within reason

9. “ An effective mentor is knowledgeable, generous with his or her time, and flexible in personalizing the mentor experience to each individual.” —Robert Gardner