Phases of the Mentoring Relationship

There are four phases in a mentoring relationship: preparing, negotiating, enabling, and redefining.

Phase 1: Preparing
A teacher and an instructional specialist decide to become involved in a mentoring relationship.

• A teacher identifies a need for mentoring and thinks about the goals to be accomplished through this process.
• The instructional specialist remembers being an adult education teacher, recognizes that they have learned a great deal that could be of help to teachers and initiates the mentoring process.

Phase 2: Negotiating
The mentor and protégée develop mutual expectations and build a mentoring relationship.

• The mentor and mentee spend time getting acquainted and building trust; discuss common interests, their professional experiences, and share information about their programs; and identify patterns of communication.
• They communicate expections, set guidelines for the amount of time available for mentoring, and agree on contact procedures and expected outcomes.