Author Description

Mentoring programs offer new teachers and providers a practical and supportive way to learn and grow on the job. For experienced teachers and providers, mentoring programs create an opportunity to remain in the field and advance in their profession. This guide is one part of the Early Childhood Mentoring Curriculum designed by the National Center for the Early Childhood Work Force (NCECW); the second part is a trainer's guide. The currriculum consists of a 5-day mentoring course outline, in 10 half-day modules, for covering the eight units: introduction to mentoring; becoming a mentor: options and opportunities; building the foundation for mentoring: key areas of knowledge; growing and developing as a teacher or provider; building relationships between mentors and proteges; skills for effective mentoring; mentors as leaders and advocates; and planning a learning session for adults. This handbook, which is the primary text for the mentor training, contains: (1) reading material for the trainer and mentors on each of the eight units; (2) activities in each unit that mentors can use, either on their own or with proteges; (3) bibliographies in each unit listing references and suggestions for further reading; and (4) appendices with background information and resources. (EV)