'Teacher talk': The perspectives of participants in a teacher mentoring program relating to its importance and impact on the program

The purpose of this study was to describe the reported perspectives of participants of The TEACH Program on the importance of "teacher talk" and its impact on the mentor teacher induction program for the Jefferson County Board of Education in Birmingham, Alabama. Subjects included 32 mentors and 83 mentees participating in the program from 1995--2000. Participants evaluated the time spent in teacher talk, aspects of teacher talk considered most important, and the extent to which teacher talk was instrumental in the improvement and change of The TEACH Program. Data gathered revealed perspectives concerning the psychological and professional benefits of teacher talk, barriers to teacher talk, mentoring as a strategy to encourage teacher talk, as well as teacher talk as a strategy to carry out and modify the mentoring program. Participants perceived teacher talk as being very important and necessary to the mentee's successful induction into the teaching profession. Although much teacher talk is taking place within the induction program, mentors perceive the occurrences to be more frequent than do mentees, with most meetings scheduled "whenever there was a need." Participants were sometimes prevented from teacher talk due to lack of time for scheduled meetings, lack of personal or professional rapport between mentor and mentee, and the misconception of the mentor's role by the local school administration. The times participants spent in teacher talk were perceived to be the most important aspect of the mentoring program. Teacher talk was also perceived to be instrumental in the operation and modification of the mentoring program as well as in providing a positive induction experience for the participants. Those most satisfied with the mentoring program experience had a good mentor/mentee relationship spent frequently in teacher talk.