A Study Of Novice English Teacher’s Professional Development Through Mentoring In High School

The initial several years of novice teachers is the most important period in the process of teachers’professional development. Mentoring, given by experienced teachers, is the most effective way for promoting the professional development of novice teachers. However, at present, it exists just as a kind of experience in the school practice. As Bell&Gilbert (1996) said:"Mentoring is a nurturing process in which a more skilled or more experienced person, serving as a role model, teaches, sponsors, encourages, counsels, and befriends a less skilled or less experienced person for the purpose of promoting the latter’s professional and/or personal development." so the thesis will further explore the following questions from the professional and personal aspects. This thesis aims to explore how mentoring can facilitate a novice teacher’s professional development and what impacts mentoring can have on a novice teacher.This research was conducted in Yuying Middle School and the object of research is the teaching experience of the author of this thesis and her mentor, Wang in the past three years. The research methods adopted in this study were autoethnography and case story method. The data sources include classroom observation、lesson preparations、contest participation and reflection. The data analysis methods adopted in this research is narrative. Qualitative data analysis approach allows me to inspect my experience from the third person and better understand the process and causes of my development from the perspective of researchers. The narrative account is mainly consist of several stories, including classroom observation lesson preparations、 contest participation and reflection, which pictures the whole process of how I developed into a mature and experienced teacher from a novice teacher and illustrates the impacts mentoring have on my professional development. The results show that a qualified mentor with thought、strong ability、confidence in personality and professional skill levels will bring in enormous benefits to a novice teacher’s development. The whole article is based on these four aspects:the classroom observation, lesson preparation, contest participation and personal reflection, which expounded my professional development and personal growthBased on the above analysis, mentoring is the proper path for my development. However, it is far from perfect in my context due to some professional and institutional constraints. The existing problem is as follows:the selection of qualified mentors; the lack of "openness" and competition between the mentors and mentees; the lack of mentoring time due to the over workload; low willingness to instruct novice teachers because of no compensation as a reward of their mentoring work. So the thesis draws some suggestions for mentors and school administrators in order to solve the existing problem. For mentors, they should offer their help instead of requesting questions. Besides they should also try best to enhance professional skills level and regard mentoring as a beneficial way to promote both-ends development. For administrators, school should publish mentors selection guidelines and open training programs for them. In addition to give adequate compensation to mentors, school should also relieve mentors’ workload and meanwhile make a proper evaluation system in order to avoid the direct competition between the mentors and mentees.