A Case Study of Informal Peer Mentoring with a First-Year Teacher and a Veteran Teacher

This dissertation examines the informal peer mentoring relationship of a first-year teacher and an experienced teacher. Teacher preparation, struggles of first-year teachers, and problems relating to teacher retention frame the hard and the heart of this study. This qualitative descriptive case study was guided by the following research question: How does an informal peer mentoring relationship mutually benefit the professional development of a first-year teacher and a veteran teacher? Data sets were collected from transcriptions of face-to-face meetings, mentee written reflections, mentor written reflections, and posts on EdModo, a secure social network for teachers. Three themes emerged from the data analysis – ethics, knowledge, and reciprocity. This case study contributes to the growing body of literature on mentoring by demonstrating the personal value of a mentoring relationship, the complexity of the job of teaching, and the dynamics of one specific informal peer mentoring relationship with a first-year teacher and an experienced teacher. The results suggest the need for more qualitative research examining the dynamics of informal peer mentoring relationships in multiple contexts.Chapter I: INTRODUCTION 1 Overview of the Dissertation Research Report 7 Chapter II: REVIEW OF LITERATURE 9 First-year Teachers 9 Teacher Candidates and Teacher Preparation 9 The Perceptions and Realities of First-Year Teachers 12 Mental Health & Work-Life Balance of First-Year Teachers 15 Professional Development 16 Induction Support of a PK-12 Classroom Teacher 17 Conditions, Climate, and Leadership 17 Induction Programs 19 Characteristics of an Effective Mentor 21 Formal Mentoring vs. Informal Mentoring 22 Effective Practices of Mentoring 23 Reciprocity and the Mutual Benefits of Mentoring27 Chapter III: METHODOLOGY 29 Participant Selection 31 Data Collection 33 Data Analysis and Validity 36 Chapter IV: A CASE STUDY 40 Navigating through the First Semester 45 Implementing Technology 59 Teaching: The Hard vs. the Heart 62 Knowledge 67 Reciprocity 71 Lessons Learned and Insights Gained from the Development of the Case Study … 77 Conclusion 80 Chapter V: FINDINGS 81 Ethics 81 Knowledge 83 Responsive 83 Expected 84 Constructed 85 Reciprocity . 86 Chapter VI: DISCUSSION . 88 Limitations of the Study . 92 Implications for Future Research 94 Recommendations 95 Conclusion . 96 Final Reflection 96 REFERENCES 99 APPENDICES . 106 Appendix A: Institutional Review Board Approval .... 106 Appendix B: Data Tables .. 108Schmertzing, Lorraine C.Unterreiner, AnnSchmertzing, Richard W.Dees, Dianne C.Ed. D.Educational Leadershi