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traditional mentoring versus educative mentoring and coaching practices is the idea
that educative mentors and coaches employ a partnership approach to their work
with a novice teacher. This means that, instead of the mentor or coach being the
expert, the individual comes to the relationship knowing he or she has just as much
to learn from the novice teacher (Knight, 2017).
In the Career Advancement and Development for Recruits and Experienced
(CADRE) Project housed within our teacher-preparation program, associates
Dr. Chris Wilcoxen is (veteran teachers) are assigned to work with novice teachers and serve as educative
Assistant Professor and mentors and coaches to support their growth and development. In observing their
the Director of CADRE work, we see many similarities between educative mentoring and coaching, but the
Project at the University
of Nebraska at Omaha. most important overlap is establishing a relationship built on trust and mutual respect.
cwilcoxen@unomaha.edu Mentors and coaches (i.e., associates) understand the significance of authenticity. If
the goal of educative mentoring and coaching is to support teachers in growing
in their teaching practice through the use of dialogue, reflection, and goal setting,
then educative mentors and coaches must take a genuine interest in individuals as
people and professionals. Relationship building, establishing trust, and providing
opportunities for vulnerability to create space for teachers’ voices are necessary.
Because teaching is a highly personal endeavor, this relationship creates a safe and
collaborative space for rich dialogue to flourish and for learning to grow.
Additionally, associates employ educative mentoring and coaching practices to
support in classrooms, coach instructional needs, co-teach, co-plan, problem solve
difficult behaviors, support team interactions, and provide socio-emotional support.
Educative mentors and coaches must also be prepared to support beginning teachers
in developing goals. Large-scale change will not happen overnight, but by addressing
a series of short-term goals, associates can help teachers achieve long-term growth
(Stanulis & Bell, 2017).
One way educative mentors and coaches periodically check in with teachers
about their progress on both short-term and long-term goals is through reflective
dialogue. Through attentive, targeted mentoring (Stanulis & Bell, 2017), teachers
and associates may work together to set goals. Initially, associates suggest goals,
but gradually, teachers will drive the conversations about setting, narrowing, and
determining steps toward achieving goals with their associate’s support. Together,
the pair determines teacher actions and associate actions toward achieving each
goal. Educative mentor-coach actions may include indicating the type of data they
will gather during an observation, co-planning, or suggesting additional resources
(e.g., books, other colleagues to consult).
When new to their position, mentors/coaches often question, “How do I know if I
am giving my teachers what they need?” As mentioned previously, relationships are
the foundation. Without the established trust between associate and novice teacher,
limited growth capacity is inevitable. One of the biggest concerns experienced by
new coaches and educative mentors is knowing how to prioritize the teacher’s needs.
In other words, what is the low-hanging fruit that will impact the greater whole? To
support teachers, mentors/coaches must consider the varied use of both mentoring
and coaching strategies based on (a) teacher needs, (b) coaching and mentoring
styles, and (c) student needs. Mentors/coaches must develop tools to support their
own growth in applying these skills with teachers.

Blend of Mentoring & Coaching Vignette
Chris Wilcoxen: I started my career in a 14-month graduate level teacher

30 The Delta Kappa Gamma Bulletin: International Journal for Professional Educators