Mentoring Program

Aim: To provide guidance and advice to TLs who are members of ASLA (NSW). 

Name of mentor Contact Email   Areas of Expertise

Radha Achar   radha.achar@det,nsw.edu.au
HS -Collection Development; Information Literacy; Working with staff

Wendy Dawson   wendy.dawson@det.nsw.edu.au
P - Web 2.0; Oliver; ICT & teaching; Information Literacy

Diana Boot   Diana.boot@det.nsw.edu.au
HS - Web 2.0, ICT & teaching, IWB, Information Literacy

Janice Edwards   janice.edwards4@det.nsw.edu.au

HS - Collection Development; Library Design; Literature

Kersti Elliot   Kersti.elliot@det.nsw.edu.au
P - Literacy, Finance, Information Literacy, Quality Teaching

Emilia Gerace   emilia.gerace@det.nsw.edu.au

HS -Finance; Oasis Collection Development; Library Management

Bronwyn Jackson   Bronwyn.f.jackson@det.nsw.edu.au
HS – Oasis, Library Management, Collection Development, Information Literacy

Margot Lindgren   margot.lindgren@det.nsw.edu.au

P - Literature; Smartboards; Resourcing teachers

Anne Lockwood   a.lockwood@staff.tara.nsw.edu.au

HS – HSC Support; Clickview

Enone Melville   Enone.melville@det.nsw.edu.au
HS - ICT & teaching; Web 2.0; Clickview; Periodicals

Liza Moss   Elizabeth.m.moss@det.nsw.edu.au
HS -HSC Support; ICT & teaching; Oasis; Web 2.0

Neryle Sheldon   nsheldon@slcc.dbb.catholic.edu.au
HS -Library Management; Collection Development; Staff Development

Marion Silk   md.silk@bigpond.com
HS -PRC; YA Literature promotion, HSC Support, Working Conditions

The role of the mentee:

  • Sets out to achieve new skills and knowledge to apply to their career
  • Seeks guidance and advice in their professional development
  • Accepts responsibility for their own decisions and actions
  • Maintains confidentiality
  • Acts on expert and objective advice
  • Carries out tasks and projects by agreed times
The role of the mentor:
  • Facilitates the mentee’s professional growth
  • Provides information, guidance and constructive comments
  • Evaluates the mentee’s plans and decisions
  • Supports and encourages and when necessary, identifies shortfalls in agreed performance
  • Maintains confidentiality

The essential elements of mentoring are that it is:

  • Undertaken willingly,  Individualised, Informed, Interactive, Interdependent and complementary

At the beginning of the relationship, the mentor plays the primary, leadership role. Over a period of time, the mentee develops confidence and independence as he/she becomes a more self-directed professional. The final stage in a successful mentoring relationship is one where a mutually supported collegial partnership or friendship develops and endures.

Mentors need:

  • A commitment to the mentoring process
  • An interest and good record in developing other people
  • Strong interpersonal skills
  • A range of required and appropriate skills to pass on
  • Organisational knowledge
  • An ability to share their expertise
  • Patience

From ‘So you decided to become a mentor.....’   March 2008 Retraining Unit, NSW Department of Education and Training

 Required minimum level qualifications and experience:

·         ALIA accredited    : 5 years minimum experience working as a Teacher Librarian

Communication: Initial contact by email, then by arrangement between mentor & mentee.  
Number of Mentees per Mentor: One
Time Length: Up to 1 year. Should the mentoring not be achieving its aims (for either mentor/mentee), the mentor may request the mentee be advised by another mentor.
Supervision of Service: The service will be monitored by ASLA (NSW), as a point of contact for feedback. Mentors and mentees will be issued with a feedback form (via email) for comment on the service at regular intervals.
Links:
Mentoring Australia    http://www.dsf.org.au/mentor/index.htm
Rowley, James   ‘The Good Mentor’ Educational Leadership   Vol 6, N0. 8, May 1999   https://www.det.nsw.edu.au/proflearn/docs/pdf/good_mentor.pdf
 
Procedures for Mentees and Mentors:
  1. The mentee initiates contact with a mentor on the list via email who suits their needs.
  2. When both have agreed, the mentor must contact Sharon McGuinness via email to enable the removal of the mentor’s name from the list UNTIL the period of mentorship has been completed. The name and email address of the mentee should also be included to enable a feedback sheet to be issued at a later date.
  3. Feedback sheets will be issued to each of the mentees and mentors at regular intervals.
  4. Please remember this is a voluntary exercise – read the information on the mentor page on the website.
  5. If you have further questions/suggestions, please contact Sharon McGuinness via email.
 FURTHER CONTACT:
VP Advocacy, ASLA NSW (Inc)