The University of Texas at Austin Principalship Program
and the Central Texas Leadership Development Alliance
2007-2008 UT Principalship Partners and Mentor Guidelines/Expectations
Mentoring Guidelines - this document can also be downloaded in Microsoft Word format. Click the title name to download the document.
Where did the term “mentoring” come from?
In Homer’s epic, The Odyssey, Odysseus left to fight the Trojan War, leaving the responsibility of nurturing his son, Telemachus, to his loyal and long-time friend, Mentor. While Odysseus was away, Mentor educated and guided Telemachus in the physical, intellectual, emotional, spiritual, and social facets of life. Most significantly, Mentor taught Telemahcus to think and act in purposeful and reflective ways.
Who are the UT Principalship Partners?
The UT Principalship Partners are an advisory group for The University of Texas Principalship Program. The Partners are also the campus principals of the cohort students in the principalship program.
Since Campus Mentors are MODELS, what do they effectively model? They act as:
- Coach – Acting as: definer, advocate, visionary, strategist, investor, director, teacher, guide, challenger, trainer, honest and constructive critic
- Servant-Leader – Being: committed to student achievement, service-oriented toward staff and stakeholders, accessible, protective, selfless, willing to do the dirty work, trustworthy
- Co-Learner – Engaging in: reflective practice, pursuit of knowledge, professional refinement, collaboration, analysis, problem-solving, strategic deployment
- Maverick – Willing to: take risks, provide responsibility and accountability, afford significant and non-trivial opportunities for growth/learning, exhibit principle-centered leadership
- Architect – Attending to: vision, design, economy, aesthetics, functionality, planning, stewardship
What does the UT Principalship Program need from you as a Campus Mentor?
- Develop a mentoring agreement with your mentee(s), clarifying the expectations of the mentoring process (template provided)
- Meet/connect with the mentee on a regularly agreed-upon basis
- Participate in meetings with each mentee and university advisors to discuss ongoing leadership development
- Provide feedback on the mentoring process to the university advisor
- Provide a written appraisal of each mentee’s performance (one at the end of each semester)
- Participate in UT cohort student progress reviews each semester
- Accept a $600 mentoring stipend per assigned UT cohort student
- Participate in UT Mentor Development Modules for an additional stipend of $200 per module attended
What are the benefits to you as a UT Partner Mentor?
- Personal growth from reflection on your practice
- Personal and professional self-actualization
- Extension of your professional knowledge base
- Expansion of your professional network
- The development of a strong and meaningful relationship with an early-service administrator
- The opportunity for dialogue with other campus leaders during UT Partner Meetings
Reflection and Notes
1. Which of the five characteristics (coach, servant-leader, co-learner, maverick, architect) do I feel are my strengths? How does this mentor trait look in my daily practice?
2. Who was the most effective mentor in my life? What made them so?
3. Who was a personally valued mentor who failed in some aspect of their role? What was the error? Why was that a mistake? What impact did this have on me as a mentee?
4. Whose mentorship did I crave but never received? If I wanted that person to be my mentor, why didn’t this happen?
5. Think of a movie, play, or book that communicates a powerful model of mentorship. Who was the mentor? Who was the mentee? What were the elements of the relationship that made it a powerful model? Which character did I identify with and why?
6. How would I like to grow as a mentor?
7. How will I craft leadership experiences for my mentee(s)?
