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Collaborative Mentorship: A MentoringApproach to Support and SustainTeachers for Equity and DiversityAnn E. Lopeza

a University of TorontoPublished online: 02 Sep 2013.

To cite this article: Ann E. Lopez , Mentoring & Tutoring: Partnership in Learning (2013):Collaborative Mentorship: A Mentoring Approach to Support and Sustain Teachers for Equity andDiversity, Mentoring & Tutoring: Partnership in Learning, DOI: 10.1080/13611267.2013.827836

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Collaborative Mentorship: A Mentoring Approach to Support andSustain Teachers for Equity and Diversity

Ann E. LopezUniversity of Toronto

In this article, I propose collaborative mentorship (CM) as a mentoringapproach to support and sustain teachers in diversity and equity education.CM is theorized as a mentoring relationship grounded in criticaldialog between mentor and mentee. Drawing on research conducted in aculturally, racially, linguistically, and socially diverse secondary school inSouthern Ontario, Canada, this article examines tensions teachers experi-ence with equity and diversity and the knowledge base necessary for sucha mentoring approach. As the schools become more diverse, it is vital thatteachers seek out new approaches that respond to the changing socialcontexts. The findings of my research have implications for teacherprofessional development and teacher training in discovering new ways tosupport in diverse classrooms.

Keywords: mentoring, diversity, equity, teacher development, alternativementoring, collaborative mentorship, diverse classrooms

The increasing diversity in schools and the need for teachers and teachereducators to respond to changing demographic realities is well documented inthe research (Cochran-Smith & Fries, 2008; Ladson-Billings, 2000, 2001;Nieto, 2009; Sleeter, 2001). According to Hollins and Torres-Guzman (2005),research on diversity in teacher education has found that many of the teachersassigned to teach diverse students in urban schools are concerned because theydo not have the confidence in their ability to work with well students, interactwith parents from diverse backgrounds, and feel inadequately prepared toteach students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. What isless evident in the research are the ways to support and sustain teachers intheir efforts at diversity and equity education as they wrestle with personaland pedagogical tensions. Given the current era of standardization and increas-ing demands on teachers, it is important to support teachers who pursue equityand diversity education. For many teachers, it is a complex journey of learning

Ann E. Lopez, Department of Leadership, Higher and Adult Education, University ofToronto.Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Ann E. Lopez, Ontario

Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto, Department of Leadership,Higher and Adult Education, 252 Bloor St W, Toronto, ON, Canada M5S 1V6. E-mail:ann.lopez@utoronto.ca

© 2013 Taylor & Francis

Mentoring & Tutoring: Partnership in Learning, 2013http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13611267.2013.827836

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new ways of working with diverse students and communities, and unlearningpractices and assumptions that have not been effective.

In this article, I examine collaborative mentorship (CM) as a means ofsupport for teachers who seek to be more culturally responsive in their teach-ing practice. Mentoring is a powerful force that continues to shape the qualityof the teaching experience (Mullen, 2009). It has flourished in education as away of supporting experienced teachers and encouraging new teachers toremain in the profession (Heibert, Gallimore, & Stigler, 2002; Lipton &Wellman, 2003). Mentoring, however, aimed at diversity and equity haslargely been ignored in the mentoring literature. The need for this type ofmentoring is evident as the student population becomes more diverse. It isimportant to create spaces that support and sustain teachers in increasinglydiverse settings. Teaching staffs have remained predominantly White, mid-dle-class, and female in the face of growing student diversity (Achinstein &Athanases, 2005), and this reality makes mentoring for diversity and equitymore urgent. Sleeter (2009) found that most White teachers are inadequatelyprepared to teach in culturally diverse schools because of a superficial under-standing of the issues and need to be supported. She suggested further thatexperienced teachers who feel isolated in their classrooms or schools shouldfind people who will give them support “so they won’t feel like they are outthere by themselves … feeling like they have to take on the issues all bythemselves can be self-defeating” (p. 43).

The concept of mentoring goes back to the first telling of the mythicallegend of a Mentor who was entrusted with the education of Odysseus’ son.Although the term is rooted on mythology, it has grown and flourished ineducation. An effective mentoring relationship is characterised by qualitiessuch as trust, sensitivity, understanding, communication of hope and opti-mism, and the ability to provide support that embraces continuous learning(Colwell, 1998; Rowley, 1999; Wittenberg, 1998). Mentorship is a frame-work for theorizing the relationships in which people collaboratively investtime, respond to critical needs, and enhance their capacity for growth(Johnson, 2006). Traditionally, mentoring relationships have been character-ised by protégé and an expert in either formal or informal arrangements.Given the issues of power that might exist in such relationships, there havebeen calls for alternative ideologies of mentoring that include collaboration,co-mentorship, democratic learning, and shared leadership (Mullen, 2009).Emerging in the mentoring literature are other mentoring epistemologies andapproaches: feminist (David, 2008; Mullen, 2008); co-mentoring (Cohen,2002); and collaborative (Wasburn, Wasburn-Moses, & Blackman, 2008) thatseek to address inequities in organizations such as schools and respond to thegrowing diversity.

Using a case-study approach, drawing on research that I conducted in aculturally, racially, socially, and linguistically diverse secondary school inSouthern Ontario, Canada, I examined the impact of CM with two teacher

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participants who engaged in a mentoring relationship with myself as collabo-rative mentor and researcher. From this research, I articulated the knowledgebase for CM. My research has implications for mentoring in education,teacher development and training in diversity and equity education, andcontributes to the literature on ways that teachers can be better prepared toteach in diverse contexts. Teachers respond positively to being mentored(Boreen, Johnson, Niday, & Pott, 2000) and the benefits for teachers are welldocumented.

CM is theorized as a mentoring approach that focuses on supporting andsustaining teachers in diversity and equity education. It is grounded in thenotion that mentoring for diversity and equity is a dialogical mentoringrelationship between mentor and mentee that creates space to wrestle withtensions (Lopez, 2005) and digresses from conventional mentoring relation-ships that center protégé and expert. CM involves co-labouring, sharing backand forth of ideas, opinions, and feelings between mentee and mentor.

As an alternative form of mentoring, CM promotes collaboration betweenmentee and mentor where they learn from each other and take risks (Lopez,2005). Mentors in this kind of mentoring relationship experiment witheducational ideas, share their mentoring goals, examine the influence oftheir ideologies, and they are social justice advocates that engage in dialog,empowerment, and transformation (Mullen, 2009). I theorize CM as a dialog-ical form of mentoring grounded in critical educational discourses that chal-lenge power and privilege (Dei, 1996; Giroux, 1997; Kumashiro, 2009;McLaren, 1998). Critical educational discourses theorize schooling as aracially, culturally, and politically mediated experience (Dei, 2002); andadvocates for research as praxis.

Researcher Perspective

In this research, I was situated as researcher, learner, and mentor. In criticalresearch, the researcher is positioned as learner in the research process andproblematizes the tensions and dilemmas of participants as sites of learning(Lather, 1991). In so doing, knowledge is co-constructed with participants(Brown & Jones, 2001). The co-construction of knowledge between mentorand mentee is fundamental in the CM relationship. I engaged in the researchproject from the start knowing that I would be in the role of mentor. One ofthe research goals was to identify the kinds of support teachers needed indiversity and equity education and examine the role of CM. The nature of thementoring relationship, however, was not defined and evolved over the courseof the research. The evolution of the mentoring relationship became one of themost transformative aspects of the research for the participants and myself.

Exposing oneself in the research process and engaging in reflexivity is acentral tenet of qualitative research that involves the assessment of theinfluence of researcher’s background, perceptions, and interests on the

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qualitative research process (Lather, 2000). Given my role as mentor andresearcher, I was conscious of how I was implicated in the process based onmy own social location as a Black, gendered, immigrant female fromJamaica. As mentor, I shared my own blind spots and tensions on the journeyof equity and diversity education. I did not position myself as neutral(McLaren, 1998) in the research process or mentoring activities, but as aneducator and researcher with a definite political agenda of disrupting existingnorms, challenging forms of discrimination and oppression that serve to mar-ginalize diverse students and students of colour. As Mullen (2009) suggested,political agendas is a driving force within alternative mentoring contexts. Myrole as collaborative mentor included some of the traditional aspects of men-toring, such as sharing of resources and discussing assessment strategies andcurriculum approaches; however, it was the support and conscious dialogu-ing with participants on issues of equity and diversity that formed the essenceof the CM relationship.

Methodology and Study Context

My article is based on a qualitative research that I conducted in a largesuburban secondary school in Southern Ontario, Canada, and focuses on thecase studies of two teachers whose experiences represented areas of tensionfor them in dealing with diverse students. The study was conducted at Mt.Grange Secondary School1 a large multi-ethnic, multi-racial suburban schoolwith a diverse population. The following questions guided my research: (a)what are the conflicts and tensions teachers experience in diverse classroomsand (b) how might CM, as a form of mentoring, support and sustain teacherson a journey of diversity and equity education.

Research Participants

In my article, I focus on the case study of Maxine and Edward; two Whiteteachers whose experiences highlight the tensions that many White teachersface today in diverse classrooms all across North America. Maxine was afirst-year teacher and Edward was an experienced teacher with 10 years ofservice. Both participants self-identified as White, middle class, heterosexual,and able-bodied. Maxine also self-identified as part Aboriginal through hermaternal grandmother. Both volunteered to participate in the study frominvitations made to the staff by me.

Data Collection and Analysis

Data were collected over an academic year (September–June) and includedsemi-structured interviews (Creswell, 2003), reflective journals, and mentoringdialog. Interviews were conducted at the start and at the end of the research.

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The initial interviews were designed to obtain the participants’ perception onissues of diversity and equity and their views on schooling in general. Thesecond interviews obtained participants’ reflections on the study and theimpact of CM in providing support for equity and diversity. Each interviewwas two hours in length, tape-recorded, and transcribed by me. The followingquestions were asked at the start of the research:

(1) How would you describe the diversity in your classroom?(2) What are some of the issues you face in teaching diverse students?(3) What instructional strategies have you used to meet the needs of

diverse students?(4) Have you received any kind of professional development on diversity

and equity education?(5) What are some of the difficulties you believe that teachers face

relating to anti racist and/or multicultural education?(6) How do you believe that you participation in this study will impact

your practice and you as a teacher?(7) What materials and research have you read on antiracist education

and/or multicultural education, diversity, and equity?

The following questions were asked at the end of the research:

(1) What have you gained from participation in the research that you willuse in your practice?

(2) In what ways did the collaborative mentoring relationship assistedand supported you in gaining greater understanding of diversity andequity?

(3) What else would you like to have explored in the mentoringrelationship?

(4) Do you have comments/concerns/questions/suggestions regarding thestudy?

(5) What supports do you see as important for teachers engaging indiversity and equity education?

Through the interviews, I obtained the participants’ understanding ofdiversity and equity, and ways that I could support them to be more criticalin their approach. I made field notes of the school context and dialog withparticipants about tensions in their practice with diverse students. I dialogedwith participants individually in person, by phone, and email. The dialogsprovided insights into their tensions as well as actions that they could take towork more effectively with diverse students in keeping with the objectives ofthe research. We also met as a group where participants discussed issuescollaboratively and supported each other. Participants made notes in theirreflective journals of their tensions and the impact CM on them personally as

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well as their practice. The various data sources allowed for methodologicaltriangulation (Denzin, 1970) and commonality in themes.

I read through the entire corpus of data obtained from various sources forthemes that responded to the research questions and highlighted tensions. Ithen coded the tensions that emerged from the analysis of the data into cate-gories and themes (Strauss & Corbin, 1998). I explored themes that high-lighted tensions in the participants’ work and specific aspects of thementoring relationship that offered support (LeCompte & Schesnul, 1999).During data analysis, I continuously examined the influence of my role asresearcher and mentor over the process (Lather, 1993) by ensuring that myvoice was not the dominant voice in the CM relationship. Given my identityas a Black woman conducting research with White participants in the schoolsetting, it was important to establish trust and mutual respect where we couldtease out issues, particularly where tensions arose with Black students. Thebuilding of trust (Lincoln & Guba, 1985) with the participants allowed forthe frank examination of tensions. Participants also shared issues that were ofconcern to them. These included issues interactions with students, administra-tion, and other colleagues. In some instances, I offered suggestions and inother instances, I provided resources such as texts, articles, and websites.

Findings

The findings of the research add to the gap in the extant literature on waysthat teachers can be mentored to be more effective in diverse classrooms.Issues of race, racism, whiteness, and professional and emotional risks ofembedding equity and diversity in their teaching practice emerged as areas oftension for the participants. Acknowledging the emotional and professionalrisk of the participants was central to sustaining their efforts in pursuingdiversity and equity in their practice. The journey of equitable education isfraught with challenges that may entice some teachers to give up in the faceof what may seem to be insurmountable odds (Solomon & Levine-Rasky,2003). Maxine and Edward, who are White, wrestled with issues of race, rac-ism, and whiteness in their classrooms with diverse students. The tensionsthey experienced point to the continued saliency of race, racism, andwhiteness in education, the need to name these issues and create safe spaceswhere meaningful dialog can occur. According to Landsman (2011):

Teachers are often willing to examine curriculum in their classrooms honestly;they are even willing to talk about relationships and biases regarding studentsand parents but only if this occurs in a nonthreatening atmosphere. Yet, manyof these same teachers balk when it comes to examining their own advantagesas White people in the world. However, self-scrutiny is exactly what Whiteteachers must engage in if we are to make change in our classrooms and ininstitutions. This reflection is the way we will experience the significant deeptransformation in the education of student in our classrooms. (p. 13)

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The findings of the research, while contextual to the research site, supportthe arguments raised in the research on diversity in teacher education thatsuggests that while changes in student demographics have been dramatic,changes in the demographics of the teaching force have been slow. Asstudents from diverse racial, ethnic, and language groups seek access toeducational opportunities in today’s classrooms, it is important that teachersbe prepared to work effectively with diverse students (Ball & Tyson, 2011).The research findings offered in this article focus on (a) the tensions that theparticipants revealed in their interactions with diverse students on issues ofrace, racism, and whiteness and (b) essential tenets of CM.

Race, Racism, and Whiteness

Within a dialogical understanding, teaching can be conceptualized as a strug-gle for voice between tensions (Britzman, 1991). Edward and Maxineencountered tensions in their relationships with racialized students. In an inci-dent in Edward’s classroom, a Black student suggested that he was “unfairlypunished by Edward because of his racial identity” and felt that Edward didnot “treat him fairly as he was asked to change seats on several occasions,while White students who were misbehaving were not asked to move.” Indialog with Edward about the incident he suggested that “he treated allstudents the same and race is never an issue in his classroom.” Edward wasuncomfortable discussing the issue of race, particularly as it related to Blackstudents and White teachers. Over the course of our conversations, his dis-comfort waned. Grinage (2011) found that in schools where a disproportion-ate number of students of color get into trouble for disciplinary reasons, theblame is often placed on their behaviors, while overlooking other factors thatmay be contributing to the situation. Copenhaver-Johnson (2006) suggestedthat many White teachers experience difficulties seeing, detecting, and identi-fying racism and whiteness in their classrooms and interactions with studentsof color because these factors have been normalized as part of their everydaylife and they have been socialized not to see or acknowledge race. Grinage(2011) suggested color blindness affects many White teachers in suburbanschools as teachers tend to see students as individuals and do not acknowl-edge their racial and cultural differences. Edward acknowledged in our dialogthat he had not considered “whiteness as a factor in his relationship withstudents, and had not thought about his power and privilege as a Whiteman.” Our dialog around whiteness, power, and privilege created momentswhere Edward was able to place his experiences in context of dominantnorms and practices. He was initially shocked that the student analyzed hisexperiences in his class through racial lens and felt that it was an “issue offairness, not race.” As we dialoged about incidents with his students, Edwardsuggested “that students make claims of racism without justification” and feltthat at times he was “unfairly labelled as a racist by students.”

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Noguera (2008) asserted that students of color and students from lowersocioeconomic class are given harsher discipline in schools due to racial biasby teachers. Discussion about fairness that sees all students the same was acommon theme in the discussion between Edward and myself. In mentoringrelationship with Edward, we talked about the difference between equalityand equity; that equity is not about giving each student the same and thatequity demands different treatment of students according to their needs.These conversations were important in moving Edward to embrace a morecritical approach to equity and diversity. During these discussions, we talkedabout the importance of White teachers naming race, racism, and classism asfactors in students’ lives that impact their learning.

Emerging from the CM process and my dialog with the participants, theEquity Awareness Development Process surfaced as a way of deconstructingand analyzing the tensions that the participants experienced and transforma-tive aspects of the mentoring relationship. Engaging in teaching practice thatcenters diversity and equity is a process of learning and unlearning. In thisprocess, teachers start with a commitment to equity, move towards a deeperunderstanding of self through reflection, and support to become social andactive agents in the pursuit of equitable and just schooling for all where theyactively challenge power and the status quo. It is represented not as a linearprocess but as a journey of ups and downs, acknowledging the complexitiesas teachers wrestle with their tensions, assumptions, and biases that they bringto diverse classrooms. Preparing teachers to engage in forms critical praxisrequires an ideological commitment and recognition that the status quo is notserving the needs of culturally, racially, and linguistically diverse students aswell as challenge the notion of diversity as a deficit and problem (Figure 1).

Dialogs with Edward were often emotional, resulting in new insightsfor him and myself as collaborative mentor that served to guide the directionof our conversations. In one instance, Edward suggested “he felt guilt some-times” when the issue of race is discussed and “sometimes feel incapable ofdealing with situations that involve race.” As we explored the complex issueof whiteness and racism, we identified specific examples manifested in his

Commitment to Equity

DeeperUnderstanding

of SelfChallenge Power &the Status quo

Social Action/Agency

Figure 1. Equity awareness development process.

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classroom practice and how he might address them. Van Ausdale and Feagin(2001) argued that many White teachers tend to dismiss students claim ofracism as absurd, thus missing an opportunity to give deep consideration tothe issue and working to become an agent of change within their classroomspace. This supports Tatum’s (2001) claim that often there is an emotionalresponse in relation to racial identity development that sometimes includeguilt, shame, embarrassment, or anger. Pollock (2008) suggested that mentorscould assist White teachers to move beyond feelings of guilt and angerand seek out ways to promote more equitable practices. Becoming consciousof power and privilege and the social construction of “whiteness” is animportant aspect of racial identity development (Solomon & Levine-Rasky,2003). As part of the CM relationship, I provided Edward with resources andresearch articles on whiteness. It was important in the mentoring relationshipthat a sense of trust and a respectful space existed emotionally and physicallywhere Edward could speak frankly about his feelings. It was a space that wassupportive and nonjudgemental.

Maxine a White female teacher in her first year of teaching said she“enjoyed teaching at Mt Grange Secondary School” and describes herself asan “advocate for students.” She said that she engaged in teaching that was“inclusive and reflective of the students’ backgrounds.” During our interview,she suggested that she “really wanted to disrupt the Eurocentric way thatHistory was taught in secondary schools.” Given her leaning towards equityand her feelings that she was doing the “right thing for her students,” itbecame a shock for Maxine when students of color in her class suggestedthat her actions regarding discipline were racially motivated. “I do notunderstand why students view me in racial terms, I look White, but I am notWhite.” Maxine was referring to her identity being part Aboriginal. Maxineshared her tensions about her own racial identity in relationship to thestudents of color in her class:

I am white, often viewed as the oppressor, as a racist, as a bigot. Students lookat me and racially judge … they assume that I am prejudiced towards thembecause I mark them late, send them to the office, won’t give them paper, andso on. They make Comments such as, Miss you don’t like me because I amBlack or Brown and that bothers me … I respond with no … I am not a racist.It’s hard to cross racial cultural boundaries sensitively … I know I am white,but I really try everything to let others know that I am of mixed heritage …Ojibway and French. My grandmother is a full Ojibway raised on a reserva-tion…she later married an Irish-Canadian and lost all of her Aboriginal status.My other grandparents are French-Canadian …

Maxine felt that her identity as an Aboriginal person made her more“sensitive to the needs of diverse students.” “I try hard connecting with them,I want them to know that even my dominant features are White, I understoodwhat it means to be marginalized.” Maxine did not share with the staff and

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students her Aboriginal heritage, so many thought of her as a White teacher.She felt at times that she was being “unfairly judged by students of colour”but sincerely wanted to be their advocate. Maxine became quite upset thatshe had to navigate what she described as the “racial terrain.” Maxine as aWhite teacher believed that she was making a difference with diverse stu-dents, only to have her actions seen by the students as racist. Her experiencespeaks to the complexities of race and how different racial groups understandit differently. Conversations about race in schools are not usually from theperspective of racialized students, but from the predominantly White staffwho are sometimes hesitant to examine their practice and ways of knowing.Pollock (2008) suggested educators and scholars engage in conversations thatassist teachers in understanding which of their everyday actions counteractracial inequality and which do not.

It is important for those mentoring for diversity and equity to supportteachers in recognizing that there is bias in their practice. Teachers need acritical teaching space to engage with the dilemmas in their everyday teach-ing practice that create discontinuities and a sense of vulnerability. Landsmanand Lewis (2006) argued most White teachers have never been exposed towhat it means to truly teach inclusively and equitably and this can be difficultfor some. According to Gutierrez, Larson, and Kreutzer (1995), tensions indiverse classrooms stems from a lack of understanding of the socioculturalterrain by White teachers that is often exacerbated by their reluctance torecognize their own power and privilege. Sleeter (2009) argued that the heartof the problem is the failure of White people and institutions to come toterms with racism at a personal level and a systemic level. It is important tochallenge whiteness as a form of ideology and praxis within educationalinstitutions (Henry & Tator, 2009).

CM can support teachers to admit to bias, and accept responsibilities forracial disparities and make a commitment to equity and diversity. Engagingin discussions and heightening awareness of racism without developing anawareness of the possibility of change is a prescription for despair (Tatum,2001). A working assumption is that inequities affect everyone and dealingwith the impact of oppression is a lifelong process, in which the educator isengaged. It is a process of continuous growth and learning.

Maxine also expressed fear in dealing with the school administration ontwo levels. On one level she felt vulnerable as a new teacher and on theother, she felt uncomfortable having conversations with one of the viceprincipal, who happened to be Black, about issues dealing with race. Shesuggested that she “did not know how to approach the vice principal.” In herjournal Maxine wrote that she felt “mortified” and “vulnerable” taking upissues with administration that had racial overtones:

In class R.M. a white male student wore a sweater depicting a cross on thefront and back of it. On the back of the sweater was a “K” with a hooded

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figure. Several of the [Black] students in my class began to talk about thesweater. R.M. became defensive claiming that it was the band he listened to.One of the Black female students said that he should take off the sweater as itwas racist. I sent R.M. to the office and told him that his sweater was inappro-priate and offensive. I went to the office later to follow-up with the [black]vice-principal, and I realized my discomfort at being White … I remember thefear and uncertainty as I said “some of the black students in my class are extre-mely offended” to the vice principal [who is black] … she said “she did notwant to make it a black/white issue.” I was confused and uncomfortable … Iremember leaving the vice principal’s office feeling mortified and wondering ifshe thought that I too was racist.

Maxine’s tensions underscore the need for ongoing support for new teacherson issues of diversity and equity. I dialoged with Maxine on ways to discussdiversity and equity issues with the administration as a new teacher and alsoas White woman by focussing on the interest of students. Other areas ofsupport for Maxine included curriculum resources, culturally relevant andresponsive classrooms practices, and subject specific resources and readings(Gay, 2000; Ladson-Billings, 1995).

Essential Tenets of CM

CM is focused on moving mentees along a critical path of diversity andequity as suggested in the Equity Awareness Development Process. Partici-pants in this research were encouraged to consciously think about voices thatare excluded, representation of various cultures, the materials used, and theforms and types of assessment while preparing lessons. It is important we donot take for granted that teachers are aware of existing resources on diversityand equity and how to access them. Without support, it is difficult for someteachers to start on this journey. CM for diversity and equity is important inguiding teachers on ways to embed equity and diversity perspectives in theirpractice (Lopez, 2011, 2013). Mentoring engages teachers in a consciousprocess of equity education instead of selecting from the “equity tool box”strategies to deal with issues moment by moment, ignoring the underlyingcauses of discrimination and exclusion that form barriers to student successand learning.

From the findings of the research, I articulate the following as importantknowledge bases for CM for diversity and equity: (a) critical understandingof equity and diversity, (b) safe space and time to dialog, (c) sharing ofresources, (d) reflection and agency, and (e) skills and disposition.

Critical Understanding of Equity and Diversity

For Maxine and Edward, developing new understandings and knowledgeabout discrimination and exclusion and how these impact students’ liveswere at times challenging. Recognizing their own biases and assumptions as

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well as what they had to learn and unlearn presented tensions as well. It iscrucial for the collaborative mentor to have a critical understanding of equityand diversity that moves beyond the celebration of holidays and food. It isalso important for the collaborative mentor to have a strong pedagogical basegrounded in equity in order to provide mentees with workable strategies fortheir classrooms. They must be able to support mentees in answering thequestions “what does equity and diversity looks like and feels like in aclassroom?” from a critical space, that is more than “valuing diversity” orwhat I call “comfort equity.” Comfort equity talks about equity, puts fewstrategies in place that make everyone feel good, but nothing changes in theschooling experiences of those who are underserved and underrepresented.Collaborative mentors for equity and diversity must guard against laminatedequity in the form of nicely veneered equity policies on school walls in vari-ous documents, but the existing curriculum and pedagogic approaches remainintact. A critical approach to equity and diversity also extends to classroommanagement practices that must be imbued with patience and care and holdall students to high expectations.

Safe Space and Time to Dialog

It was important for Maxine and Edward to have a safe space to dialog notonly in terms of physical space but also the manner in which the dialog wasconducted. It was essential for me as collaborative mentor not to be judgemen-tal, to listen, and to conduct the dialog in a way that did not focus on guilt,shame, and recrimination but look for possibilities to improve practice. Theneed for a safe space cannot be overlooked in this kind of work. It is a spacewhere the collaborative mentor also becomes vulnerable about her ownjourney and engages in self-reflection with mentees. Without self-awarenessthat includes understanding biases one brings to a mentoring relationship,confronting one’s own positions and prejudices, mentoring for equity anddiversity is undermined (Achinstein & Athanases, 2005). Making classroomsin teacher education programs and spaces in schools safe spaces is essentialfor overcoming fears and breaking the race taboo and will help teachers reducetheir anxieties about exposing one’s own internalized racism (Tatum, 2001).Courageous discussions that include ideological and socio-political realities,personal experiences, and the tensions between these dynamics, while disturb-ing, are ultimately transformative (Solomon & Levine-Rasky, 2003).

Recognizing the tensions in CM is crucial to working out possibilities thatmight ensue from such a mentoring approach. As the research progressed,the participants critically analyzed their experiences and a trusting relation-ship developed where issues were teased out. The first month of the researchwas spent building relationships with participants and getting to know thempersonally. However, trust was built over the entire process. This is vital inCM where mentees have a safe space to dialog and share tensions, stories,

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and anxieties about issues of equity and diversity. In CM, the mentor mustbe cautious not to become the dominant voice in the relationship and take onthe role of equity expert thereby creating power relations that silence others.Maxine and Edward indicated that they benefitted from having a safe spaceto dialog about their tensions, but acknowledged that at times it was difficult.Maxine wrote in her journal:

When I volunteered to do this I didn’t think that it would be difficult to do …the experience has been much more difficult than I originally thought. As ateacher I deal with ignorance and discrimination daily … I try to deal withthem as they occur … when I tried to reflect and dig deeper it was much moredifficult than I had anticipated.

Maxine in another reflection on the support she experienced as a new teachersaid she felt “alone.”

I felt alone when I left teachers college; I felt as though I was sent out in aship alone and told to SURVIVE. The ongoing dialogue has made me feelencouraged, supported and affirmed. It is important to help teachers deal withthe varied issues they face … how to help students overcome their biases andprejudices … I cannot help them if I do not understand my own … studentsalso need a form where they can express their views and perceptions and talkabout them …

Edward noted that participating in the research was an “eye opener,” but said,“It was challenging.”

It was challenging at times for participants to find time in their scheduleto dialog and meet given the daily demands of their teaching lives such askeeping up with the formal curriculum and departmental expectations. Mostof the meetings were held after school and during preparation time when theteachers were not preparing lessons or filling in for absent teachers. The timeconstraints were overcome by dialoguing during lunch, in the hallways,talking on the phone, and by email.

Sharing of Resources

During and after the study, I provided the participants with reading materialson various equity pedagogies in teacher education that had contextualrichness from which they could draw examples for their own work. Hiebert,Gallimore, and Stigler (2002) found that teachers rarely draw from a sharedknowledge base of research on teacher education to inform their practice andthis is essential in creating new knowledge. I also provided resources to sup-port curriculum planning (for e.g. materials with information about diversepeoples, books on antihomophobia education), information on workshops,links to websites on equity and diversity, and books on equity and diversity.

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During our interview, Maxine suggested that she benefitted from “reading thevarious resources.” In her reflective journal she suggested that, “teachersneed to be encouraged to further educate themselves in diversity …sometimes we don’t know where to start or how to approach it … we needmaterials on antiracism, anti-sexism, and all of the Isms.”

Reflection and Agency

Mentoring teachers on the value and benefit of reflection to their practice isimportant in embedding and sustaining equitable teaching practices. Throughreflection, teachers come to understand their own sense of agency. Whenteachers reflect on their practice, they inform their instruction and developgreater skills in teaching (Sagor, 2000). While reflecting is an individual pro-cess, I urged the participants to take notes, record their thoughts, talk to otherteachers, and take time out to think in a quiet space. I shared the followingstructured approach for reflecting that involves thinking about the big picture,thinking about the details of the experience, and thinking about actions andbeliefs that they might seek to change. In one of her reflections Maxine said,“I am questioning a lot … how I react to students … journaling has allowedme to reflect on things that is difficult for me to discuss openly.” It is throughreflection that teachers become more skilled and capable and generally betterteachers (Zeichner & Hoeft, 1996). Feeling empowered to take on issues ofdiversity and equity in more strident ways in the school emerged as animpact of the mentoring relationship.

Skills and Disposition

Mentoring for equity and social justice requires skills and dispositions thatsupport the building of a dialogic mentoring relationship. The collaborativementor for diversity and equity must be able to mentor teachers in develop-ing strategies in their classrooms that offer alternate ways of knowing thatchallenge Eurocentric forms of knowledge that is normalized, centerstudents’ experiences, and raise the critical consciousness of students. Thecollaborative mentor must be able to model ways of embedding equitystrategies in the curriculum, have knowledge of the research on equity anddiversity, have a disposition that is nonjudgemental, be able to co-createknowledge with others, understand schools and board policies, and be a life-long learner. In other words, a collaborative mentor for diversity and equitymust also be an effective teacher. To do this kind of mentoring, it is impor-tant for mentors to build positive relationships with participants creating anatmosphere where they can be vulnerable to take risks and admit to whatthey do not know. I believe that equity work in schools cannot be doneoutside of meaningful relationships. The collaborative mentor must be trustedand respected to engage in conversations that are sometimes challenging and

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see opportunities for growth. For Maxine and Edward coming to new under-standings of the forms of oppression and how these impact student’s livesand coming to terms with their own biases and assumptions were challengingat times. It is crucial for the collaborative mentor to have a critical under-standing of what equity and diversity looks like in the classroom and howteaching in critical ways for diversity and equity is different from “celebrat-ing diversity,” “valuing diversity,” or other forms of “comfort equity” thatpermeate the exiting discourse on diversity.

Discussion

Engaging in mentoring relationships focussed on diversity and equity is com-plex. It is a mentoring relationship that ruptures existing ways of knowingand being, and requires both mentor and mentee to be committed to a path ofequity. Both must be willing to be open and vulnerable with their tensionsand uncertainties. The collaborative mentor, who is ideologically committedto equity, must guard against being the dominant voice that may serve tosilence mentees. It is a complex relationship as it is collaborative. Thesuccess of CM rests on the willingness of both mentor and mentee to be jointpartners in the co-construction of knowledge. Before the mentoring relation-ship begins, it is necessary for the mentor and mentee to engage in dialogthat brings to the fore cross-cultural understandings, particularly in relation-ships where the mentor and mentee belong to different social, cultural, andracial groups. It is important to acknowledge that this kind of mentoring rela-tionship can be emotionally charged. As a Black, gendered, researcher andmentor working with White participants, there were times when it becameemotionally charged as we dialog about racial and social issues that mightexist in classrooms that prevent diverse students from achieving and thwartinclusive practices. There are inherent tensions mentoring across racial andgender boundaries, as was the case with Maxine and Edward where issues ofwhiteness and white privilege were named and disrupted. It is important indeveloping mentoring relationships focused on equity and diversity that timeand care is given to building trusting dialogical relationships. A safe and car-ing environment is also an essential ingredient of such a mentoring approachwhere critical and courageous dialog can occur between mentor and menteewithout recrimination.

The success of CM as experienced at Mt. Grange Secondary School canbe attributed to the following:

(1) Commitment of the mentor and mentees to a path of equity anddiversity that was critical.

(2) Trust and respect between mentor and mentee.(3) Development of a community of support where multiple voices were

brought to bear on tensions that arose.

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(4) An understanding by both mentor and mentees that acquiring skillsand attitudes to teach effectively in diverse classrooms is a compli-cated, messy, and incomplete journey and that each person is at adifferent stage of understanding.

(5) Handling resistance in a critical and dialogic way that does not causepersonal and professional injury to either mentor or mentee.

(6) A recognition of the emotional investment that this kind of workrequires.

Britzman (1998) suggests that when we engage in alternative discoursesand practices that challenge our sense of cohesiveness, trauma is provoked.Nieto (2002) also reminds us that this type of work causes anguish and pain.

CM is a process and is, therefore, flexible given the contextual situationin schools. Maxine and Edward recognized and grappled with their tensions,assumptions, and biases that affect how they teach diverse students and tovarying degrees became more empowered and developed a sense of agencyin their practice as advocates of equity and diversity education. In the pro-cess, a mentoring approach emerged built on collaboration, co-labouring, andco-construction of knowledge. Despite the success experienced at Mt. GrangeSecondary School, there are limitations as data were collected in only oneschool. Such a mentoring approach might need to be duplicated in othersettings before generalizations can be drawn. What my research does ispoint to the possibilities for supporting teachers in developing more robustapproaches to equity and diversity education recognizing that in someinstances, support is important for change to occur.

Conclusion

My research seeks to add to the discourse on ways that teachers can betterrespond to the needs of diverse students through mentoring that provides sup-port not only in skill development, but challenges teachers to examine theirunderlying teaching assumptions and beliefs. Based on my research, I arguethat more needs to be done in teacher education programs to give teachercandidates a greater understanding of what it means to be equitable in theirpractice. Maxine as a new teacher felt “unprepared to face the challenges ofteaching in diverse classrooms and schools.” In my current role as a teachereducator, much has not changed as teacher candidates continue to engagewith issues of diversity and equity from an additive and superficial approach.Superficial notions of diversity and equity in the media and other places thatdo not name forms of oppression such as racism, sexism, classism, andhomophobia continue to dominate the discourse in schools and universities.Social foundation courses that focus on issues of equity and diversity in someinstitutions are half-year courses that do not allow much time to dig deep intothe attitudes and prejudices that teacher candidates bring to the profession.

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Solomon and Levine-Rasky (2003) suggested that faculties of education mustguide prospective teacher candidates to an examination of self and how theirsocialization has affected their participation in a society profoundly shapedby inequality.

Professional development for teachers on issues of diversity and equitymust be reconceptualized and constructed in ways that include a mentoringcomponent. From the findings of the research, I suggest school boards andfaculties of education examine ways in which teachers are trained to respondto the growing diversity in schools that employ a more long-term approachsupported by collaborative mentors, who support teachers to bring theirdilemmas to the fore. In an atmosphere of standardization, it is very easy forteachers to ignore the challenge that are presented in the classroom. In addi-tion to workshops where teachers often return to their schools and classroomswithout support, professional development could take the form of an ongoingmentoring with collaborative mentors. This type of professional developmentwould assist teachers in sustaining their practice and wrestle with theirdilemmas along the way. Teachers who participate in such a program couldthemselves become collaborative mentors creating a network of educators inschool boards available to support not only new teachers, but experiencedteachers who are struggling with these issues. The work of creating equitableand inclusive schools involves all stakeholders in education. Collaborativementors for equity can be teachers, administrators, superintendents, andteacher educators. Further research is encouraged on this kind of mentoringwith school administrators. Teachers engaging in practices that are equitableand socially just must be mentored, supported, and sustained.

Note1. The name of school and all participants are pseudonyms.

Notes on contributorAnn E. Lopez is the acting academic director, Initial Teacher Education, at theOntario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto. Her research inter-ests include culturally relevant and responsive pedagogy; diversity and equity; socialjustice education; social justice leadership; teacher education; mentoring for equityand diversity; and critical teaching. She has published many books and articles,including Navigating in stormy waters, Canadian Journal of Educational Adminis-tration and Policy (2013); Embedding and sustaining equitable practices in teachers’everyday work: A framework for critical action, Teaching and Learning (2013); Dis-rupting myths of poverty in the face of resistance, Journal of Cases in EducationalAdministration (2013); Culturally relevant pedagogy and critical literacy in diverseEnglish classrooms: Case study of a secondary English teacher’s activism andagency, English Teaching Practice and Critique (2011); and Student engagementand culturally responsive pedagogy, Inquiry into Practice (2011).

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