Let’s Take a Deeper Look
Practicum placements are where theory meets practice, and adult learners apply what they have learned. These placements, however, are not just learning opportunities for the mentee; they are collaborative partnerships that require thoughtful planning, clear expectations, and ethical responsibility.
PREP 2: ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITIES TO PRACTICUM SITES
We shall:
Code Prep 2.1- Clearly state all parties’ roles and responsibilities and prepare adult learners, mentors, and administrators for practicum experiences.
This is addressed in Code Admin 1.9. All employees should have a copy of any written personnel policies. Clear expectations with a detailed written summary of job duties, clarifies what obligations need to be performed. In addition, the mentor/coach must have clear expectations about the mentor process for the adult learner or mentee.
A process of placing who will mentor whom should be established in the agency. Optimally, the mentor/coach and mentee will agree upon the placement, because without a good fit of personalities, the process might fail. The mentee must feel comfortable working with the assigned mentor/coach. There are mentor/coach models that are structured, unstructured, and/or formal programs.
Structured Mentor/Coach and Mentee Program: Staff are assigned full time as mentor/coaches and are matched to 10-12 mentees.
Unstructured Mentor/Coach and Mentee Program: A list of mentors is published, and mentees select who they would like to work (usually 1-3 mentees per mentor/coach). The mentor/coach goes to the mentee's site, observes, and provides feedback. An action plan is developed that usually has a duration of 3 to 6 months.
Formal Leadership Mentor/Coach and Mentee Program: For transitioning existing staff into more responsible leadership positions, based on the traditional, individualized, and more intense relationship.
Once the mentor/coach and mentee placement is decided, mentor/coaching may begin. The following are common types of mentor/coaching programs.
The 7-Step Method 
This mentor/coach process is broken down into 7 steps:
1. Building Relationship
2. Orientation
3. Goal Setting
4. Action
5. Reflection and Feedback
6. Winding Down
7. Moving On
Step 1: Building Relationship
The mentor/coach should reach out to the adult learner and introduce themselves and find a mutual time and place that will work for both parties for a first meeting. During this initial meeting, the most important part is to build rapport and trust, without this, mentoring will not be as effective. Rapport or relationship building requires “active listening, showing genuine interest in the mentee’s concerns, and demonstrating empathy. Sharing personal experience and being available also strengthens the bond. The mentor’s empathetic approach fosters a sense of psychological safety, which is crucial for open communication. It’s about showing up, and not just as a guide, but as a reliable confidant” (Peterka, 2024, para. 13). Once a relationship is established, orientation can begin.
Step 2: Orientation
During the orientation phase, setting direction and ground rules is important. The mentor/coach should state the goal of the relationship and mentor process, discuss and agree upon objectives, and discuss important questions such as:
• What is the mentee’s responsibilities and what is the mentor/coach’s role?
• When and where will the mentor/coach and mentee meet? How often will they meet?
• How long will the mentoring last?
• How and who will decide what goals will be worked on?
• How and who will evaluate these goals?
• How will attaining the goals be supported?
• Will materials be purchased, and by whom?
• Who decides who will mentor which mentee?
There should be written records from the meeting, with copies given to both parties. Orientation is also a good time for the mentor/coach to provide the mentee with clear expectations in the form of written information, such as:
• The employee handbook (Employment policies)
• The parent handbook (Policies and procedures for the children’s program)
• Philosophy of the center
• Bylaws of the board (if applicable)
• Copies of forms used by the center
• Information about the community the center serves
• Information about the staff (job titles, home ad- dresses, telephone numbers, etc.)
• NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct (2024) (Appendix A).
Clarity prevents confusion and keeps the focus on the mentee’s growth. According to the California Early Childhood Mentor Program (2022), the goal of mentorship is to build workforce capacity through reflective, interactive, and in-depth study, while providing relevant, inclusive, culturally responsive, and equity driven professional development.
Step 3: Goal Setting
Identify the mentee’s goals, what they wish to achieve, and how they would like to receive the mentor/coach’s support. Most mentees are not sure how to set achievable goals, and an important part of the mentor/coach is to help the mentee define goals and break them into small action steps with realistic milestone markers.
Step 4: Action
The action phase is where the mentee strives towards reaching their goals by trying out different methods of instruction. Hopefully, the mentee will make progress towards achieving their goals. This growth can be demonstrated through changes of old patterns and starting new, healthy habits as mentees move through challenges. The mentor/coach can help the mentee by providing resource, sharing insights and offering encouragement to persist through difficulties. This stage is also about deepening the role model influence and providing counseling to the mentee. “Mentors support mentees in navigating professional challenges and personal doubts, enhancing their resilience and self-confidence” (Peterka, 2024, para. 17).
Step 5: Reflection and Feedback
Encouraging the mentee to reflect, and providing the mentee with constructive feedback, is an important role of the mentor/coach. This can be challenging because it is easy to hurt someone’s feeling when providing feedback. This is an ideal time for mentors to provide encouragement and help mentees explore their barriers. It is important for mentor/coaches to be thoughtful about navigating the emotions of others and to be sensitive and emotionally available for the emotional needs of the mentee (Peterka, 2024). Acknowledging progress and celebrating achievements reinforces what has been learned by the mentee. Reflection on the achieved goals, reflection on what worked and what did not, helps in this step.
Step 6: Winding Down
There is no set rule about how long a mentor relationship should last, but it is good practice to have an end point in mind when you start. The process can continue as long as both parties agree, new goals are set, or the needs and/or the circumstances of the mentee have changed. As goals are met, the mentoring relationship naturally begins to wind down. This stage is about preparing both the mentor/coach and the mentee for the eventual closure of the formal mentor relationship. The mentor can help the success of the mentee by establishing a network and pathway for continued growth. Of course, continuing to acknowledge the mentee’s progress, and reflecting and celebrating the goals and achievements, is encouraged, during the winding down stage too (Peterka, 2014).
Step 7: Moving On
It is important to understand when it is time to move on. This final step is a transition from structured mentoring to a more autonomous phase for the mentee, with the mentor moving into a less active role, where the mentor/coach only occasionally provides support and guidance. This does not mean the end of a friendship, and many mentors choose to stay in touch and may even have a lifelong friendship. (Peterka, 2024). Mentoring is a transformative process that benefits both parties, and many mentors find that it is important to express gratitude to the mentee for the learning process.
Transformative Coaching Model 
Another common module used in mentoring adult learners is the Transformative Coaching Model, which is broken up into 3 phases.
• Phase 1: Foundational
The relationship is established. It is important for the mentor/coach and the mentee to meet often, establish rapport and expectations for both parties, and develop an action plan with timelines.
• Phase 2: Transformative Learning
While the mentee has been listening, observing, reading, and accepting of learning and when the content and process become internalized, the mentee has reached a higher level of performance and understanding.
• Phase 3: Reflective Dialogue
Reflective dialogue takes place and the commitment to integrate and act on the new learning becomes apparent.
Code Prep 2.2- Recognize and respect the reciprocal relationship between the early childhood program and the institution of higher education, and work to be a partner in addressing needs and providing appropriate support for all parties’ efforts to fulfill their roles and meet program expectations.
The role of the mentor/coach is to provide guidance, support, and encouragement to the less experienced mentee. They help the mentee to grow personally and professionally. Good mentors act as a sounding board, shares their experiences, and offer advice, all while fostering a relationship of trust and mutual respect. They help mentees clarify goals, develop skills, expand their network, and navigate challenges (California Early Childhood Mentor Program, 2022).
Code Prep 2.3- Ensure that qualified personnel conduct regular supervision of practicum experiences in order to support professional development of adult learners and monitor the welfare of children.
Adult learners in practicum placements must be supervised. Participating in a formal mentor program can help ensure quality supervision. Several states have Early Childhood Mentor programs. Agencies such as the California Early Childhood Mentor Association (CECMA) are wonderful organizations to support the mentor process. CECMA partners with community colleges to provide mentorship to students and current professionals. New York also has the New York State Mentoring Program. Additionally, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Colorado, Iowa, and Michigan have mentoring programs.
Code Prep 2.4- Honor confidentiality, guard the privacy of the programs, its teachers, families, and children—including on all social media platforms—and instill in adult learners a professional obligation to do the same.
See Code Admin 1.8. All educators, staff, and administration must develop and follow written policies on confidentiality.
Code Prep 2.5- Make every effort to move adult learners to more appropriate placements in the event that a practicum placement is not supporting adult learners’ professional development or is not beneficial to the student or children.
See Prep 1.8. If possible, mentors help mentees find their niche and an environment where they can shine. Sometimes a change in the practicum site is needed. A switch from one school to another, where the program’s philosophies are more closely aligned to the educator’s philosophies, can create a better goodness of fit.
PREP 3: ETHICAL OBLIGATIONS TO INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER LEARNING AND AGENCIES PROVIDING TRAINING
We shall:
Code Prep 3.1- Offer professional learning and instruction only in areas in which we have or can obtain appropriate experience and expertise.
We must reflect on both our strengths and our areas that need to be strengthened (*Note We are avoiding the word “weaknesses” and using strengths-based approach language.) The mentor/coach should only approach this role if they have appropriate knowledge, training, and/or education.
Bunny Trail Footnote 3: Early childhood educators emphasize individualized, relationship-based and strengths-based approaches, reflective practices and constructive communication skills. Thus, this textbook is intentionally avoiding the word “weaknesses” and using strengths-based approach language.
Code Prep 3.2- Ensure that relevant course and training content is aligned to the Professional Standards and Competencies.
Mentors should use this entire NAEYC Code of Ethics (2024) as a GPS navigation system for professional standards and competencies and all training materials should reflect this alignment.
Code Prep 3.3- Respect the integrity of courses by following approved course descriptions and updating content based on up-to-date research.
Course descriptions are vital documents that must be carefully worded and clarify the content covered in a course. It is important for articulation agreements, education transfer agreements, employers hiring criteria, and accreditation mandates to know what material was covered in a course. To ignore or not follow the course description when teaching material, would be highly unethical. In addition, curriculum must be updated regularly, to incorporate current research data and trends.
Code Prep 3.4- Evaluate adult learners fairly and without bias, using those standards that are congruent with the mission of our institution and regarded as accepted practice in the field.
Evaluation should be a regular part of every educator’s experience. There are many different employee appraisal methods available, but not every method is appropriate for every situation. Evaluations and how they are conducted can have a huge impact on the success of the business, employee morale, team engagement, promotions, demotions, resignations, and terminations. “It’s not just about having a process in place, it’s about choosing one that actually supports the outcomes you care about” (Lance, 2025, para 3). Liz Lockhart Lance breaks employee appraisal methods into two types, common and niche.
