Mentorship for Teachers

Voice teachers need mentorship for their career growth just as singers do. Read on for a greater understanding of the mentor-mentee relationship for teachers.

Voice teachers mentor every day as part of their work. They not only teach students skills in singing, but they are often called on to advise them on subjects such as what colleges they should apply to; what song would be the best audition choice to help them land a certain role; what majors in the music industry should they consider; and what are some possible next steps for them. Voice teachers become used to guiding students through their singing journeys. But what about the teachers themselves? What about when they have questions regarding the next steps in their careers or how to approach their own next audition or interview? Although teachers spend quite a lot of time mentoring their students, they might not have stopped to consider how much they might benefit from having their own mentors. 

As a voice teacher, I have engaged in many forms of mentorship, both as a mentee and mentor, and through a case study of a recent mentoring experience, I have observed some of the most effective ways to create a positive mentoring relationship, including: 

1. Incorporating choice of mentor for the mentee
2. Pairing a mentor and mentee who have the same goals for the mentoring experience
3. Pairing a mentor and mentee who have specific shared values and interests 
4. Engaging in respectful boundaries, whether defined or not
5. Having similar expectations for the outcome of mentorship

This article serves as a case study based on my own recent mentoring experience. My mentee, Justin DeLong, and I formed our connection because we both volunteered for a mentorship program sponsored by the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) called “Conference Connections.” This program is free and offered at the NATS biennial national conferences. Justin and I both signed up to participate at the conference in the summer of 2024. This particular mentoring experience is presented as a one-hour meeting between mentors and mentees at the conference. Before pairing the participants, those who signed up as mentors, like me, were asked to fill out a questionnaire about ourselves, our careers, and the topics in which we were interested and actively researching. For instance, we shared whether we taught in a private studio or in academia, where we were in our careers, what type of singing we teach (musical theatre, classical, commercial, etc.) and other topics in which we were conducting research. This information was provided to mentees in advance so that they could request meetings with mentors that seemed a good fit for them. Mentees were also welcome to apply to meet with more than one mentor, and mentors were allowed to choose the number of mentees with whom they were willing to meet. 

Justin said he signed up for the opportunity because he was “hoping for perspective and advice. I was feeling lost and overwhelmed in my early career path, and I was looking for some guidance from those who are more established in our profession.” As a teacher, I volunteered to mentor because I simply wanted to be of service to a younger teacher. I have benefitted so much from the mentors in my life, and as I have become a more experienced teacher myself, I had a strong urge to share my experiences and knowledge to help support younger teachers. I was a NATS Intern in 2007 and the mentorship in that program profoundly changed my professional life. 

My mentor from that program has remained a guide and support for me all these years, and my fellow interns were and continue to be positive peer mentors as well. I also participated as a mentee in a leadership program at my university in 2020-2021. I enjoyed the experience of mentorship in this program as well and was asked back to serve as a mentor in 2021-22. I found that I really appreciated the opportunity to help and serve my colleagues in this way, and I became more interested in serving as a mentor in other capacities. Justin’s overall goal of receiving career guidance through mentorship, and my goal of supporting a young teacher who might be on a similar career path to mine turned out to be two goals perfectly aligned. 

Many people never engage in mentorship because of common fears. Justin said, “My only real hesitancy was that I was presented with so many possible options for mentors, and I had a hard time choosing! I trusted my gut in the end, and I’m very grateful for who I was able to meet. The process did feel a little vulnerable, but the possible benefits far outweighed the hesitations.” As for me, the mentor, I had several concerns, most of which came from imposter syndrome. What if the mentee asked me questions that I didn’t know the answer to/couldn’t answer? What if I found that I didn’t have anything helpful to offer them? What if they didn’t like me or I didn’t like them? What if I tried my best but ultimately gave unhelpful or even bad advice? Am I really qualified to mentor another teacher? What if the mentee asks too much of me? Those were just some of my fears. In the end, none of these concerns proved to be a problem at all. The way that the process of mentor/mentee matching was set up, with experiences and interests shared ahead of time, and the element of choice incorporated for the mentee, many of our worries were alleviated even before we met. The process created a scenario that set us up for success and eliminated the potential for our concerns to ever be realized. 

It was my responsibility as mentor to reach out and set up our initial meeting, once I received my list of mentees. After my initial email, I was pleased by Justin’s prompt and clear communication. Clarity is important to me and signaled that we were off to a good start. Those initial email exchanges helped me feel comfortable before I even met him in person, especially since one of my concerns was that the mentee might ask too much of me. Justin demonstrated from the beginning that he was someone who respected boundaries, and that allowed me to feel comfortable sharing my time with him. In addition, the fact that Justin chose me 

based on the information I provided certainly brought me confidence that I must have something to offer him!

 Our first meeting was the only “required” activity we were assigned as part of our mentorship agreement, and it went well. I believe our shared values and interests were a big reason for that. Justin’s interests revolved around learning to navigate “teacher/student relationships with respect, consent, and boundaries to allow for focused instruction as well as emotional support on their artistic journey.” Since much of my research focuses on these very issues, which I stated in my questionnaire, our agendas were clearly aligned, almost guaranteeing that we would have a successful mentorship experience. 

We met in a space at the conference facility for a one hour talk, as set up in the terms of the NATS program. It was clear early on that Justin and I shared a mutual devotion to causes such as diversity and inclusion in the voice studio. Recognizing those shared values quickly helped build trust between us, so that Justin could feel more comfortable asking me questions about the career and trust my answers more than he might have otherwise. I recognized that Justin was being very careful not to overstep boundaries, demand too much of my time, etc, which I greatly appreciated, and it only meant that I was even more willing to share my time with him, since I was assured he would not take advantage of it. We talked a bit longer than our allotted time, and I offered to follow up with him and send him links via email to some materials we had discussed in our meeting. If that meeting was all that happened in our mentee/mentor relationship, it still would have been a satisfying mentorship experience. I felt like I helped him, and he seemed sincerely appreciative. 

However, our mentoring relationship, through an unspoken interest and agreement, continued to develop organically at a comfortable pace. Justin didn’t push me or try to take up hours of my time, but he did stay in touch. This again allowed me to feel more comfortable offering him my assistance, as I learned he would not take advantage of my offer or overstep boundaries. And so then, as he continued to share more about his professional journey and asked for my advice in that process, I have been invited to and have enjoyed investing in him as a person and becoming not just a mentor but an advocate and cheerleader for him. That has been a really joyful part of this process for me. 

From there, I initiated a social media connection as I enjoy connecting with colleagues that way, and that has allowed us a different and additional avenue for continuing to know and celebrate one another better. In Justin’s words, “Lisa …. since the NATS conference last summer …. has shared formal guidance in emails, texts, and virtual meetings as well as casual connection on social media. The variety of contact with her has really helped me to feel like she cares about me as a person and colleague and not just as a one-time assignment from the conference. She has assisted me with more than our initial conversation topics as well; we have moved into cover letters, interview strategies, and other subjects in the area of career advancement.”