Special Feature: “Sim-Mentoring: A Novel Approach in the Preparation of School Leaders”

Sim-Mentoring: A Novel Approach in the Preparation of School Leaders

A school leader requires a broad range of skills and competencies that are not only specialized but also flexible enough for the everchanging circumstances that exist within our schools. As a member of the Educational Leadership program at Auburn University, I am responsible for developing the next generation of school leaders. As the teacher of aspiring school leaders, my quest is to teach adaptive expertise through an active learning approach that combines practical, problem-based experiences, research-based knowledge, and mentoring. What is my approach of choice? SimMentoring. Sim-Mentoring is a term I coined through the engagement and facilitation with educational leadership simulations.

Before arriving at Auburn, I was a school principal in fast-growing east El Paso, only a few miles from the U.S./Mexico border. Having recently been a practitioner in the field, I acknowledge the challenges of adequately preparing school leaders. The choice to implement a simulated reality platform to provide a safe, risk-free environment in which to better train school leaders seemed like an obvious one. I knew this type of technology had been widely used in fields such as medicine, aviation, and the military. Simulations were posited to be a powerful pedagogical tool for my graduate-level classes. However, I did not realize how powerful until my mentoring training collided with simulations. To implement Sim-Mentoring, I share a simulated reality scenario. I share on an individual basis in a one-on-one setting or in a group setting. Each simulation sparks discussion as the aspiring leader interacts with the simulation and attempts to make decisions at key points during the scenario. The simulations are developed around dilemmas that are most likely new and unique and include issues related to special populations, such as special education or bilingual education, legal matters, ethical conundrums, school financing challenges, personnel issues, or social media challenges. I have found that the use of simulations forces students to think deeply and critically about the decisions related to the job. Importantly, students have an opportunity to identify gaps in their preparedness as school leaders. The need for Sim-Mentoring was an organic construct that developed through the use of the simulations, mentoring those who wish to lead our schools, all while meeting the individualized needs of my students.

Dr. Amy Serafini

Dr. Amy Serafini is an Assistant Professor at Auburn University. She earned her doctorate in educational leadership at The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). Dr. Serafini holds a superintendent certification in Texas and served as a school leader along the U.S./Mexico border for nearly 10 years. Broadly, Dr. Serafini’s research is centered on leadership development.

serafini@auburn.edu

While the benefits of simulations for training school leaders have been widely praised, there is a lack of substantial research to validate these claims. To that end, I have secured internal funding in order to provide the immersive experiences for Auburn’s aspiring school leaders. The preliminary research findings regarding the efficacy of this strategy for learning indicates significant positive effects across the areas examined.

For more information about Sim-Mentoring or the educational leadership preparation program at Auburn University, I can be contacted at serafini@auburn.edu.