 Linda Searby
Linda Searby has been passionate about mentoring her entire professional career, which spans the spectrum from K-12 classroom teaching, K-12 school administration, to higher education teaching in educational leadership. She has sought mentors for herself at every career phase, knowing the immeasurable value of mentoring for personal and career development. Linda is a seasoned researcher and writer. Her research on the mentoring mindset of the mentee has been cited often by others in the mentoring world. She is the co-author of The Art and Science of Mentoring (with Dr. Ellen Hahn) and Best Practices for Teacher and Leader Development (with Dr. Susan Brondyk). She has published over 20 articles in peer-reviewed journals and 12 book chapters. She is also the co-editor of the International Handbook of Mentoring published by Wiley-Blackwell. For several years, she has been serving as the senior co-editor of the International Journal of Mentoring and Coaching in Education. Linda’s research and writing contributed to her earning tenure at the three universities: the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Auburn University, and the University of Florida (where she retired in 2022 as Professor Emeritus). However, what she really loved to do were trainings and presentations on all things mentoring! As examples, at UAB she organized female assistant professors in a peer-mentoring group to support each other in earning tenure. At Auburn, she trained senior administrative professionals in a series of basic mentoring techniques. At the University of Florida, she was asked by the provost to head up a newly formed Mentoring Task Force to coordinate and accelerate varied mentoring programs across campus, develop mentoring leadership teams in 16 colleges, and create “train the trainer” materials. She also created a Mentoring Across Differences Certificate program for faculty. In 2022, Linda was awarded a Fulbright Specialist appointment to the University of New Brunswick (Canada) College of Education, where she conducted trainings for faculty and graduate students in the dynamics of establishing mentoring relationships. Most recently, Linda was part of the Alabama New Principal Mentoring Program Design Team which created a comprehensive two year mentor training program for all new Alabama principal mentors. Funded by the Alabama State Department of Education and administered by the Council of Leaders of Alabama Schools, the design team of 4 mentoring experts created the standards-based conceptual framework, 7 training modules, power points, interactive activities, training manuals for mentors and mentees, mentor screening tools, 8 bi-monthly refresher sessions, and program evaluations. The team has now trained the first two statewide cohorts of principal mentors (about 95 to date). Linda resides in Gainesville, Florida and enjoys reading, family, and travelling. She has been an IMA member since 2005, is an emeritus board member, and enjoys the friendships and network she has formed in IMA over the years.
SPEAKER TRAVELS FROMFlorida
AVAILABLE FOR:In person trainings/presentations and virtual consultation; individual mentoring CONSULTANT SAMPLE TOPICSComprehensive Mentor Training Linda joins her colleagues in Leadership and Mentoring Excellence, LLC (also appearing on the IMA Consultant page) in offering a wide array of trainings. One of the most popular ones is a comprehensive Mentor Training, usually a two-day training covering every aspect of preparation for the mentors in a formal mentoring program. Topics covered can include: The Code of Ethics in Mentoring, Characteristics & Tasks of Effective Mentors, Self-Understanding & Core Values, Generational Differences in Mentoring, Effective Questioning Skills, Reflection & Journaling in Mentoring, Well-Being & Mentoring, Having Difficult Conversations, Addressing Cultural Differences in Mentoring, Articulating Your Mentoring Philosophy, Evaluating Your Mentoring Program. Trainings can also be tailored to the mentees. Depending on the needs of your organization, 1 – 5 of the team members will deliver the training.
We Need a Mentoring Program! Let’s Start One! Mentoring is a hot topic. Almost every organization is thinking they need a mentoring program, and that’s good! Most know that it involves pairing an experienced individual with a newer person. But there is much more to preparing for an effective mentoring program than the pairing. We can help you articulate a clear purpose for your mentoring program, assess mentee needs, conduct basic mentor/mentee training, and help you create structures for sustainability.
The Power of Assumptions in the Mentoring Relationship In this presentation, participants will explore the importance of having a discussion about what each mentoring partner expects in a mentoring relationship. This is an interactive session between the mentor and the mentee, facilitated by the consultant. It is best conducted at the beginning of the mentoring partnership.
The Mentoring Mindset: Keys to a Flourishing Mentoring Relationship This workshop is primarily geared to the mentee, because it is based on research which asked mentors what they wanted to see in their mentees. From that research, INDICATORS of the Mentoring Mindset were identified, as well as indicators of the absence of the mentoring mindset. This can also be adapted as a mentor tool. This workshop would work well integrated into a year-long mentoring program where mentors and mentees are meeting regularly.
I Want a Mentor, But I Don’t Know Where to Start This workshop can be adapted to any audience, because we need mentors at all phases of our lives. We will lead participants in clarifying their reasons for wanting a mentor, what goals they have for the relationship, what to expect, how to approach someone to make the ask, how to establish a partnership agreement, and how to be an effective mentee. This can also be delivered as a one-on-one zoom mentoring session with Linda.
Preparing New Principals for Leadership Challenges Through Mentoring Research has indicated that new principals tend to leave their positions in five years or less. We believe that having an effective mentor will help a new principal persevere and thrive. We have developed materials that can be used to train the mentors of new principals, helping them focus on their well-being while at the same time, building their leadership capacity. This training would be very beneficial for school districts doing their own in-district mentoring, utilizing their senior personnel or retired administrators.
Leading Out Loud: Core Values, Mentoring, and Leadership Effectiveness This workshop could be for mentors who are mentoring new leaders, or for new leaders themselves. Participants will engage in activities that will assist them in articulating their core values in various areas of their lives, but specifically in the area of their leadership of the organization. Then they will be led to an awareness of the importance of making those core values audible and visible through intentional means, ending the day with an action plan for ‘leading out loud.’
Leading Other Leaders Through Mentoring Sustaining leadership in an organization means cultivating leadership in individuals who have potential to take the organization to the next level. This can be accomplished through intentional mentoring. In this half or full day presentation, participants will discover the five elements of healthy leaders, how leaders develop resilience and staying power, and how to use your mentoring skills to foster the development of leadership in emerging leaders. .
Testimonials:Dr. Linda Searby is an exceptional educational leader and presenter. I had the opportunity to work with Dr. Searby on a Fullbright Scholarship project in New Brunswick, Canada where she engaged with over 500 hundred graduate students, educators, and school leaders teaching them about the value of mentoring and mentorship, and the importance of creating and sustaining mentoring cultures within their organizations. Dr. Searby’s professionalism is second to none and her listeners quickly learn about her caring nature and deep commitment to education and leadership development through her presentations. I encourage organizational leaders to invite Dr. Searby into their social worlds to engage in conversations about mentoring and mentorship. Dr. Lyle “Steamer” Hamm
Given her decades of experience in mentoring practice and research, Dr. Searby possesses a wealth of knowledge related to mentoring. She is a talented educator and a gifted communicator, which makes her an excellent choice to leverage her expertise to advance the mentorship efforts of a broad range of organizations. Roger B. Fillingim PhD |