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Abstract
The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine teacher mentor actions, specifically through the conversations between early career teachers and their mentors within a mentoring program in one Georgia metropolitan school system. The researcher sought to explore the meaning that early career teachers made of these conversations. Semi-structured interviews were the primary source of data collection for this study coupled with field notes taken during classroom observations of early career teachers’ classroom practices. Five early career teachers participated in the semi-structured interviews. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis and the constant comparative method. The findings from the early career teacher interviews were summarized into four major themes: (1) Relationship Building is the Foundation of Mentoring Conversations; (2) Mentoring Conversations Provide Clarity that Enhances Understanding; (3) Topics of Mentoring Conversations Influence Teacher Efficacy; and (4) Active Listening During Mentoring Conversations Encourages Implementation of Classroom Practices. The findings from this study contribute to the literature when examining how mentoring conversations relate to teacher efficacy. This study can assist educational leaders and policymakers learn from early career teachers about the importance of conversations to enhance mentoring programs.