“I'm Learning the Trade”

Teacher mentoring in the era of educational reform is used to address teacher retention, teacher professionalism, and teacher leadership, particularly among teachers of color. This qualitative study examines mentoring networks of Black women teachers. Informed by a womanist framework, study findings point to culturally based orientations of mentoring networks in themes of Black women teachers' standpoints, modeling for leadership, and racism within the ranks. The study holds implications for developing culturally based models of teacher mentoring and understanding how race and culture inform professional development and enhancement.