Support Zone / Mentoring
Why Teachers need Mentoring.

My School is a two form entry infant and nursery school located in an urban priority area. We are proactive in developing new skills and knowledge in teaching and learning.  We see professional development as part of developing the curriculum and also to advance teachers with new skills, knowledge and understandings.

In 2002 we took part in the DfES ICT Test Bed Project, in order to trial the government’s future vision for teaching and learning with ICT (The Digital Strategy). Currently, all staff members are actively involved in developing new ICT skills and knowledge.

CPD is informally managed, and is generally about meeting the needs of individuals as well as schools’ needs. National remodelling of training (HMI 2003) has instilled the importance of engendering ownership of staff development amongst individuals within schools, such as, allowing staff to incorporate pupils where appropriate, when pursuing their own personal interests in art exhibitions, dance performances, musical concerts and various P.E. competitions. This maximises the potential of children’s progress wherever possible. It also exploits the effectiveness of the teachers’ performance, thus empowering them to maximise the effectiveness of their teaching, and ultimately, the overall school management.

The national PCGE ITT model we adapt places high expectations on learning how to teach through assessment against a set of given criteria and standards. In my experience, I find that with this model, there is an unequalled obligation to collect evidence. Trainee teachers become more occupied with their own performance then that of the pupils’ development. Even when completing the set task file, there is an unbalanced emphasis on the collection of evidence.

To help pull these developments altogether, I recommend a greater focus on mentoring teachers as part of our professional learning development and general CPD. Edwards & Collison (p7), describe mentoring as a process that involves mentors in contriving situations where a ‘teacherly’ form of mentoring exists. That is, a regular and creative interaction between the learners and the context. Here, the meaning of teaching and learning is constantly created, negotiated and tested by all participants.

At my school mentoring could be introduced to improve the CPD entitlement and opportunities for all staff members. One of the goals and functions would be to provide a coherent school framework for the professional development practice, and have a process that not only supports teachers, but also provides equal access to learning.

School Mentor Goals and Objectives:

• Increasing development of school CPD capacity.
• Wider awareness of the potential benefits of coaching and mentoring.
• Promotion of reflection and learning from the mentoring experience.
• To advise trainees on developmental, skills, strategies and confidence.
• To help trainees reflect on how effective their practice is.
• To be able to articulate and discuss the employment of ICT in pedagogy.
• To promote coaching and mentoring as part of building staff CPD strategy.
• To illustrate the skills and activities involved in professional and school development, particularly in ICT.
• To be a supportive ‘listening ear’ to each other.

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