Mentoring
The main purpose of mentoring in education is to support teachers and leaders to reflect critically on their knowledge, skills and dispositions in order to improve and enhance their practice and wellbeing.
Definition
Mentoring usually involves a one-to-one relationship where one teacher or leader mentors another who is less experienced. There are also more specific forms of mentoring such as peer mentoring, networks of mentoring, e-mentoring, and mentoring circles or networks.
Relevance
Mentoring is most often associated with the induction of new and early career teachers, although ideally it should be available throughout a teacher’s career. As a teacher or leader progresses in their career, other forms of mentoring such as instructional coaching, peer mentoring or group mentoring may be more appropriate than a traditional model of a more experienced teacher/leader guiding a less experienced teacher/leader.
State of the evidence
Research from New Zealand and around the world has found that mentoring can have positive impacts on teaching. Studies have reported that, in addition to new learning, mentors gained new perspectives, confidence in their own teaching and a re-invigoration of their teaching and professional identity. Mentees new to teaching benefit from emotional and psychological support that increases their confidence and morale. However, it is important to be aware that research about mentoring in educational settings is still in its developing stages and there is a lack of empirical evidence in this field.
In practice
It is important to recognise the range of expertise, skill and knowledge mentors require, and to ensure they receive appropriate training, support and resources. Leaders should also take care when setting up mentoring partnerships to ensure there is an appropriate match between mentor and mentee. Mentors can use a range of strategies to ensure that they provide appropriate pedagogical challenge and guidance as well as emotional and social support for mentees.
Guiding questions
- How can we ensure that all teachers are able to access appropriate mentoring at all stages of their career?
- How can we provide appropriate training and support for mentors?
- How can we ensure that mentoring relationships are appropriately and adequately resourced?
Mentoring strategy: Reflective dialogue
A short guide to reflective dialogue for mentors.
Mentoring strategy: Feedback
A short guide to feedback for mentors.
Mentoring strategy: Observation
A short guide to observation for mentors.
Guidance for mentors
The key principles of effective mentoring and how to use them in practice.
Questions and tools for establishing mentoring relationships
How to build trusting relationships and establish roles and responsibilities in mentoring partnerships.
Questions to use during mentoring conversations
A set of questions to help structure and guide productive mentoring conversations.
Professional learning communities
Sue Cherrington, Kate Thornton, and Rachel Denee explore recent research into the role of professional learning communities (PLCs) in early childhood education and discuss the role of both within-centre and network PLCs.
Building trustful relationships and promoting centre wellbeing
This webinar explores the importance of teachers’ relationships with each other in early childhood settings.
Mentoring in Early Childhood Education
This course takes you through the key phases of a mentoring relationship. For each phase, there is a suite of tools designed specifically for that stage of the relationship, like meeting agendas, reflection tools, evaluation rubrics, models for goal-setting, and more.
Leadership 5: Leading Improvement
This course offers a unique exploration of models for improvement, focusing on leading inquiry and building professional learning communities.
Leadership 4: Leading Curriculum, Pedagogy, & Innovation
This course explores what it means to be the leader of curriculum and pedagogy in your centre, and helps you build the knowledge and practical skillset to be able to do this effectively.
Leadership 3: Leading Partnerships & Collaborations
This course explores the range of collaborations and partnerships in which early childhood leaders are engaged and how these can be strengthened and supported to enhance teaching and leadership practice.
Leadership 2: Leading People & Teams
This course explores a range of techniques that leaders can use to grow excellence in people and teams, including how to productively approach conflict and engage in challenging conversations.
Leadership 1: Leading Authentically
This course focuses on leaders as individuals and helps you to learn about a repertoire of leadership styles identified in research to creatively tailor a leadership style for your own contexts, people, and purposes.
Professional Learning Communities: Teachers collaborating for professional learning and improvement
Key insights from our webinar with Sue Cherrington, Kate Thornton, and Rachel Denee on the role of PLCs in teacher professional learning.
Building trustful relationships in early childhood settings
Important ideas for building trustful relationships among teachers in ECE settings