Helen Joan Tyler, Director, Forest Independent Primary Collegiate (FIPC) (SCITT), UK
With the shift from school-based to school-led ITT, the role of the school mentor has been reconceptualised into that of teacher educator. Mentoring theory and practice have increasingly been applied in a number of fields and professional contexts. Mentoring has been an essential element in teacher training and in supporting newly qualified teachers with studies claiming to attribute success to the quality of the mentoring received. Early models focused on mentees’ acquisition of knowledge and expertise, but this was transformed into a more fluid, relational and hence mutually beneficial process between mentor and mentee. For the purpose of this reflection, the term ‘mentor’ includes the network of professional tutors supporting teachers. The mentoring role in education, in one way or another, has existed long enough to have a plethora of texts that mentors may refer to, in order to develop thei
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This case study is a helpful reminder of how influential mentors are in shaping new teachers. I was particularly drawn to the shift from mentoring as simple guidance to a more collaborative, research informed and relational practice. The mosaic model, with its focus on mentors as learners, feels both fresh and very true to what we tell our own students about strengthening understanding by teaching others.
It is clear that when mentoring is thoughtful and well supported, everyone benefits. Trainees grow, mentors develop and students feel the impact. High quality mentoring is one of the strongest investments a school can make when it is protected, nurtured and grounded in evidence.