Certificate/Diploma in Teaching in the Lifelong
Learning Sector
Subject Mentoring
2008/09
Subject Mentoring
Dear Colleague
Thank you for agreeing to be subject specific mentor for our Lifelong Learning
trainee teacher. This is a developmental and supportive role and a key factor
in the new Lifelong Learning Initial Teacher Training qualification. As part of
our support programme during this academic year, you are invited to attend
an initial briefing session on Wednesday 18 March 17.00 – 18.00 in The
Meeting Room, Bromsgrove Campus.
We will look at the Warwick University documentation to be used, in particular,
the trainee’s Individual Learning Plan and the Subject Specific Observation
Form.
Following this meeting you will have the opportunity to meet fellow mentors as
well as tutors from the Teacher Education Team. We have arranged regular
meetings and, although not all of these are compulsory, you are invited to
attend as a way of keeping in contact with colleagues. If you wish to discuss
any issues regarding your mentees at other times please feel free to contact
the tutor/s as indicated below.
There will be a further meeting in Room BG 27, Bromsgrove Campus on
Tuesday 12 May 2009
If you have any further queries please contact your mentor co-ordinator,
Cathie Watt, or one of the Teacher Education Team listed below.
Cathie Watt
Simon Potter
Tony Meehan
Del Molland
01527 572562
01527 572562
01527 572763
01527 572763
We look forward to meeting with you.
cwatt@ne-worcs.ac.uk
spotter@ne-worcs.ac.uk
AMeehan@ne-worcs.ac.uk
dmolland@ne-worcs.ac.uk
Subject Mentoring
Introduction
Mentoring is not a new concept but it has taken on a fresh importance as a
result of three recent developments.
In 2003, Ofsted and FEnto both carried out major inspections of initial teacher
training courses and providers. They found that, in a significant number of
cases, the support for trainee teachers was not formalised or adequate.
In 2004, the Dfes published a paper entitled ‘Equipping Teachers for the
Future’. This highlighted that the mentoring of trainee teachers was essential
for both developing their subject knowledge and teaching skills.
From September 2007, the Sector Skills Council for Learning and
Development, Lifelong Learning UK ( LLUK ) is implementing new teaching
qualifications for all new teachers. As part of this all new teachers will be
mentored.
Mentoring
“…mentoring is a particular form of relationship designed to provide
personal and professional support to an individual. The mentor is
generally more experienced than the mentee and makes use of that
experience in a facilitative way to support the development of the
mentee. Mentoring is used to assist individuals at specific stages of
development or transition and lasts for a sustained but defined period of
time. The mentoring relationship provides a developmental opportunity
for both parties and can thus be of mutual benefit.”
University of Leeds (1994 )
Mentoring works best when the process is well planned, regular and with
clearly defined phases. This ‘cycle’ helps the mentee to understand the
process taking place and to keep a clear focus on the targets or objectives
that have been negotiated and agreed. However, the cycle also needs to be
flexible to allow more or less time to be spent on different phases depending
on the needs of the mentee and the nature of these targets or objectives.
The overall process involves the continual repetition of the cycle until both the
mentor and mentee agree that the relationship should end.
Subject Mentoring
The Mentoring Cycle
At the start the mentor should:
Establish the mentoring relationship
Review areas for development
Agree the mentoring contract
Identify short and
longer term
targets
Review the plan
and achievement
of targets
Agree a
Development
action plan
Trainee works
towards set
targets
Who is a Subject Mentor?
The following requirements provide a guide. A subject mentor should be:
A qualified teacher in the Lifelong Learning Sector with a minimum of 2
years teaching experience
Experienced and skilled compared to the mentee’s area and
have a good understanding of the ‘subject specialism’ in relation to
teaching and learning
Enthusiastic about teaching and learning
Committed and wish to support and develop colleagues within their
subject and teaching role
Subject Mentoring
Valuable Skills for Mentors
The following are worth looking at as a reminder:
Active Listening enables the mentee to reflect on their work and
consider how they will develop their own teaching
Open Questioning techniques encourages the mentee to engage in
a two-way dialogue about their practice
Paraphrasing allows mentors to clarify what the mentee is saying and
show empathy
Giving praise and constructive feedback increases the mentee’s
self esteem and develops their reflective ability
Planning and target setting enables the mentee to negotiate their
own targets
Good interpersonal and communication skills develop an effective
rapport with the mentee.
The Role and Responsibilities of the Subject Mentor
The Role
The subject mentor will provide a valuable point of personal contact for the
mentee and be able to support and guide including advice and information on
the successful teaching of a specific subject.
The mentoring process is facilitative and developmental and is primarily about
exploring teaching and learning in a non-judgmental manner. The mentor is a
Responsibilities
It is the responsibility of the subject mentor to allocate time for regular contact
and periodic meetings with their mentee. It is suggested that this will equate
to approximately 5 hours per academic year.
It is recognised that teachers may be very busy and therefore it is appropriate
to include other forms of contact of such as telephone and e-mail. All contact
should be recorded by the mentee.
The subject mentor will carry out observations of the mentee’s performance
with emphasis on ‘teaching the subject’…It is expected that there will be one
subject specific observation each year on the programme. The lesson
observation focus is about how the mentee plans for the teaching and
learning of the subject. These observations are developmental and there is
no pass or fail element. A copy of the Subject Specific Observation Record is
at the back of this booklet.
Subject Mentoring
Preparing for the first and subsequent meetings
Your mentee should contact you to arrange a meeting. As mentor you should
use the first meeting to:
Establish an effective rapport with the mentee
Clearly define roles and responsibilities
Discuss how meetings will be recorded on the mentee’s ILP this is the
mentee’s responsibility
Remember to set a time and date for the next meeting
When both the mentor and the mentee are in agreement with the
partnership the contract, contained within this booklet, can be signed
and the initial development plan can be completed in the ILP
Ideas for mentors to use in their meetings
The way is which mentoring meetings take place will vary due to the agreed
mentoring relationship and the needs of the mentee. The following is just a
guide:
Establish role and responsibilities
Identify prior experience of mentoring
Explore expectations
Discuss developmental needs
Explore opportunities for specific training e.g. ILT uses
Review previous session observations
Provide observation feedback
Set and agree targets for the mentee’s action plan
Review action plan
Discuss the use of theory linked to practice
Share ideas about good practice from the wider context of PCET
Reflect upon the mentoring process in terms of self development
Preparing for closure
Subject Mentoring
Mentee Details
Name
Address
College Placement
Telephone contact 1
Department
Telephone contact 2
Subject Specialism
E-mail
Subject Mentor Details
Name
Contact Address
Employment Details – Title
Telephone Contact
Subject Specialism
E-mail
Mentoring experience
Related Qualifications and Training
Mentoring Agreement
We agree to establish a mentoring partnership with the aim of supporting the
named mentee to achieve the short and long term targets identified on the
negotiated and agreed ‘Mentee Development Plan’
We will work together on a regular basis to review the mentee’s progress
against the development plan.
We agree that should either party not be able to attend a previously agreed
meeting then they will notify the other as soon as practicable by making an
alternative and mutually agreeable arrangement.
Mentor Signature
Mentee Signature
Date
Subject Mentoring
Subject Specific Observation Record
Teacher:
Subject Mentor:
Date:
Subject:
Lesson Title:
Number in
Group:
Purpose of The Observation (linking to agreed targets)
Planning (for teaching the subject)
Teaching Methods (appropriate to the subject)
Teaching Resources (applicable to the subject
Assessment Activities (relevant to the subject)
Points for further discussion:
o .
o .
o .
Mentee’s Reflections for discussion:
Agreed date for discussion:
Mentee’s signature
Mentors signature