The role and responsibilities of the subject mentor
The role
Subject specific mentoring was introduced into teacher training programmes following the DfES 2004 report Equipping Our Teachers for the Future.
It is now a cornerstone of the new QTLS teacher training reorganisation. All trainee teachers on CTLLS ( Certificate in Teaching in the Lifelong Learning Sector) and
DTLLS (Diploma in Teaching in the Lifelong Learning Sector) programmes will be allocated a subject mentor. The role of the subject mentor will be to provide specialist advice and information on the successful teaching of a specific subject.
They will provide positive and constructive feedback to the mentee, in a sensitive and non- threatening manner.
Responsibilities
It is the responsibility of the subject mentor to allocate time for regular contact and periodic meetings with their mentee.
CTLLS
The time allocated will equate to 3hours per academic year. It is suggested that meetings take place twice a term for a minimum of 30 minutes. Telephone and email are acceptable modes of contact in very busy times. There is no requirement to observe the mentee’s teaching but it is to be encouraged.
DTTLS programme Years 1 & 2
The time allocated will equate to 8 hours per academic year. Meetings should take place on a regular basis for example; once a month for a minimum of 20 minutes. Telephone and email are acceptable modes of contact at busy times.
These must be recorded by the mentee.
Part of your responsibilities will be to undertake an observation of the mentee’s teaching on both years 1 & 2 of their programme. These observations must be recorded the paperwork provided by the Warwick University Partnership commenting on specific areas of teaching. However the key focus will be on observing and developing good practice in the mentee’s specific subject. In the feedback discussion following the observation will be important to promote a professional discussion.
In th Appendix you will find you will find the observation report form and the guidance provided to the trainee about what to provide for an observer. Please read through this carefully so that you are familiar with what to expect your trainee/mentee to provide you with both before, during and after observation

Essential Mentoring Skills and Qualities
Mentoring requires a high order of skill. Successful mentors are good listeners and communicators, able to give constructive feedback and to encourage mentees to solve their own problems
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Is enthusiastic and encouraging - genuinely interested in their mentee's needs concerns and aspirations

Is open – prepared to be honest and to share their own experience of similar issues
 respects confidentiality
 acts with integrity
 motivates and is clear about expectations
 Listens actively -focuses on what the mentee is saying, listens for any underlying messages
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Gives constructive feedback, honest, non-judgemental and detailed feedback which focuses on specific behaviour and not the person
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Counsels to some extent, but is clear about boundaries
 Helps their mentee to talk through issues and come up with a solution for themselves rather than solving the problem for them
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Helps their mentees to network and access resources and further support
Confidentiality
Confidentiality is fundamental to mentoring for ethical and practical reasons. If a mentee had cause to doubt a mentor’s adherence to this principle then the trust essential to the mentoring relationship would be lost.
However, this does not mean that a mentor has to cope with every query alone.
Confidentiality can be broken with the explicit consent of the mentee. The mentor should be clear on the precise parameters of that consent – to whom they can talk and the precise nature of what they can reveal. Nonetheless, in most situations a mentee will readily agree to approach a line manager or any other colleague who could be a source of help.
A mentor should also make clear that their promise of confidentiality is not the same as a promise to discuss any topic in any terms. Certain boundaries remain. For example, a mentee making disparaging remarks about a colleague is effectively inviting their mentor to collude in such remarks, but to do so would threaten the mentor’s professional integrity. Similarly, a mentor should be a sounding board for their mentee’s concerns, but they cannot become a personal counsellor. A mentor will properly judge for themselves when continuing with a discussion of personal matters would be an imposition on them, and take them
There are also exceptions to the promise be made explicit to the mentee.
They are rare, but important and relate to the College’s moral and legal obligations to exercise a duty of care. If a mentee discloses something that breaches College policy and/or the law, then a mentor is obliged to report the matter and the College to act. For example, if a mentee threatens to harm

themselves or someone else, or if they disclose that they, another colleague or a student are being sexually harassed. A mentee should be offered help to take the matter forward themselves, but if they did not then the College would need to initiate some action independently.
Boundary Issues
Mentoring is a one-to-one professional relationship and the interface with any third party (a line manager, other colleagues, students, and people from the mentee's personal life) can be problematic. Often those external to the mentoring relationship or the mentee themselves will misunderstand its proper nature. In such circumstances the mentor is the guardian of what is properly ‘in bounds’ and what is ‘out of bounds’. They will need to clarify the situation for their colleagues.
A mentor is not:
A line manager
A mentor should not manage performance. They are not, for example, responsible for their mentor’s probationary process. This can be the most difficult boundary for the mentor to ‘police’ especially if a mentee is not implementing advice and the mentor can see problems building up for the future. A mentor will need to stay disciplined in such circumstances and not drift into managing performance through frustration with their mentee
A counsellor
Many of the essential skills are common, but a mentor is not a trained counsellor. A mentor will properly judge for themselves when continuing with a discussion of personal matters would be an imposition on them, and take them beyond their professional competence.
A tutor
A mentee will be studying their DTLLS or CTLLS . A good mentor will work closely with the teacher training team, but it is not their role to help with their mentee’s assignments. If a mentee has a difficultly they should be referred to their teacher training tutor
A 24-7 helpline
Having established a regular hourly meeting time it is quite reasonable for a mentor to make explicit the limitations of their availability
• A miracle worker
A mentor should be aware of the limits of their own competence. They should seek out sources of support for themselves when necessary.
Therefore a mentor should not:
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Get involved in complaints, grievances and appeals (though they should signpost their mentee to these procedures if that is appropriate)
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Impose their own agenda
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Intrude on personal matters or be intruded upon

•
Within these parameters the relationship should be driven by the mentee – what to discuss and what assistance they want to access
Using the Mentoring Contract
.
In order to start the mentoring process, you need to agree with your mentee the opportunities, limitations and boundaries of your working relationship. This will help you establish a framework for building trust so that if either of you feel things are not going well, you can discuss it openly and professionally. The mentoring contract is a device for ensuring this happens. It helps both parties expose any false assumptions or potential misunderstandings about their relationship.
Respective responsibilities are made explicit, and confidentiality and boundary issues can be discussed.
Managing Problems in the mentoring relationship
Occasionally a mentee, a mentor or both might feel that things are not going well
It is important to establish the procedure for dealing with any problems within the mentoring relationship at its beginning. A sensible approach is to agree that if either party feels that there needs to be a review of the mentoring relationship in order to improve its effectiveness they can initiate such a review in a mentoring session. Any agreement of the way forward should then be formally recorded.
Action Planning
Mentoring paperwork should be kept to a minimum; nonetheless you should keep proper records of agreed actions complete with deadlines. Professional documentation both promotes good practice and protects each party should there be any disagreements. Actions should be monitored and the documentation updated at each meeting.

Name
College
Department
Subject Specialism
Mentee Details
Address
Tel contact
Mobile no.
email
Name
Employment details – title
Subject mentor details
Contact address
Telephone contact email Subject specialism
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 and agreed to on the ‘’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 agreed arrangement.
Mentor signature Mentee signature date

Mentee
Mentee Development plan
Mentor
Subject mentoring period
Agreed target Action to achieve target Date achieved
End of course review
Mentee’s reflections
Mentee signature Mentor signature

Record of mentoring contact
Mentee:
Course date Main points discussed
Mentor:
Year
Mode of contact
Action points arising
Mentee’s reflections
Mentee signature Mentor signature

University of Warwick
Certificate/Diploma in Teaching in the Lifelong Learning Sector
Observation Report Form
Trainee Teacher
Observer
Group
Date/time
Location
Stage
Teaching Context
Lesson planning
Differentiation in planning and delivery
Development of the skills of learners
Assessment and checking for understanding

Group management
Learner centredness / learner engagement
Promoting learner independence
Promotion of equality and diversity issues
Use of Resources including ILT
Summary
Agreed areas for development
Signature of observer Date

Signature of teacher observed Date
Please add teacher’s evaluation and teacher’s reflection on observer’s feedback

Observing and Assessing your Teaching: guidance for the trainee teacher about observations
Please help us to maximise the benefits of the observations which we shall make of your teaching. You will be observed at least eight times for Diploma; at least two of these observations will be undertaken by your Warwick trainee support/mentor.
Your tutor will expect to see a lesson plan early so that matters relating to lesson planning can be discussed. Each observed lesson requires you to produce an extended lesson plan to show your tutor why you chose to plan the session in that way.
You observer will not be expecting to see perfect teaching each time you are observed. The reason for observing is to support your developing skills. You and your observer will discuss what was seen with the aim of improving the skills you have and encouraging you in trying out new techniques and methods as you gain in experience. Although you are expected to pass each observation, you will find that you tutor will work in a developmental way with you. At first, the standards will not be highly demanding. However, your final observation will be more challenging.
Your observer will be looking for evidence that you have learnt from previous mistakes and have moved forward. If you do not pass an observation, it will be repeated. At your third attempt to achieve a pass, two observers will carry out the observation. A further referral would be result in your name being taken to the University of Warwick Examination Board for a decision to be made about your progression.
You will be given a copy of the new Professional Standards which set out the expectations for a teacher working in the Lifelong Learning Sector.
Steps in the Process
1. Draw up your ILP with your tutor to plan your course and observations
2. When you feel ready, ask your observer in to a session you want her/him to observe. Make sure the observer has the date, time, and location including a map if necessary.
3. Write a profile of the group for your observer.
4. Draw up your first extended lesson plan and send to your observer in advance of the session
5. Tell your students there will be an observer in for this session and why. Ask them to answer any questions s/he may have or to show their work if asked.
6. After the observed session, write an evaluation of the lesson and send to your observer.
7. At the feedback meeting, be as open as you can to what your observer has to say.
It is important that this is a two-way discussion of what happened.

8. Following the feedback session, write a reflective comment on the observation and on the feedback.
Send a copy to your observer for his/her comments.
Keep a copy in your Professional
Development Portfolio in Section 6.
Reporting
Your observations will be recorded under the following headings: o Lesson planning o Differentiation and skills development in planning and delivery o Group management o Assessment and checking for understanding o Learner centredness/learner engagement o Promoting learner independence o Equal opportunities o Use of resources including ILT
Consequently, you should review your lesson plan to ensure that your observer can make positive comments for each of these aspects about your observed session.
The Extended Lesson Plan
You are encouraged to devise a lesson plan format which is appropriate to your personal teaching style and the subject you teach. Certain information, however, is essential on any lesson plan. The minimum requirements are set out here: o Information about location, time/day, student group, subject/relevant unit or module o Resources o Learning Outcomes o Session plan to include student and tutor activities o Times for each part o Assessment o Differentiation o Evaluation
These headings should be incorporated into the standard lesson plan used throughout the course in your Teaching Record File. You are encouraged to find a style of lesson plan which suits you, your teaching, your employers and your subject material. However, the information listed above is essential for all styles of lesson plan.
For each observed session, you should prepare a lesson plan as usual and then add an additional part which will give detailed information about your reasoning during planning for the learning outcomes, activities, assessment methods and resources used during this observed session. It will also be necessary to give details of students for whom particular activities have been devised as part of differentiation.
Reference to previous sessions with the group or work being undertaken with other teachers which links to what will happen in the observed session may also be included.

By extending the lesson plan in this way, you will be able to justify some of your planning decisions and help your observer to understand some of the reasons for what will be observed. This will also encourage you to plan reflectively.
You are not expected to write an answer to all the questions listed below; however, it will act as a prompt to you to consider some important issues when you are planning your lesson.
Who are you teaching?
What is this group like? What sort of mix of personalities and talents are there?
How do they respond best? Do they get on well together? Is the course right for them, or is it too demanding?
What do you know about individuals within the group?
Do you need to make this lesson cover a variety of needs? How different are their cognitive, behavioural, emotional or social skills? Have you discovered anything about their learning styles? Has this affected your planning?
Who will need extra time or attention this session? Have you planned to take account of those who have more limited understanding?
‘Differentiation’ requires the teacher to ensure that all learners have an equal opportunity to learn; have you thought the session through so that you are sure that none of your learners will be prevented from learning because of something which you have overlooked?
What are you teaching?
Where is your Scheme of Work? How does this lesson fit into your scheme of work?
How does this topic fit with the learners you have?
Do you feel comfortable with this topic or is it new to you?
Have you taken account in your planning of the skills required for the topic; do your learners have the skills needed or will you have to incorporate some skills training into your teaching? Do you know the skills level of this group?
Will you need extension activities for those who work faster?
Are you expecting all students to achieve the same learning outcomes from this session?
Have you planned which are essential and which just a few in the group might achieve?
How will you teach it?
Think about how you learned this topic. Are you teaching it in exactly the same way or have you digested it, and then re-worked it to suit your learners?
Do you expect everyone to learn immediately, first time, or have you built in opportunities to recap, review and revise? Have you considered how you can find out if the quiet learner, who does not like asking questions which might make her or him look stupid in front of peers, has really understood your teaching point?
Have you built in active learning to your teaching?
What does ‘learnerengagement‘mean to you?
Have you produced learning materials which will interest and enthuse your learners? Have you consider whether your materials

are suitable for the level of skills possessed by the learners? Have you taken advantage of every opportunity to encourage a positive attitude to diversity?
Where?
Are there restrictions due to location which might mean a change of room? Do you the space you want; is the room flexible in its arrangements? Does it suit the activities you have planned?
Have you though about the health and safety issues which might be relevant here?