Documenti di Didattica
Documenti di Professioni
Documenti di Cultura
Context
Beginning teachers
Expected to take on the same responsibilities as more experienced colleagues High attrition rate
Rural settings
Disproportionate numbers of beginning teachers Isolation Away from families and friends Teaching in subject areas outside area of expertise
Mentoring
Widely used strategy for providing guidance and support for beginning teachers Many mentors are provided with little or no training
Mentor training is the single most important factor in contributing to mentoring success (Sweeny, 2008).
Mentor training
From providing emotional support assisting beginning teachers through dialogue and reflection
The characteristics of adult learners Effective communication skills Encouraging mentees to reflect on their practice
(Evertson & Smithey, 2001)
Raising awareness of the needs and concerns of beginning teachers Developing a framework for identifying and understanding the critical tasks of teaching Identifying and understanding the principles underlying reflective practice Utilising the cycle of reflective practice. Promoting similar reflective teaching practices in mentees. Identifying the stages of the mentoring process Work-life balance Developing action plans for the future The art of letting go
Pilot program
4 days of workshops over a period of ~6 months (last half of school year) Case studies, role plays
Data analysis
Iterative process Common themes emerged from the data
So really do the explicit teaching to the mentee before they go and teach. That really helps, and that was a really
successful unit she did (Teacher M).
First StageModelling of skills, sharing of strategies, observational feedback (Direct and explain)
Discussion
While mentor program seemed to help mentors to support mentees, it did not appear to promote deep reflection of teaching practices (by mentors or mentees).
Conclusion
The development of reflective practices should form an integral component of mentoring programs. For it is through these shared reflections and discussions of and around practice that communities of practice are created.
This is significant as the most powerful learning comes about within communities of practice (Wenger, 1998).
Contact details
Dr Denise Beutel d.beutel@qut.edu.au
Dr Rebecca Spooner-Lane rs.spooner@qut.edu.au