Sydney University's Dr Di Bloomfield addresses a workshop about supporting pre-service teachers during the joint Federation and Sydney University teacher mentoring professional day on March 28.

Useful professional development for teacher mentors

By

John Pratt

Participants in a recent professional development day for teacher mentors were provided with useful strategies to mentor early career teachers.

Opinions among participants in the joint Federation/University of Sydney's Faculty of Education and Social Work teacher mentor professional development day were universally positive.

The course, held in Federation's auditorium on March 28, sought, through lectures and workshops, to promote the necessary skills and understanding for those teachers who act as mentors to early career teachers in NSW public schools.

A common theme throughout the day was established by Dr Robyn Ewing when she suggested we must reconceptualise the roles of supervisors and mentors. The mentoring role, she suggested, should be seen as genuinely collegiate with professional learning occurring for both mentor and mentee. The hierarchical nature of the supervisor's role, by definition, prevents this reciprocity from occurring.

Federation Executive member and Chifley Senior College teacher Michael De Wall provided a useful and proven set of strategies and called on teacher mentors to focus on the efficacy of their practices.

Michael indicated that mentors should:

• include some structured induction and development sessions
• provide straight-up advice on request
• give a little coaching
• build trust, and
• maintain a sense of humour.

The highs and lows of the mentor were highlighted in an SMS and letter from a mentored early-career teacher displayed by Michael. Goulburn East Public School teacher Christine Bentley later remarked how it brought home to course participants just how influential the role of the mentor must be in the early careers of teachers. She said the content and presentation of what was revealed was moving, powerful and enlightening.

Dr Cheryl Armstrong delivered in a vibrant session about action research, with the intention of empowering participants to return to their schools armed with realistic goals, strategies and evaluation tools in developing a successful mentoring process.

Course participant Jennifer Mace from Bega High School said the active research session would allow her to more confidently develop and implement a whole school approach to the mentoring of early-career teachers.

Dr Di Bloomfield emphasised how professional learning benefits should flow to schools who take on teachers in the early post-graduate phase of their careers.

Dr Bloomfield also provided insight into the evolving processes of the NSW Institute of Teachers. She said that while it grew out of the neo-conservative agenda of institutionally sanctioned scrutiny, positive outcomes could be found for teachers. It can, for instance, be seen as providing a language and a framework to provide direction for professional growth. She feels it can provide a career long developmental model or rubric. Dr Bloomfield said some of us would continue to see the Institute framework as an imposition while others would see it as a usable tool.

The teacher mentoring professional day grew out of expressed teacher discontent with the professional development offerings of the Department of Education and Training and other providers. It proved to be academically stimulating and usefully practical. Many course participants are now looking forward to the next course to be held on June 2, which will deal with behaviour management strategies and techniques.

John Pratt teaches at Murray HS.

For further information

April 2008 contents