What informs mentors' practice when working with trainees and newly qualified teachers? An investigation into mentors' professional knowledge base

Building Mentoring Capacities in Experienced Teachers

“…Most participants found it difficult to meet with their mentee on a regular basis due to timetable clashes and high workloads. This lack of time is significant as time is a prerequisite for critical analysis and reflection of practice (Jones & Straker, 2006). In some cases, a less formal approach to mentoring was adopted in which the mentee initiated contact with their mentor when they wanted to address specific issues.…”

“…It is unlikely that a mentoring culture will have longterm sustainability unless time for mentors and mentees to meet is factored into teaching timetables. Jones and Straker (2006) purport that the less time mentors have, the more they tend to rely on resorting to existing strategies from their professional knowledge base and experience, strategies 'that work' (Martinez, 2004), rather than using a problem solving approach to seek out new alternatives or solutions. Thus, the danger of mentoring within the time constraints evidenced in this program is that mentees may not be challenged to question their own underlying personal philosophies and current practices with the potential result of mentees knowing how to 'fit in' (Walkington, 2005) rather than reculturing and reshaping the profession.…”

“…Evertson and Smithey posit that mentors should assist beginning teachers through the processes of dialogue and reflection. Reflection, a critical examination of one's own practices (Jones & Straker, 2006), is a key behaviour of effective teachers. However, it is not sufficient for mentors to reflect on their own practices alone.…”

Zur Einführung: Lehrerbildung in Europa – Konsens imGrundsätzlichen, Divergenz in der Praxis

“…Above all, they need to acquire knowledgeability in order to assist novice teachers in the negotiation of competing views of practice. A study (Jones/Straker 2006) conducted in 2005 with 100 school-based mentors revealed that the most frequently employed strategies were providing opportunities for observation of experienced teachers; giving feedback and discussion; modelling good practice and observation of novice teacher. Less popular strategies comprised setting problem solving tasks; reference to theory, and setting demanding tasks.…”

“…[…] I think a lot of it perhaps comes through professionalism, maybe, that can't be learnt. [Primary school mentor, England, Jones/Straker, 2006] As the expert or master teacher, the mentor's role is to articulate their craft knowledge of teaching and to make explicit the principles underpinning their professional practice, but in doing so s/he needs to consider the balance of power and control established within the mentoring relationship and how it impacts on the learning process. This is particularly important when mentors act as assessors and gatekeepers monitoring novice teachers' performance and assessing their competence against the professional standards.…”