Yes, Peter, I would tend to agree with your description of "where" mentor training is at! That which I have led (and supported colleagues in delivering at CCCU) is very much NOT focused on the mechanics of what bits of paper to fill in, but aimed at exploring the values and philosophies we, as mentors, bring to the role.
A particular successful series of subject mentor training I have led on recently for Employment Based Initial Teacher Training, had as its focus unpacking how a beginner teacher went about learning to teach a subject. Once of the activities required the mentors to deconstruct learning to teach their subject. The activity required the mentors to represent in a picture the process of learning to teach (Geog/Science/English etc). I was really excited about the "drawings" and the use of the picture as a metaphor for deconstructing the pedagogy of learning to teach subject X,Y or Z.
6 months later, I went back to a small group of mentors who had participated in this mentor training, to explore the impact the training had had on their mentoring practice. Two of the mentors I interviewed had kept the picture (one has it on the back seat of their car ?) and another on the wall in her office. Both mentors reported on the significance of this activity in making them think more deeply about their role as a mentor in breaking down the learning of how to teach Maths and English. This activity had also made them think more deeply about their own teaching.
Enjoying the debate
Kerry Jordan-Daus
Programme Director:- Graduate and Registered Teacher Programme
________________________________
From: BERA-MENTORING-COACHING on behalf of Peter Stopp
Sent: Wed 9/17/2008 8:47 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: E-seminar:Theme Three: If mentors develop their own learning theories to inform their practice, is this sufficient?
Hi!
I do largely agree with you, Rosalind - it is needed and would be good, and role-play would be useful in that. I don't know what happens at Nottingham Uni but all the others do more than the briefing sessions you refer to - by having lead mentors for each school who do receive at least one full day's (usually 2) mentoring inputs and several take up the further work of TLA recognition and Master's level modules as well. We have also done a little in the east midlands through the PDS initiative over the past three years (though Nottingham University decline to take part in our joint work so their mentors have not gained from that) but it is a drop in the ocean as, for example, we at BG work with about 1000 mentors each year, and that needs multiplying by the different institutions in the E Midlands. Our EM website is another adjunct to that work and we are still developing that so any feedback for that would be much appreciated (www.emac.org.uk). The good thing is that mentoring/coaching is gradually being recognised in schools as a valuable means of CPD so skills and theoretical underpinnings might grow through those routes and then support ITT mentoring.
In you research did you explore whether there is any relationship between levels of theoretical understanding and actual mentoring practice?
Peter
________________________________
From: BERA-MENTORING-COACHING on behalf of Rosalind Rice
Sent: Wed 17/09/2008 17:48
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: E-seminar:Theme Three: If mentors develop their own learning theories to inform their practice, is this sufficient?
Hello Dianne,
Yes am sorry to say that UK University based PGCE courses re mentor training are still being starved of theory since the 100 competences that became standards that are now approximately 32/33 standards with subclauses that must be met for QTS. Thus mentor training largely consists of ensuring mentors are conversant with the administration of the course with some discussion of models of mentoring included if time allows! I know this sounds pretty damning but realistically when there are possibly only 2-3 twilight sessions held each year for mentors it does become rather 'reductionist and mechanistic'(Boreham, 2002) in content!
However, once back in the classroom many mentors provide the mentee with resourceful advice from their own PCT's (Kelly, 1955) which then raises the standard of mentoring cognitively speaking. Thus I really would like a larger comparative case study to take place between several HEI Partnerships here in the UK which might also include other variables that might well impact on the findings such as gender, subject, mentors years of teaching experience etc I would then hope more emphasis might be placed on the theoretical underpinnings of mentoring i.e. Adult learning theories in mentor training sessions.
Best wishes
Rosalind
----- Original Message -----
From: Dianne Allen <mailto:[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Wednesday, September 17, 2008 7:10 AM
Subject: Re: E-seminar:Theme Three: If mentors develop their own learning theories to inform their practice, is this sufficient?
Thanks Rosalind, this does explain your thinking so far, and is, in terms of evidence, not much further advanced than some of my own thinking, and my thinking is in part a reflection of (a) my experience and (b) the absence of any good and clear indications in the literature that any one else has gone much further into the practice of using role play in certain learning situations and how to then work with the data in and from the role play experience to go the next step to spell out the theory employed in practice, let alone the longer and deeper task of examining that theory-in-use in practice, to check it against any espousal of theory and congruence between in-use and espoused (to use the terms that Argyris and Schon use).
I was hoping that you might have progressed further than I had reached.
Dianne
----- Original Message -----
From: Rosalind Rice <mailto:[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Tuesday, September 16, 2008 7:36 AM
Subject: Re: E-seminar:Theme Three: If mentors develop their own learning theories to inform their practice, is this sufficient?
Dear Dianne, Peter, Sarah et al,
Re role play as a vehicle for mentors development I am keen that Universities in various ITE Partnerships running one year PGCE or SCITT courses look to actually balance the practicalities of the role of a mentor with learning theories that literature tells us underpins the mentors role. (Hansford et al 2003)
I consider that Mentors' should be allowed to reflect on their practice just as student teachers are requested to whilst on their practicum in schools. This I perceive would be ideally done through the use of scenarios provided set up by the University tutors during mentor training. This might be organised through a brain storming session with mentors providing the themes for the scenarios or possibly through a form of mind mapping. I consider the sessions should be set up with an underlying model/ adult learning theory and then post-scenario a reflection and discussion session could then take place and ideas pooled.
I found within my own recent case study that mentors practice reflected the many theories underlying this mentoring relationship between 2 adults and when mentors were asked to reflect (Schon,1987) on their practice or even their own teaching practice they felt informed by this experiential learning (Kolb, 1984) whether positive or negative. Thus the theory then informed their practice through reflection.
I hope Dianne this helps explain some of my thinking at present.
Best wishes
Rosalind
----- Original Message -----
From: Dianne Allen <mailto:[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Sunday, September 14, 2008 11:48 PM
Subject: Re: E-seminar:Theme Three: If mentors develop their own learning theories to inform their practice, is this sufficient?
Rosalind, Peter and all,
Role play as a vehicle for developing theory-practice understanding
Rosalind, I am interested to understand some more of the way you are thinking, and about using the role play to be a vehicle for helping mentors know (or learn more of?) the theoretical that informs their practice .. or perhaps you were meaning something else? Can you elaborate for me please?
Dianne
----- Original Message -----
From: Rosalind Rice <mailto:[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Sunday, September 14, 2008 9:58 PM
Subject: Re: E-seminar:Theme Three: If mentors develop their own learning theories to inform their practice, is this sufficient?
Dear Peter, Dear All,
Thank you for your perspective on the Theory- Practice issue I perceive to be an area to be re-addressed regarding the role of the mentor in ITT. I look not only from a teacher researchers point of view but also from a teacher practitioner in Primary, Secondary and FE and within these sectors as a Mentor for Student Teachers, NQT's and fellow colleagues.
I understand what you say regarding the practicalities of training and am not endorsing extra mentoring training for mentors( they are very busy teachers and this is only a small part of their role as a teacher) even though I realise that this would be a wonderful situation and as you say would be what would happen in an ideal world!
What I am wishing is for more theory to be introduced into the present mentor training in ways that will be facilitated by mentors more easily e.g. role play. I also feel that some mentors may not be as creative or reflective or experienced as others and so do not have their own learning to draw upon and this would ensure all mentors would benefit from more theoretical knowledge.
The learning theories I would be advocating would be those that would help reinforce and endorse the mentors development at whatever stage they may perceive they are at. Not all mentors are very experienced today even though that is the ideal model, so thus to provide scenarios utilising various learning theories would I believe be advantageous to the mentor. No one theory provides the necessary support or challenge to the mentor at any one time and so a widening of understanding of the various learning theories is what is necessary for the University element of the ITT Partnership.
Best wishes
Rosalind
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