UTS teacher education staff and MLC School teachers have worked collaboratively to establish a mentoring partnership to set preservice teachers up for success during their professional experience and beyond.
This UTS MLC School teacher education pilot mentoring project was established in Autumn semester of 2023 and has been showing great outcomes already.
An effective mentoring relationship has multiple benefits for preservice teachers' professional experience. Providing positive classroom experiences for preservice teachers can help them develop a growth mindset and a suite of positive coping mechanisms. A resilient mindset and the capacity to seek support when needed can help beginner teachers thrive throughout their career.
Supervising teachers can also reflect on their practice as they mentor beginner teachers about effective teaching. By supporting preservice teachers, they have the opportunity to think critically about their practice.
Overall, a positive mentoring relationship can promote rich learning for both the mentor and mentee.
For this pilot mentoring project, MLC School and UTS staff carefully developed a set of professional learning modules for preservice and supervising teachers to ensure a supportive, professional learning experience.
Topics included: developing a positive mentoring relationship; making effective classroom observations; giving evidence-informed feedback; and undertaking reflective conversations.
Both the MLC School teachers and UTS preservice teachers undertook professional learning prior to the placement, and then engaged in regular feedback sessions throughout their practicum to reflect on the preservice teachers' progress.
Mentors and mentees also participated in weekly communities of practice or ‘huddles’ to discuss the impact of their mentoring relationships.
The mentoring culture established through this project was demonstrably positive and successful, evidenced by the enthusiastic gratitude that preservice teachers expressed for the support they received from their MLC School supervising teachers, for their new-found confidence in their own teaching, and through their (the preservice teachers') passion for the MLC School students, whose eagerness to learn inspired joy and awe.
This pilot project showed how both the mentor and the preservice teachers benefit from the mentoring relationship.
The MLC School and UTS team are excited for the next iteration of this project and anticipate collaborations with other school and institutions in transformative mentoring work for 2024 and beyond.
The goal with this is to support teachers' learning at all stages of their careers, with more teachers engaging in communities of practice to enrich student learning.