1 What does it mean to be a teacher-educator in school?

Above all, I believe that communication is key and can really help develop a strong mentor-student relationship. You’ll have four more observations and mentor meetings, but daily check ins, feedback, motivation can be very effective. And just to be told you are doing a good job, can go a long way.

My mentor supports me through every aspect of my PGCE. So like I said, while mentoring means to me. It’s not only when I’m teaching or planning or evaluating but through all of my University work. So everything in school, the workload, mental well-being. Just someone who is always there and someone always there to help me. So a mentor is someone who to me is approachable. I can see their work ethic but also guides me in the correct way, but also lets me find how I want to become a teacher. Yes, it has that support but he’s always there and letting me find my own fate. So that’s why I’d say a good mentor is, what they mean to me.

The mentors really helped to distil the key strengths and development needs for each student and then work closely with me to help decide on the next steps. So that we have that continuity and progression between placements.

I think great mentoring is really a balance of things. So there’s a balance between the input of the mentor and the mentee, so that there’s a good relationship that allows the mentee to develop in the way that they want to develop as a teacher. But the mentor supports them and challenges them to reach that end goal really. So I think there’s a balance of support and challenge, there’s a balance of sharing your experience as a mentor, but also being open to new ideas that the student teacher might bring with them. And there’s a balance of being approachable but not being a counselor, of being professional but also recognising the person that the student teacher is underneath their own professional identity. So I think it really is a balancing act. Maybe in the same way that a great teacher is a great teacher, because they can teach in the way that the pupil learns best. I think maybe that’s the same for a great mentor. That they work out what the mentee is like and how they can help them best to develop to the best of their potential. And then they provide in the way that is most appropriate for that individual.