2.2 Establish a focus on ‘practical theorizing’ early on

Consider how you can support and challenge your beginner teacher, while promoting reflection on the approaches and rationale they have chosen in their teaching. Feedback that promotes thought and reflection is an especially important part of the mentoring dialogue. Helpful feedback affirms successful practice but also highlights where the beginner teacher may need new approaches or ideas, and it encourages them to look to theory and research for innovation (Mutton, Hagger and Burn, 2011).

Think about how you can prompt important aspects of discussion such as critical reflection, pedagogical issues, principles underpinning practice or issues of social reform or justice, as part of your professional dialogue (Hobson and Malderez, 2013). Articulating ideas in a critically reflective way supports the growth of practical theorizing, allowing dynamic mentoring conversations that both assist the beginner teacher and allow the experienced mentor to co-construct new ideas for teaching (Lofthouse, 2018).