We recently entered that time of year when hundreds of nervous student teachers in Scotland enter schools for the first time.
Entrusted with their future is one individual: their mentor. This person is usually afforded no timetabled time to do the role, but they are altruistically motivated; they want to pass on their teacher wisdom and support the next generation of teachers.
In my experience of leading the English PGDE postgraduate course at Edinburgh Napier University, most mentors are absolutely fantastic. The importance of this role, however, cannot be underestimated - mentors have the ability to make or break a student teacher’s placement.
So, what exactly do student teachers need from a mentor? It is perhaps most useful to look first at what they don’t need, and then take a look at a more desirable approach to mentoring.
A tormentor
Professor Andy Hargreaves, a professor, author and expert on mentoring in education, has written: “Mentors turn into tormentors if they believe they are always right.”
Dialogue with this kind of mentor is very much one-sided. They tell and instruct the mentee what to do, instead of looking for any insight from them on their teaching or behaviours.
They also have a very one-dimensional view of how things should be done, and are fixed in their notions of how learning and teaching should happen.
A dementor
Fans of Harry Potter will recognise this style of mentoring immediately. For any readers unfamiliar with the Dementors, this delightful description from Remus Lupin should clarify things: “They drain peace, hope, and happiness out of the air around them...Get too near a Dementor and every good feeling, every happy memory will be sucked out of you.”
Clearly, this isn’t exactly reassuring as a style of mentoring. Indeed, this mentoring entails no positive reinforcement - the feedback about the student teacher is always negative.
Inevitably, this has a real impact on the wellbeing and positivity of the mentee. As we all know, it can be very difficult to maintain self-efficacy and motivation in the face of relentless negativity.
An invisimentor
This mentor is very good at not being available. In fact, a significant proportion of the student teacher’s day may feel like it’s spent in a Tom and Jerry-style hunt for a conversation with this mentor.
They take what feels like weeks to offer any feedback on a lesson, they don’t respond to emails and they can never be found for any form of meeting.
This can, of course, be disheartening for the student teacher. It can feel like they are a burden, who is merely an inconvenience for the “invisimentor”.
The supermentor
This mentor possesses a deep-rooted empathy that recognises just how challenging learning to be a teacher is.
They are kind and patient in their interactions with the student teacher, allowing them the space and time to engage in real dialogue about their experiences in the classroom.
That time is conducted in an atmosphere entirely free of judgement, but founded on a principle of the student teacher being given the best opportunity to succeed.
This freedom from judgement is also embraced in their view of what makes good teaching. While they have their own philosophies on learning, they are open-minded and receptive to new ideas. What they do believe in strongly is the power of dialogue about teaching and learning.
The “supermentor” does not sugarcoat feedback for the student teacher; they don’t always tell them that everything is wonderful. They are honest in their feedback, but recognise that we all need to hear positives to feel motivated and understand what we are doing well.
They guide their mentee in how to improve by setting clear goals and targets, and helping them organise themselves. They are reflective about making sure their mentee is not overwhelmed, but is given clear steps about how to improve.
Our future teachers deserve the best chance to thrive in the profession. And, as their mentors, we can have a profound and rewarding role in shaping that positive start.
Jamie Thom is English lead for the PGDE postgraduate course at Edinburgh Napier University, author of five books on education and the host of Beyond Survival: The New Teacher Podcast. He also blogs, focusing on teacher support
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