Becoming a mentor

In primary education, mentoring is used to describe a relationship of support between a teacher who is more experienced as a teaching professional and a teacher who is less experienced. Rogers, Luksyte and Sitzmueller emphasise the importance of mentors’ motivation to mentor in conjunction with their ‘getting along’ qualities. Both need to be present in order to achieve a successful mentoring relationship and to maintain positive relationships between colleagues. Many mentors view the development of the mentoring relationship and related teaching practices as collaborative self-development. This means that, alongside viewing their role as impacting the professional learning of the beginning primary teacher, they recognise the contribution that the student teacher makes to their own developing mentoring expertise. Primary initial teacher education mentors often state that an important part of the mentoring role is inducting new professionals. Walker-Smith’s model has been designed to support mentors as they facilitate learning conversations in the context of professional practice.