Defining mentoring and coaching

No universal definition or view of mentoring and coaching;

“Some theorists see coaching as a type of mentoring, while others see

mentoring as a type of coaching” (Mullen, 2012, p. 9).

“Coaching is thought of as a process of training and supervising a person to

better their performance, while mentoring refers to the counseling process

carried on to guide and support a person for career development.”

(Schuneman, 2019)

Mentoring versus coaching (Maarten, 2011)

Mentoring Coaching

• Involves sharing of

knowledge

• Long term investment

• Facilitates decisions

• Focused on the mentee

• Involves questioning and

assessing

• Limited investment

• Reflective listening

• Focused on tasks

• Growth/development; helping people realise their potential

• Teacher/consultant = a learning/thinking partner

• Built on respect, trust, supporting in nature

Defining mentoring

Mentoring is a contested practice (Kemmis et al. 2014)

Mentoring can be performed:

• In many contexts; based on a variety of purposes and theoretical

approaches (Dominguez & Hager, 2013);

• Under different circumstances and in a variety of ways with different

duration and intensity (Bullough, 2012; Ingersoll & Strong, 2011; Strong &

Baron, 2004).

Defining mentoring

“Mentoring is an activity, a process and a long-term relationship between an

experienced teacher (mentor) and a less experienced newly qualified

teacher (mentee) that is primarily designed to support the newly qualified

teacher’s learning, professional development and well-being and to facilitate

their induction into the culture of teaching and the local school context”

(Aspfors & Fransson, 2015).

Also applicable to other context eg

Experienced HOD mentoring new HOD (mentee)

Experienced teacher mentoring a student teacher during work-integrated

learning etc.

Defining mentoring

“Mentoring practice has shifted from transfer of knowledge, to a process-

oriented relationship involving knowledge acquisition, application, and

critical reflection.” (Zachary, 2002)

Learning is the fundamental process, purpose, and product of mentoring.

Mentoring is a reciprocal and collaborative learning relationship between two or

more individuals who share mutual responsibility and accountability for

helping a mentee work toward achieving clear and mutually defined learning

goals (Zachary, 2002)

Roles in mentoring (Palermo, 2010)

Role of the mentor Role of the mentee

• Listen/observe and assist with

identification of strengths and areas

for development

• Specific ‘skill teaching’ or coaching

and support risk taking in learning

• Encourage the exploration of ideas

• Asking questions

• Shift mental context or ideals of

thinking

• Commitment to mentor and

mentoring programme

• Commitment to professional

development plan

• Believe in and take new challenges

• Seek and accept feedback

• Accept responsibility for their own

growth and development

• Facilitate critical reflection on all

aspects of practice

• Reflect critically on all aspects of

practice and own learning

Mentoring across the globe: versions of mentoring

Preparation of mentors has to be a priority for policymakers,

teacher educators and researchers (Hobson et al., 2009).

Some countries or states with well-established mentoring

programmes do not seem to have any systematised mentor

education (Aspfors & Fransson, 2015)

Finland:

• Nationwide program;

• New teachers experience mentoring in peer groups;

• Dialogue is emphasized; without formal assessment.

Sweden:

• Classical arrangement of ‘mentoring as support’;

• Individual mentors work with individual mentees;

• “Teachers have ‘a right’ to mentoring” versus mentoring for the evaluation of new teachers'

competence against established teaching standards.

Australia: (New South Wales) long-standing program of mentoring

• Support of new teachers by supervisors alongside probation and registration of new

teachers;

• Assessing the performance of the new teachers against mandated professional standards.

Versions of mentoring (Kemmis et al. 2014)

Purposes of mentoring (Kemmis et al. 2014)

a)mentoring as supervision: assisting newly qualified teachers to pass

through the formal juridical requirements for probation;

b)mentoring as support: supporting new teachers in the development of

their professional practices by more experienced teachers;

c)mentoring as collaborative self-development: assisting new teachers

collectively to develop their professional identities.

Mentors enrich their own teaching experience and professional development and

often report that they gain exposure to new and diverse perspectives, improve

coaching and listening skills, find work more meaningful and satisfying, hone desired

leadership skills, and often become reengaged professionally (Zachary, 2002)

Factors that impact mentoring (Kemmis et al. 2014)

a)mentoring is interpreted and justified in different kinds of discourses

(cultural-discursive factors);

b)mentoring is enacted in different kinds of activities and places (material-

economic factors);

c)mentoring is organized in different kinds of arrays of roles and

relationships between the people involved (social-political factors).

NWU Mentoring model: Dip in Gr R Teaching delivered via distance learning

Formative

assessment (WIL tasks and

lesson

presentations)

NWU Mentoring model: Dip in Gr R Teaching

NWU Mentoring model: Dip in Gr R Teaching • NWU student-teachers are practicing under/unqualified Grade R teachers

• With application each student-teacher chooses his/her mentor with the support

of the principal (mentor training is optional)

• Reminded of the qualities of a good mentor ………..and not a (tor)mentor…

• Enthusiastic about mentor role and teaching

• Must value learning

• Expert in their field

• Fit the student-teacher

• Treat others respectfully

• Encourage the mentee to step out of her/his comfort zone

• Are active listeners

• Know how to give feedback

WIL at a registered school each semester

PER SEMESTER PER YEAR OVER 3 YEARS

8 credits 16 credits 48 credits

80 hours 160 hours 480 hours

15 days of teaching in

school

30 days of teaching in

school

90 days of teaching in

school

3 weeks 6 weeks 18 weeks

1 WIL portfolio per

semester

2 WIL portfolios per

year

6 WIL portfolios in total

Principal and mentor commitment to support student-teacher

Mentoring and coaching in play-based learning and formal learning

Mentor role – support, modelling, formative assessment of:

• Reflective practice

• Facilitation of informal learning through play

• Informed implementation of CAPS

• Active participation of learners

• Cooperative learning and interaction

• Managing daily programme

• Classroom management and discipline

• DAP in Gr R eg Rotation between work stations, setting up of

learning areas (fantasy, math, language, etc.)

• Learning process:

Mentoring and coaching in play-based learning and formal learning

Men

torin

g

RUBRIC FOR FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT BY MENTOR - RWIL 121: TASK 2

PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION OF LESSON FOR LISTENING AND SPEAKING WITH INTEGRATION OF

MATHEAMATICS

LEVEL

DEVELOPING

(20-40%)

No/little evidence of knowledge and skills to facilitate listening and speaking components in a

Language learning experience.

Demonstrates lack of knowledge on design and use of LTM.

FUNCTIONAL

(41-60%)

Some evidence of knowledge and skill regarding effective facilitation of listening and speaking in a

language learning experience.

Demonstrates knowledge on effective design and use of LTM.

PROFICIENT

(61- 80%)

Competent in facilitating listening and speaking components effectively in Grade R context.

Demonstrates knowledge of the language curriculum and holistic teaching approach in Grade R.

Competent in design and use of LTM in language learning.

ADVANCED

(81-100%)

Exceptional planning and meaningful facilitation of Language learning experience;

Demonstrated outstanding applied competency with regards to Language of Learning and

Teaching.

Demonstrates good knowledge of design and use of LTM.

MARK:

Feedback:

Name mentor: …………………………………………….

Signature (Mentor teacher):

Date: …………………………………….

(% Mark ÷ 5)

Total mark: /20

Verifying the impact of mentoring and coaching on learning by student-teacher and ultimately children

RATING KEY 1 EXCEEDS STANDARD (75+) 2 MEETS STANDARD (60-74%) 3 DOES NOT MEET STANDARD (-60%)

PLANNING AND LESSON PREPARATION

LESSON PHASE CRITERIA 1 2 3 REMARKS

1 Have the lesson goals been correctly formulated?

2 Are the teaching and learning activities aligned with the lesson’s objectives?

3 Is the assessment strategy aligned with the above?

4 Was the lesson fully planned?

5 Is relevant preparation material available?

TEACHING AND LEARING ACTIVITIES

INTRODUCTION CRITERIA 1 2 3 REMARKS

1 Did the introduction include learners’ experience and prior knowledge?

2 Was the introduction creative and within the context of the planned learning content?

3 Did the introduction spur the learners on to further learning?

4 Were the goals of the lesson clear to the learners?

TEACHING & LEARNING PHASE CRITERIA 1 2 3 REMARKS

1 Were appropriate teaching strategies used to make the new content clear to the learners?

2 Were opportunities created for the learners to apply the new knowledge?

3 Did emphasis and consolidation of learnt material occur continuously?

4 Were learners continuously assessed and given appropriate support?

5 Were learning activities appropriate and relevant?

6 Was feedback given consistently on the learning activities?

CONCLUSION CRITERIA 1 2 3 REMARKS

1 Were the set lesson objectives used as basis for planned learning?

2 Were the lesson objectives reached?

3 Were learners guided to reflect on new knowledge, skills, attitudes, values?

STUDENT TEACHING SKILLS CRITERIA 1 2 3 REMARKS

1 Does the student have sufficient subject knowledge?

2 Quality of the communication (verbal/non-verbal) with the learners.

3 Was communication between learners promoted?

4 Attitude towards learners.

5 Was self-directed/participative learning motivated with learners?

6 Were suitable learning and teaching aids used effectively?

7 Quality of student’s classroom management?

NWU LECTURER / ACCREDITED MENTOR COMMENTS %

NWU lecturer/Accredited mentor signature: Date: / /

Verifying the impact of mentoring and coaching on learning by children

Mentor mark

Portfolio of Evidence Benchmarking historical

evidence of applied

competence (compiled

in portfolio) with mentor

assessment and

feedback

Verifying the impact of mentoring and coaching on learning by children

How will we know that the mentoring and coaching

programme is producing results?

Currently:

• portfolio of evidence,

• benchmarking with mentor assessment, and

• formal assessment in practice by NWU lecturers/assessors in the

student’s 3rd year (discussion with mentor at the school on student-

teacher strengths and weaknesses)

= the only way to determine impact on teaching and learning

HOWEVER……..

….. collaboration between all

stakeholders is needed to

ensure that the mentoring

and coaching programme is

producing results and to

provide additional

intervention when needed

Mentoring training: NWU Dip in Gr R Teaching

NWU mentor training is aimed at equipping practicing and

experienced teachers to support under or unqualified

teachers (or student-teachers) in their learning from/in

practice with the following roles in mind:

• Modelling meaningful practice

• Cooperative reflection with the mentee on various aspects

of practice and theory

• Formative and summative assessment of the mentee’s

applied competence

• Continuous support and feedback while learning from/in

practice

Mentoring training: NWU Dip in Gr R Teaching

STUDY UNIT 1: Teacher Development

STUDY UNIT 2: Establishing the Mentoring Relationship

STUDY UNIT 3: Engaging Student Teachers

STUDY UNIT 4: Co-Teaching

STUDY UNIT 5: Coaching

STUDY UNIT 6: Reflection

STUDY UNIT 7: Mentoring Pre-service Teachers

STUDY UNIT 8: Mentoring Early Career Teachers & Teacher Leaders

Compilation of Portfolio of Evidence

Portfolio of Evidence Checklist

Short course outcomes (mentoring student teachers, early career teachers and teacher leaders)

Understand and apply fundamental principles of teacher development

through practice;

Develop mentoring tools to facilitate mentoring process;

Use various tools to interact with and to support mentee;

Participate in reflective forum discussions;

Understand and apply core elements of the mentoring process

obuilding trusting relationship

oprovide opportunities for professional growth through experience such as

co-planning; co-teaching; coaching; encouraging reflection.

Assessment requirements

In order to successfully complete this short course, mentors should submit an

evidence-based portfolio containing evidence to demonstrate competence

related to:

• How student teachers develop through practice

• How to establish mentoring relationships

• How to engage student teachers

• Co-planning and co-teaching

• Coaching

• Reflection

• How mentoring develops from initial, through intermediate and continuous

levels as well as for early career teachers and teacher leaders.