Page 91: Top tips for mentoring a student teacher

 Page 91: Top tips for mentoring a student teacher

This year, I have had the privilege of becoming a class mentor, supporting a student teacher on their training journey. I was excited to step into this role, following in the footsteps of some of the fantastic mentors and the support system I had when I was training. 

Today's post builds upon Page 77: Stepping into the role of mentoring where I shared my 5 day plan in supporting building pedagogy, subject knowledge and confidence in teaching This page will focus upon the 'bigger picture'. Personally, when reflecting upon my experience as a student teacher it was at those schools where I felt most involved, included and part of them team where I not only felt the most comfortable, but I was able to get the most out of the placement. What I particularly found beneficial is understadning and taking a part in those extra 'bits and bobs' key responsibilities of being a teacher, outside of the lesson planning and delivery.

So let's get started! Here are my top 10 tips in supporting your student teacher to excel as part of the school community during there placement.

1. Observe, observe, observe! Not just yourself, arrange to see partner teachers, the year above/below to begin to see the 'bigger picture' to ensure you are supporting your student by providing the opportunity to observe a range of good practice that they can reflect upon and take into their own. 

2. Trips! Whether it is your class or a trip else where requires an extra adult, attending a trip and observing how learning is continued outside the classroom in hand with the organisation and safety of running a trip is crucial in developing a 'whole teacher'. When I was a student teacher I even attended a residential which was absolutely fantastic. 

3. Support your student to network with fellow trainees. If there are a few student teachers at placement in your setting, arrange a chance to 'catch-up', allow the opportunity to share good practice and conversation to flow with somebody who is going through the exact same thing at the exact same time!

4. Shadow a teaching assistant! Through arranging a day for your student teacher to shadow a teaching assistant it will support one of the hardest tasks when initially beginning teacher training, believing in yourself and the confidence to deploy other adults. Shadowing a teaching assistant not only strengthens your relationship for future working and deployment but allows the student to fully understand the critical and key role our teaching assistants play daily in supporting and facilitating the learning which takes place! 

5. Share research. I enjoy using a research based lens to develop and improve on my practice. When I cam across interesting reads and key research articles that informs and developed my practice, I enjoyed sharing these with the student teacher I worked with. These aren't just beneficial for developing that day to day practice but really useful for student teachers who are working on research based assignments and relating policy, theory and practice through their university assignments. 

6. CPD. Supporting developing CPD is very important. The benefits for students teachers of networking and discussing with other staff through staff meetings, phase meetings, and subject specific training is useful for application and confident in subject knowledge and areas of education for a career to come. 

7. Developing relationships with parents can feel overwhelming, particularly when a student teacher might start at a various point in the academic year and has not had the opportunity to build this from September. Highly modelling to student teachers daily conversations, phone calls home, including those on the tricker side will develop building a network of skills stepping into their ECT years. 

8. Building on point 7 and high modelling of parent interactions, supporting a student teacher by attending a parents evening provides a wealth of experience for their potentially daunghting first one to come. Great again for ECT preparation. 

9. Ensure time is always given for reflection. Myself and my student teacher ensured we took a longer weekly reflection session but 5 minutes at the end of everyday just to talk and reflect on the day, discuss through any challenges to support implement changes for the next day as well as importantly celebrating successes. This is a good routine to prepare students for their ECT years. 

10. Smile and share. We are all human and all teachers, some days are hard and can be challenging. It is just as important to discuss these by most importantly sharing how you move on and inform this in your practice to support the next day of learning. 

Whether you are a student teacher, a mentor or reading for general interest, I hope I have been able to highlight how becoming part of the team and whole school community is the easiest step for success!

Miss Yeoman