Section archive - Mentoring & Supervision

Three significant impediments to mentoring success have been identified in the literature: insufficient time; mentors' lack of professional expertise; and personality mismatches. To address these issues, a skills training program was developed in Victoria. This program utilized the principles of adult attachment theory and time-limited therapy. The model was introduced to principals across grade levels. The results indicated significant improvement in the skills set and confidence levels of mentors (i.e. experienced school principals).

The purpose of this study was to contribute to and expand the scholarship on teaching and mentoring. The questions guiding this qualitative study were as follows: First, how do mentors gain their expertise? Second, what support do they need to promote their continued development? The context of this study was a teacher training academy. Data were collected from eight mentor teachers in three ways--through individual interviews, focus group interviews, and participant observation. Results indicate that mentors conceptualized their work into two distinct roles: teaching and mentoring. Recommendations are provided for developing and supporting mentors' practice.

The researcher examined the experiences of student tutors, on the periphery of the university teaching community, and reports on the support they need. The findings indicate that faculty and administrators should recognize student tutors' lack of pedagogical and subject expertise, while nurturing their energy, understanding, and closeness to the undergraduate student experience.

Written lesson appraisals (WLAs) by mentors 30 of pre-service teachers experiencing two different mentoring regimes in an English university teacher education program were selected for analysis. The WLAs were analyzed for their length and content using professional knowledge categories derived from pre-service teacher perceptions of the content of WLAs.