Module Two

Model for Educational Mentoring

Module One - Principles of Mentoring

Module Three - Assessing Progress

Liverpool Hope University Model for Educational Mentoring

In Module Two we:

Learn about;

The elements of the LHU Model for Educational Mentoring

Mentoring is a complex and nuanced activity. It is relational and dependent on the progress of the individual trainee. For the trainees to make progress in their knowledge understanding and skills of teaching they require regular cycles of expert input and pedagogic focused discussions supported by opportunities to practice and apply learning and receive feedback.

Elements of the Model

Completing a Subject Lesson Observation

Teaching observations are one of the tools in the cycle that facilitate professional learning for trainee teachers. Observations and the subsequent focused discussions allow trainees to;

- Make the links between university and school based learning and application in the classroom.
- Provide opportunities for them to discuss and analyse components of effective lessons and sequences of lessons.
- Support trainees to identify concepts, knowledge, skills and principles of a subject.
- Discuss and analyse with the trainee how to identify subject misconceptions and how to prevent them.
- Explain and discuss the rationale for curriculum choices and how the schools curriculum informs lesson planning.

Before the lesson observation

Discuss the aspect of practice the trainee has been practising including the experts they they have observed and activities they have completed to research and rehearse the skill. Ask the trainee to talk through their planning specifically the learning intentions, teaching sequences and activities. All lesson observations are completed via the e-profile.

Using the video clip below complete a Science lesson observation sheet. For their target, this trainee had been focusing on developing the language of scientific enquiry

Science Subject Specific Lesson Observation Form

Year 8 Science - At Sydney Adventist College, a teacher begins her lesson in science by asking her students to discuss whether a stream in a photograph is clean or dirty. She identifies students’ responses as potential ‘characteristics’ of the water’s quality, and organises these in a concept diagram.

www.aitsl.edu.au/tools-resources/resource/investigating-water-quality-illustration-of-practice

2. Pedagogic Focused Discussion (Feedback)

Feedback should occur immediately or as soon as possible after the lesson. Mentors should refer to the ITE curriculum to support discussion.

This post-lesson discussion should aim to;

- - Reflect on what the trainee has learnt and can do
  - Provide an opportunity for trainees to reflect on their progress against previous targets
  - Provide an opportunity for the mentor to confirm or correct areas identified by the trainee for development
  - Provide a forum to jointly reflect and evaluate the quality of teaching and how it has impacted on pupil learning and progress
  - Develop the trainee’s knowledge and understanding further through focused questioning
  - Agree subject specific and or pedagogical targets and a sequence of steps or activities to complete them. E.g planning an opportunity to observe or talk to an expert.
  - Ensure the trainee can articulate their understanding of the next steps and their timeline for completion.
  - Organise and agree opportunities for the trainee to practise the particular aspect of teaching or subject knowledge.

Trainee targets should be sequenced incrementally starting with basic skills and progressing to more sophisticated ones. They should be clear measurable and agreed by all parties and where possible and should inform the choice of future goals.

3. Watch the video below illustrating a Pedagogic Focused Discussion. Reflecting on the aims above is this a successful dialogue? How could it be improved?

MVI_0107.MP4

Setting Targets

Drawing on the work of Grossman (2018) use the examples provided to consider a target or sequence of targets for a trainee. Discuss your ideas with a partner.

Possible Targets

Practice with purpose activities - how to accelerate progress using opportunities for rehearsal and reflection

This element of the cycle should provide the trainee with opportunities to practise a discrete element of teaching practice. Examples could include;

Discussing what success looks like in terms of the specific aspect or skill
Tapping into expertise across the setting. Provide opportunities for trainees to observe other colleagues’ teaching and subsequently discuss analyse and deconstruct this teaching
Model explicitly examples of good practice and pedagogy
Create opportunities for trainees to observe and listen to explanations of how they plan effective learning sequences and lesson
Provide opportunities to co plan and review learning
Create opportunities to work with expert colleagues to accumulate and refine a collection of powerful analogies, illustrations, examples, explanations and demonstrations.
Providing opportunities for trainees to use a range of resources and materials reviewing scripts or lesson plans.

Consider how you provide opportunities for trainees to rehearse and reflect on pedagogy and practice. Please post an example in the box below describing opportunities you have offered trainees and the impact this approach has had on their practice.