Mentors are experienced teachers and leaders in schools who support trainee teachers in their training year and beyond. They are a crucial part of the teacher training experience, often being the go-to source of support for trainees.
Mentors are often subject-specific experts. They help develop subject knowledge and play a part in shaping a trainee teacher’s experience and supporting them in their training journey.
Here is everything a great mentor does to help trainee teachers thrive.
Mentor types
The different types of mentors and their responsibilities:
Subject mentors
Support and guide all aspects of day-to-day teaching and answer any questions. They are the first point of call for trainees.
Professional mentors
Coordinate the training across the school.
Lead mentors
Often external to the host school, they provide an extra layer of support and quality assure the mentoring process.
How mentors support trainee teachers
Develop teaching expertise
From subject knowledge to classroom strategies, mentors guide trainees through the fundamentals of teaching.
They will help you to understand which strategies should be used when, and how to adapt in different classroom environments.
For example, a core element of teacher training is learning about the importance of teacher presence and how you can build confidence in the classroom. Your mentor will show you what this looks like in practice and give you tips that you can put into action so that your pupils see you as a figure of authority.
You’ll get the time to practice in a safe space with just you and your mentor so that you are well-versed in new strategies before you try them out in the classroom.
Give effective feedback
Mentors give continuous feedback that is always specific and actionable, so you know exactly what you're doing well and what you can do to improve.
In addition to your subject mentor and professional mentor, at United Teaching, you will also receive lead mentor visits. Lead mentors will observe lessons and give useful feedback on how you did, as well as answer any questions or concerns you might have so you can effectively prepare for your next observation.
They also quality assure all evidence towards qualified teacher status through online evidence and progress reviews.
Offer time for reflection
When you work in a school, the weeks can go by quickly. It can be easy to roll from one week to the next without taking the time to properly reflect. Weekly mentor meetings give you protected time to chat with your mentor about how things are going.
Your mentor is there to help you zoom out and look at the bigger picture, giving you the space and time to think about what is going well, what you might be struggling with, and anything you could work on to continue to improve.
Support deliberate practice
The best way to improve is to practice and deliberate practice means doing that, with intent. Mentors turn feedback into actionable targets that will give trainees the highest leverage skills to improve pupil outcomes.
Deliberate practice may initially feel out of your comfort zone, but it is one of the most effective methods of improving the quality of teaching and learning.
Build relationships
A successful mentor relationship goes a long way and can make or break your training experience.
This is why United Teaching mentors are trained in the importance of relationship-building and how to develop successful and intentional relationships. They are well-trained in the new Initial Teaching Training (ITT) Early Career Framework (ECF) as well as key skills such as active listening and coaching so that they can get the best out of people.
They are there to support you and set you up for a successful and enjoyable teaching career. Not only do they build relationships with trainee teachers, but they also help their mentees build relationships of their own by recommending other excellent teachers and leaders who can support them on their journey.
Support wellbeing
The wellbeing of trainees is the top priority in our teacher training programme.
All mentors were once trainee teachers themselves, so they can empathise with any struggles you’re facing, and more importantly, help you to overcome them. As an experienced teacher, a mentor can also provide specific insights and help trainees connect the dots that they might not have otherwise seen.
Mentor meetings are more than time to discuss teaching and learning practice, they also include a wellbeing check-in. If you feel overwhelmed or are struggling to manage your workload, your mentor is there to listen and support you in building positive and sustainable habits like time management, prioritisation, and how to balance PGCE assignments alongside day-to-day training.
Mentors play a powerful role in the development of trainee teachers. By building positive and meaningful relationships, and offering support every step of the way, they help trainees to become confident, resilient, and effective teachers — who can get the best out of their pupils.