Learning context
The following resources provide insights into mentoring partnership models, the experiences of teachers of languages engaged in mentoring partnerships, and suggestions for developing your own mentoring partnerships.
What is mentoring?
Mentoring is a valuable model of professional learning for teachers of languages as it can have the following outcomes:
- teachers are supported to consider and understand their practice reflectively
- strategies, approaches and concerns about teaching practice can be shared and addressed collaboratively
- feedback and support can be provided by a colleague who understands the specific needs and context.
Quality mentoring also promotes teachers developing a reflexive praxis stance; that is, they consider their work as inquiry, and actively seek to improve their practice through investigating what they do and how they do it, working with a mentoring partner in discussing and refining practice.
While mentoring has traditionally been seen as a more experienced person providing guidance to a less experienced person, it is more usual now to consider the notion of shared partnerships in mentoring relationships for mutually beneficial professional learning. In such models, while there will be more and less experienced partners, each is seen to offer their unique and specialised skills to the partnership, and each is able to both assist the other and to learn from the other. In this sense, mentoring then becomes a way in to developing longer-term and sustained professional relationships.
Mentoring: everyone gains
In the following video, the theme of a shared partnership is elaborated. It features two teachers of Chinese language, one highly experienced and the other new to teaching Chinese in the Australian classrooms.
In viewing the video consider the following:
- how the mentoring partners perceive their roles in the partnership
- the areas of practice that were explored in the mentoring partnership
- whole-school planning
- resource selection and development
- assessment
- observing and managing classroom learning
- beginning a new program in a school
- networking with other teachers of Chinese
- longer term strategies and planning arising from the initial mentoring partnership
- who gains, how, and what this has meant for their professional learning and professional practice
- building confidence
- building expertise and competent practice
- learning through relationships
- stronger professional association and networking outcomes.
Are you interested in exploring a mentoring relationship?
- What avenues are available to you to develop a mentoring partnership of this kind, from within your school, within a languages teachers’ network, from a state or national professional association, from your education jurisdictions?
- How might you approach establishing such a relationship?
- Whose support will you need (e.g. Principal, Faculty Head)?
Mentoring: a springboard for professional relationships
In the following video, two teachers discuss a mentoring partnership developed through a professional learning program offered by the state professional association. This partnership had general characteristics of providing support for a newer teacher by a more experienced teacher, and also focused on an inquiry based on introducing technologies, specifically iPads, into their Indonesian classrooms. These teachers explain how mentoring was a springboard in a number of ways for ongoing professional learning.
In viewing the video consider the following:
- How participating in a mentoring partnership was a springboard for a range of ongoing professional activities:
- Professional engagement
- A focused inquiry on using iPads in the Indonesian classroom
- A lead into the national MoRe Leaps professional learning program
- A way of engaging with Professional Standards for lead teachers
- Active and ongoing involvement in professional associations
- Networking with the wider profession of languages educators
- How opportunities for professional growth increased for these teachers from a small start, enhancing their work as teachers and assisting them to become leaders in their profession.
Taking action
Professional associations provide a range of activities to support teachers. Through membership of your state languages teachers association, you can tap into the resources and programs, including mentoring programs. A list of the state and territory language teacher associations can be found at Australian Federation of Modern Language Teachers Associations (AFMLTA). Use this membership as a springboard for professional relationships.
The MoRe Leaps professional learning program discussed in the video is available from the AFMLTA website. These materials can be used in a number of ways:
- Investigate the professional learning modules on developing professional agency. These include a section on mentoring, and materials to assist in developing a mentoring partnership.
- Investigate the inquiry projects of teachers who developed mentoring partnerships. You may find an appropriate model to follow in developing your own mentoring partnership.
Mentoring models and partnerships
For teachers of languages, the following models and suggested purposes for mentoring partnerships might be useful in establishing your own mentoring partnership.
Adapted from AFMLTA (2013) MoRe Leaps Project, and Morgan, A (2013)
Guidelines for establishing a mentoring partnership
A mentoring partnership for teachers of languages should include the following:
- A supportive relationship, dedicated to a helping process
- A teaching and learning focus, for all involved
- A critical, reflective process, to consider what is occurring and has been learned
- A formalised goal setting process, so all know what is involved
- A recording and reporting process, to capture data of the mentoring partnership and to provide this to mentoring partners and others involved (e.g. school).
Access this mentoring plan template to begin planning a mentoring partnership.