Mentoring an SCITT student

[PumpkinPie2016]

Morning

I am a secondary teacher and this year I will be mentoring a SCITT student. This is the first time I have mentored a student and I am really looking forward to it. I have been on the mentor training so I have all.the formal stuff.

However, I'm wondering if anyone has any good tips from their own experiences that they would be willing to share?

I really want my trainee to have a positive year so any advice would be greatly received!

Make time for them regularly.

Listen to their concerns and try to be practical and positive in reply. A Friday afternoon moan-fest with no practical element or action points can lead to a weekend of stress for a trainee who hasn't moved on or progressed by Monday.

Remember that (although I'm sure you're great! ) you might not be the best person for them to observe everything with. SEND is not my forte for example, but I know who in the department is and my trainee gets to work with him for some sessions for example. I facilitate that learning, rather than do it myself. The trainee has to develop their own style, and seeing multiple people also assists with this.

Get them to tell you explicitly what they need in terms of evidence. How many items for each standard etc. Then you can spot things along the way the could contribute to their evidence file.

Make sure he or she knows what they're doing well as well as what needs improvement. I remember only getting 'constructive criticism' (minus the constructive part) and it was pretty soul-destroying....

Ringfence your meetings and take meaningful minutes.

Don't make your meetings a scene of weekly annihilation and carnage. Start with a positive and then give some choice constructive criticism.