QUALITY MENTORING A BASIC CONDITION FOR ENSURING QUALITY IN PRE-SERVICE TRAINING Doina Fleanta

MOTTO: We need to measure what we value, rather than value what we can measure!

Mentoring – an important dimension in education Training Standardization Networking Expertise Resources

Training ELT Mentor Trainers Non-ELT GAINS personal interpersonal professional status and recognition institutional partnerships resources

Standardisation harmonisation/status/recognition/certification/accreditation Mentee Evaluation Instruments Mentor Occupational Standards Mentor Evaluation Standards Course design (Ro, Hu, Bul, Lv, Ru, Ukr, etc) Mentor Observation and Support Scheme

Networking Conferences (national/follow-up; international) Networking lists/directory AsMeRo /Romanian Mentor Association Newsletter and web page International courses/Consultancy

THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION of ROMANIAN MENTORS

MAIN OBJECTIVES To promote and develop quality mentoring in Romania with a view to training undergraduates to become teachers, as well as helping beginner teachers integrate in the school culture and develop professionally; To ensure highly qualified human resources in other fields of activity, as well; To act as a forum for the most advanced ideas in professional development, with special stress on initial training and to promote the mentor’s professional interests;

To enhance cooperation between mentors and university methodologists by establishing official partnership between Universities and School Inspectorates To cooperate with all partners involved in PRESETT: universities, schools, inspectorates, CCD’s, research institutes in educational sciences; To promote official recognition of the occupations of Mentor and Mentor Trainer

Expertise Trained Mentors Mentor Trainers (all subjects) Know-how Mentors for induction

Resources Mentoring books Mentor course packs Course reports Standards Portfolios Guide to Mentor Evaluation Newsletter Web

Mentor Observation and Support Scheme/MOSS AIM: to meet needs for standardisation and good quality mentoring of increasing no of Ms for ITT and induction PRODUCT: Guide/instrument of observation and assessment by self/peers/STs/Meths

PreSeTT&InSeTT/ Beyond ITT and ELT NQT Project (ELT) training workshops mentoring for induction ( portfolios for NQT and M) NQT resource centre START Project (non- ELT) training MTs training Ms for induction standards for teachers pilot schools

Rural Education Project Mentoring Activity Consultant under School-based Professional Development of Rural Teachers Sub-component 1

Rural Education Project The project is structured on four components: Component 1:Improvement of teaching methodology and learning processes in rural schools; Component 2: Improvement of school-community partnerships; Component 3:Strengthen monitoring, evaluation and policy making capacity; Component 4:Strengthen project management capacity.

The objectives of the Component 1 to develop the professional competencies of rural teachers to improve basic education conditions in schools. Since education inputs have a significant effect on students achievements, this component will focuses on teachers, teaching/learning materials that facilitate student – centered learning and school facilities.

IMPACT OF MENTOR COURSES “Quality is in the eye of the beholder”

“The feeling of satisfaction at attending this course is complete. The thought of going home is great but it is sad to part with this other family…” ( course participant )

PRINCIPLES MENTOR TRAINING IS BASED ON

LEARNING IS NOT

LEARNING NOT filling empty vessels NOT passing on knowledge NOT in a standard way and at same rate Active process of knowledge construction & acquisition Creating meaning In a variety of ways at different rates In “real life” people only learn what is relevant Nobody can do your learning for you Nobody can do your learning for you

Teaching Facilitating Learning Creating powerful learning environment WYTINWIL What you teach is NOT what is learnt WYTINWIL What you teach is NOT what is learnt

Implications for teacher learning Teachers are expert learners Teacher learning is “on the job”: it relates to a real concern in a real context Teachers learn according to the reflection and action model Deconstruction & reconstruction of practice & beliefs Nobody can do the teachers’ learning for them external experts are merely facilitators Teachers need a powerful learning environment too Teachers learn & work together

Effective Professional Development is team- and school focused process oriented rooted in reflection Experiential Focused Collaborative Differentiated involves producing and constructing based on ownership integrated

‘Change happens by degree, not by decree’ (Spanbauer 1992)

‘No school reform or restructuring is worth its salt unless its major focus is the teaching/learning process’ Spanbauer (1992)