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What are the current (UK) Standards for Qualified Teacher Status? (Department for Education and Skills) Professional Values and Practice These Standards outline the attitudes and commitment to be expected of anyone qualifying to be a teacher, and are derived from the Professional Code of the General Teaching Council for England. Knowledge and Understanding These Standards require newly qualified teachers to be confident and authoritative in the subjects they teach and to have a clear understanding of how all pupils should progress and what teachers should expect them to achieve. Teaching These Standards relate to skills of planning, monitoring and assessment, and teaching and class management. They are underpinned by the values and knowledge covered in the first two sections. The Standards apply to all trainee teachers, whatever route they take to Qualified Teacher Status. They allow providers autonomy in deciding how they will organise their training and respond to individual trainee teachers' needs. They do not set a curriculum, nor do they specify how training should be organised or run. These Standards are a rigorous set of expectations and set out the minimum legal requirement. We know that many primary teacher trainers will choose to supplement this minimum by continuing to offer a subject or phase specialism. Other trainers may choose to provide additional training which develops trainee teachers' knowledge and skills, for instance by offering: - a specialist area of study such as the teaching of children with special education needs, or gifted and more able pupils, or a curriculum area such as Personal, Social and Health Education and Citizenship - a non-National Curriculum subject specialism - training to meet the Standards for Teaching and Supporting Learning in Further Education - an area of training relevant to the traditions or needs of a region, such as training to work in multilingual classrooms.
DfES Standards for Qualified Teacher Status
Handbook of Guidance for QTS providers
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Caroline: Every pupil should have the opportunity to succeed
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What do trainee teachers say about their professional values? I believe that all teachers should ensure that every pupil has the opportunity to succeed. Teachers should aspire to provide a safe environment for peope to learn and just to 'be'. The professional values that all teachers should aspire to are fairness, and equality of opportunity. You are such an important role model. You could be one of the most important adults in children's lives, throughout the day.
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Useful websites http://www.gtce.org.uk http://www.becta.org.uk http://www.dfes.gov.uk http://www.teachernet.gov.uk http://www.TeacherResearch.net Useful literature about ITT Mentoring Brooks, V. and Sikes, P. (1997) The Good Mentor Guide: Initial Teacher Education in Secondary Schools, Buckingham, Open University Press Capel, S., Leisk, M. and Turner, T. (1995) Learning to Teach in the Secondary School, London, Routledge Colley, H. (2003) Mentoring for Social Inclusion, London, RoutledgeFalmer Feiman-Nemser, S. (1998) 'Teachers as Teacher Educators', European Journal of Teacher Education, 21 (1) pp. 63-71 Fish, D. (1995) Quality Mentoring for Student Teachers, London, David Fulton Fletcher, S. (2000) Mentoring in Schools: A Handbook of Good Practice, London RoutledgeFalmer Furlong, J. and Maynard, T. (1995) Mentoring Student Teachers, London, Routledge Hawkey, K. (1997) 'Roles, Responsibilities and Relationships in Mentoring: A literature review and agenda for research', Journal of Teacher Education, November-December 48 (5) pp. 323-336 McCulloch, M. and Fidler, B. (1994) Improving Initial Teacher Training? London, Longman Mullen, C. and Lick, D. (1999) New Directions in Mentoring, London, Falmer Press Shea, G. (1992) Mentoring: A Guide to Basics, London, Kogan Page Stephens, P. (1996) Essential Mentoring Skills, Cheltenham, Stanley Thornes Tomlinson, P. ( 1995) Understanding Mentoring: Reflective Strategies for school-based teacher preparation, Buckingham, Open University Press
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What might an in-house school-based mentor development programme look like? This is the draft programme for 3 half-day sessions for ITT mentors to be held at a Bath Spa University Partnership School in 2005-6. The underlying assumption is that many of the mentors at this school are already highly experienced and professional practitioners and they will act as mentors for less experienced staff over the course of the programme. The three sessions have been requested by the (acting) Head Teacher and will be convened by Sarah Fletcher. The intention is not that Sarah will 'tell us what to do' but that she will lead conversations and activities to draw out exisiting knowledge and to stimulate new ideas. That is her role - her area of experience and expertise as a mentor for mentors. Sessions at the school complement but are not intended to replace university-based PGCE meetings.
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What might a (generic) PGCE mentor support handbook focus on? Contents: Introduction from the Head of ITT QA - responsibilities and mechanisms for accountability Section One The Role of the Mentor in Our PGCE Partnership i) The Main School Placement: Key tasks for the mentor ii) The Complementary School Placement: Key tasks for the mentor Section Two The Role of the Mentor in Relation to the Standards i) The Standards for QTS - where to look for details ii) Holistic approaches to working with the Standards iii) Using descriptors for summative purposes iv) Using descriptors for formative purposes Summary: Assessing trainee teachers in relation to the Standards Section Three The Professional Development Portfolio i) What is the portfolio? ii) How will the portfolio be compiled? iii) Monitoring and reviewing the portfolio - the mentor's role iv) Compiling 'best practice' evidence (the trainee teacher's and the mentor's role) v) Using the portfolio as evidence in writing reports on trainees' progress vi) Diagram to show how the portfolio is central to the PGCE programme Appendices Appendix 1 Standards for QTS - DfES full version Appendix 2 Main focus areas in the Standards for QTS Appendix 3 Mapping evidence and areas for development in relation to the Standards Appendix 4 Action Planners for use in mentor meetings in the Main School Placement Appendix 5 Action Planners for use in mentor meetings in the Complementary School Placement Appendix 6 Lesson observation sheets with section relating to each main standard focus Appendix 7 Dates of the school placements and deadlines for summative reports by mentors/PTs Appendix 8 Dates and Foci for Partnership Mentor Liaison Meetings for the academic year
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Questions PGCE Tutors should ask ITT mentors (but usually don't!) Why do you agree to do mentoring if you don't have allocated time to do it? Why don't you go for accreditation at MA level for the mentoring you are doing? How do I know our trainee is having difficulties if you don't email or ring me up regularly? How can I support you to become an effective mentor if you are busy when I visit? Why don't you write the formative report with our trainee so we are all kept informed? Why didn't you tell me that you didn't have access to PGCE programme documents?
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Questions ITT mentors should ask PGCE tutors (but usually don't!) Why don't you make an appointment to see me when you visit our trainee teacher? Why don't you ask me to observe our trainee with you so we can compare notes? How am I supposed to know what to do if you don't provide me with a handbook? How am I supposed to find time to mentor when I don't have any protected time? Where is the on-line mentoring support I need so I can just ring or email for help? Why don't you give me a week by week guide so I know what you do at the university?
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Questions that school-based mentors and PGCE tutors should discuss together How can we pool our respective expertise to assist our trainee to get QTS? How can we develop a teaching programme which complements what happens in school and in the university - where we both take some responsibility for teaching? How can we build up a series of video vignettes of good practice in subject teaching? How can we create video clips that we can discuss in mentor development sessions? How can we build trust between us so we both reach our professional potential as we assist our trainee teacher to get QTS?
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What might a (Subject Specific ) PGCE mentor support handbook focus on? In addition to a subject mentor handbook handbook subject PGCE tutors may like to provide mentors with minutes of mentor development meetings and the subject evaluation report written by the PGCE subject tutor in collaboration with subject mentors i.e. compiled from their feedback about the quality of PGCE tutor support. Subject mentors need to be fully aware of OfSTED requirements in a subject area if one is due and should be given copies of OfSTED findings for the previous inspection if it is within a year. QA is a collaborative responsibility. Mentors need to be aware of any shortcomings identified in OfSTED inspections especially where they relate to mentoring and be part of the process of identifying short, mid and long term goals in improving ITT mentoring provision. They need to be reassured by evidence that the PGCE programme is addressing any weaknesses. Contents: Front Page - Contact details (phone, email, FAX for the PGCE subject tutor) Forward written by the subject PGCE tutor Dates and Deadlines: Dates of school placements with an overview of the course provision each week being provided in the university. Assignment deadlines for the trainee and details of where the mentor is expected/invited to assist in assessment. Dates for mentor meetings and completion (and submission) of reports on the trainee's teaching and school work. School-based Tasks Weekly school based tasks which have been agreed by the working party for subject PGCE development Suggestions for mentor meeting discussions with the trainee (and where appropriate with the PGCE subject tutor) Priorities for the period of school placement in relation to the Standards for QTS Assignment Outlines For discussion with trainees to ensure that appropriate teaching opportunities are given to the trainee teacher. Timetable pro formas (p/copiable) (to be retained in school and sent to the PGCE subject tutor). These need completing and updating regularly or the trainee teacher and their mentor to assist in arranging for three way meetings during PGCE subject tutor visits. Lesson observation pro formas (p/copiable) (which encourage and support structured observation around Standards for QTS and feed into assessments)
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What stages might trainee teachers and their mentors pass through working towards QTS? There are no hard and fast rules but research (Fletcher, 2000) suggests that trainee teachers and mentors are likely to pass through a series of stages. Obviously, much depends on the starting point and if for example a trainee has experience of teaching in a different context before embarking on a PGCE course they may well be beyond the suggested initial stage. Furlong and Maynard (1995) identify five broad stages in student teachers' development: Stage 1 early idealism Stage 2 personal survival Stage 3 dealing with difficulties Stage 4 hitting a plateau Stage 5 moving on How do these stages influence mentoring?
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Stage 1 early idealism The dreams of being a 'real' teacher are to the fore here - some of the dreams are unrealistic but some need nurturing as they will support the trainee in strugles ahead. The trainee's own history will largely determine how they perceive teaching and they can be helped to understand their assumptions the mentor can draw out their images of significant teachers in their lives. Who are their role models and what kind of teacher do they want to be? Stage 2 personal survival Once the early idealism fades trainee teachers can become obsessed with survival! They are usually are tired and stressed and they need nurturing. They need frameworks and order to help them come through and they need supportive and constructive mentoring which embodies coaching at this stage. Above all, trainees usually feel very vulnerable and that their mentor has all the answers - or should have! Their goal is 'to be seen as a teacher' and here the mentor has a key role. Essential to mentoring at this stage is setting tasks that enable the trainee to experience success while gently moving them out of assumptions that limit their growth. It's tempting to wade in and protect as a mentor - but better to enable the trainee to learn how to develop coping strategies of their own. mentoring needs to be structured so the conversation is stopped by harrowing accounts of what is going wrong! Stage 3 dealing with difficulties Trainees become aware of what they know - and what they don't. They need support and challenge now that they have moved beyond sheer panic! They need to have a good model in the mentor for managing multiple pressures without bolting for help - and this is where communal mentoring in a school can help. Avoiding the danger of creating trainee teacher clones, the trainee would be encouraged to work alongside teachers with different styles of teaching and management and encouraged to fin their own teaching-as-learning style. Stage 4 hitting a plateau The trainee is growing in confidence so much so that they may default to the too comfortable. They need to be helped to build confidence in their own abilities true enough, but to problematise those areas of their teaching where they can develop more potential. The trainee needs to be systematically supported as they are presented with problems with teaching and learning - their own and their students. They need to develop self-motivation. Stage 5 moving on Challenging trainees to go beyond compliance and grapple with their own and others 'underlying assumptions about education and how they can become responsible for their own professional development. This is where the mentor has to be ready to let go - to become a co-enquirer into classroom practice and to be prepared to be challenged as a professional educator.
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