This document outlines strategies for mentoring early career teachers through different stages of development. It discusses building teacher resilience through co-regulation, co-learning, feeling safe, and mindfulness. Mentor responses should provide clear guidance for teachers in survival mode, encourage experimentation for those gaining optimism, listen and question more advanced teachers, and coach mature teachers in coaching conversations. It also recommends providing professional development opportunities for new teachers to develop support networks.

1. Developing the Early Teacher
LIANNE ALLISON – The ANGMERING SCHOOL

2. One of our main jobs as colleagues of
early teachers is to build resilience!

3. Relational Security!
(ideas from Felicia Wood from Kate Cairns
Associates Ltd )
“It’s okay to get
things wrong?”
Strategies needed to build resilience:
Co-regulation
Co-learning
Feeling safe
Soothing
Mindful awareness

4. How do we respond to any problems to help
build resilience?
(Ideas from Pat Black at Bath Spa University)
 What’s happened?
 How did it make you feel?
 What are the elements we can address immediately?
YES NO

5. Stage 1 - Survival:
 Coping/self blame/confusion/sticking to script/self
doubt.
 Mentor Response:
Clear guidance and specific suggestions.
Very direct and very clear.

6. Stage 2 – Early Optimism:
 Implementing rules/ Beginning to question/ Not yet
managing all children.
 Mentor Response:
Encourage to have a go at
things but continue to
suggest.

7. Stage 3 - Embedding:
 Routines in place/ Mastering Skills/ Self aware/ Self
Motivated/ Questioning
 Mentor Response:
Listening, Questioning,
Allow to make mistakes,
Move to Coaching

8. Stage 4 - Maturity:
 Own beliefs, Own Style, Own Strategies.
 Mentor Response:
Coaching Conversations.

9. Provide School-based professional development
where they can develop a support network!
15MF
Journal Club
NQT Group
Professional Learning Groups
Pedagogy Book Club
Subject Specific is so important!

10. Give them some reminders/strategies for
behaviour management when they’ve forgotten!
No collectives – “I hate my Year 8 class!”
What do they focus on?

11. Focus their extra time
They need to observe some teachers
that aren’t so good!!!!!

12. Check their skills in the main
areas and help them develop
by teaching each other!
QuestioningExplanation Modelling

13. Marking and feedback
This is one to support - Why? How? Quantity? Quality? Impact?

14. Remember:
“Even Mary Poppins was only practically perfect!”