Mentoring
Mentoring in ELT is a sustained, developmental relationship in which a more experienced teacher (the mentor) guides, supports, and challenges a less experienced colleague (the mentee) to develop their professional knowledge, skills, and confidence. Unlike a one-off workshop or a formal observation, mentoring is relational and ongoing — it unfolds over weeks, months, or even years.
Malderez and Bodóczky (1999) define the mentor as "a more experienced practitioner who takes on a guiding role in the professional development of a less experienced colleague." The relationship is characterised by trust, dialogue, and a focus on the mentee's growth rather than institutional evaluation.
Mentoring vs Other Developmental Relationships
| Relationship | Direction | Purpose | Power dynamic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mentoring | Experienced → less experienced | Holistic professional growth | Asymmetric but supportive |
| Peer Observation | Colleague ↔ colleague | Mutual learning from observed practice | Symmetric |
| Coaching | Coach → coachee | Specific skill or performance improvement | Asymmetric, goal-focused |
| Supervision | Manager → teacher | Quality assurance and accountability | Evaluative |
| Classroom Observation (developmental) | Observer → teacher | Feedback on observed teaching | Varies by type |
The key distinction is that mentoring addresses the whole teacher — not just their classroom technique but also their professional identity, confidence, career direction, and emotional wellbeing — whereas coaching and observation tend to focus on specific aspects of performance.
Roles of the Mentor
Malderez and Bodóczky (1999) identify five mentor roles:
| Role | Function |
|---|---|
| Model | Demonstrating good practice through their own teaching |
| Acculturator | Helping the mentee understand the institutional culture, norms, and expectations |
| Supporter | Providing emotional support, building confidence, creating a safe space for vulnerability |
| Sponsor | Advocating for the mentee, creating opportunities, opening doors |
| Educator | Deliberately developing the mentee's professional knowledge and skills |
Effective mentors shift between these roles depending on the mentee's needs and stage of development. Early in the relationship, the supporter and acculturator roles dominate; as the mentee gains confidence, the educator role becomes more prominent.
The Mentoring Process
Stages of a Mentoring Relationship
- Establishing — Building rapport, setting expectations, agreeing on goals and logistics
- Developing — Active engagement: observation, discussion, co-planning, problem-solving
- Consolidating — Mentee takes increasing ownership; mentor steps back gradually
- Separating — The relationship evolves or concludes; mentee operates independently
Practical Mentoring Activities
| Activity | Description |
|---|---|
| Lesson observation | Mentor observes mentee's lessons and provides constructive feedback |
| Modelling | Mentee observes mentor teaching, followed by discussion of decisions and rationale |
| Co-planning | Collaboratively designing lessons, with mentor scaffolding the mentee's planning skills |
| Post-lesson discussion | Structured reflection conversations after lessons (mentor's or mentee's) |
| Professional reading | Mentor recommends and discusses relevant articles, chapters, or resources |
| Problem-solving | Mentee brings classroom challenges; mentor helps think through solutions |
| Goal-setting and review | Regular check-ins on the mentee's development goals |
| Reflective journaling | Mentee keeps a teaching journal; mentor responds to entries |
Qualities of Effective Mentors
Research identifies several characteristics of successful mentors (Malderez & Bodóczky, 1999; Richards & Farrell, 2005; Randall & Thornton, 2001):
- Experienced and knowledgeable — but willing to admit they don't have all the answers
- Good listeners — prioritise understanding the mentee's perspective before offering advice
- Non-judgemental — create a safe space where the mentee can be honest about difficulties
- Skilled questioners — use questions to prompt reflection rather than simply telling
- Patient — recognise that professional growth takes time and is not linear
- Reflective themselves — model the reflective practice they want to develop in the mentee
- Aware of teacher cognition — understand that the mentee's existing beliefs shape how they receive guidance
Mentoring and Teacher Cognition
Mentoring is one of the most effective ways to influence teacher cognition because it operates through sustained dialogue rather than information transfer. A mentor who asks "Why did you decide to correct that error immediately?" is prompting the mentee to surface and examine their beliefs — the mechanism through which cognition shifts.
However, mentors must be aware that their own cognitions are not neutral. An unexamined mentor may simply reproduce their own beliefs and practices in the mentee rather than helping the mentee develop their own informed professional judgement.
Mentoring in Pre-Service and In-Service Contexts
| Context | Typical mentor | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| CELTA/DELTA practicum | Course tutor or supervising teacher | Teaching techniques, lesson planning, classroom management |
| Induction (first year) | Assigned experienced colleague | Acculturation, confidence, survival strategies, basic competence |
| In-service development | Senior teacher, academic manager, or peer | Deepening expertise, addressing specific development areas |
| DELTA Module 2 | Assigned mentor at the centre | Experimental practice, reflection, professional growth |
Challenges
| Challenge | Description |
|---|---|
| Time | Both mentor and mentee need dedicated time that institutions often fail to provide |
| Training | Being a good teacher does not automatically make someone a good mentor — mentor training is essential |
| Power dynamics | If the mentor is also the evaluator (e.g., academic manager), the mentee may not feel safe being honest |
| Compatibility | Not all pairings work — personality clashes or philosophical differences can undermine the relationship |
| Dependency | Poor mentoring can create dependency rather than developing autonomy |
| Mentor cognition | Mentors may unconsciously impose their own beliefs rather than helping mentees develop independent judgement |
Mentoring at English House
As Academic Manager, Q's role includes elements of mentoring for EH teachers — particularly for newer staff. The challenge is balancing the evaluative responsibilities of the AM role with the supportive, non-judgemental stance that effective mentoring requires. Separating developmental conversations from assessment conversations helps maintain trust.
Key References
- Malderez, A. & Bodóczky, C. (1999). Mentor Courses: A Resource Book for Trainer-Trainers. Cambridge University Press.
- Randall, M. & Thornton, B. (2001). Advising and Supporting Teachers. Cambridge University Press.
- Richards, J. C. & Farrell, T. S. C. (2005). Professional Development for Language Teachers. Cambridge University Press.
- Bailey, K. M. (2006). Language Teacher Supervision: A Case-Based Approach. Cambridge University Press.
- Hobson, A. J., Ashby, P., Malderez, A. & Tomlinson, P. D. (2009). Mentoring beginning teachers: What we know and what we don't. Teaching and Teacher Education, 25(1), 207–216.
- Orland-Barak, L. (2014). Mediation in mentoring: A synthesis of studies in teaching and teacher education. Teaching and Teacher Education, 44, 180–188.
See Also
- Teacher Professional Development — mentoring as a powerful TPD activity
- Peer Observation — a more symmetric form of collaborative development
- Classroom Observation — observation as a tool within mentoring
- Reflective Practice — what good mentoring develops
- Teacher Cognition — mentoring surfaces and shifts teacher beliefs
- Continuing Professional Development — mentoring as a form of CPD