Quality learning for pre-service teachers in a changing educational landscape is highly dependent on the professional learning experience, the context for connecting the learner and the learning, the building of competence and confidence and the creation of teacher identity. Mentoring is used as an intervention strategy to grow such quality workplace learning outcomes, but to be successful, mentoring needs to be well informed by a clear understanding of the targeted learners and how they learn, the knowledge and social capital required in this professional context and an agreed position and process to meet the needs of a dynamic and changing workplace culture. This paper is designed to unpack the critical qualities of successful mentoring in an adult learning context and establishes a professional learning plan to guide and support the mentoring relationship. The learning plan presents aspects of observation, the giving and receiving of feedback and the collection of evidence and making of judgements that inform the pre-service teacher of their current position within the key learning areas. The learning plan provides a clear and transparent structure and space for reflective discourse. This discourse enables questioning, understanding, improvement and shared meaning by both the mentor and the pre-service teacher. Mentoring, if well informed is a potential conduit for performance enhancement, from the pre-service teacher to the broader learning community; an opportunity for universities to be responsive to current and future demands of the profession; and a platform for change and continuous improvement.
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2013 Australian Teacher Education Association (ATEA) Conference: Knowledge makers and notice takers: teacher education research impacting policy and practice, Brisbane, Australia 30 June - 3 July 2013
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Proceedings of the 2013 Australian Teacher Education Association Conference / pp.1-12