While pre-service teachers partake in placements during the final stages of their initial teacher education (ITE) course, an induction into the profession is vital to the success of an early career teacher.

This induction is often supported by workplaces through an experienced colleague, such as a mentor.

Mentoring support is central to the professional development of new teachers and those who have been out of the teaching profession for an extended period of time.

It’s a formal component of VIT’s Inquiry process that provides guidance and feedback to provisionally registered teachers (PRTs) that can be incorporated into their teaching practice to meet their learners’ needs.

Mentoring a PRT can provide a range of benefits and opportunities including

• formalising your own professional learning
• networking with others in a similar teaching context
• connecting with supportive and like-minded colleagues
• building your leadership skills
• deepening your own knowledge and practice
• contributing to the overall success of student outcomes in your school community.

Regardless of how experienced a teacher is, or whether they have mentored before, the act of mentoring is a valuable form of professional development.

Becoming a mentor

Any teacher who wishes to become a mentor for a PRT moving to full registration should participate in a VIT-approved mentoring program.

The Effective Mentoring Program (EMP) is a two-day professional learning program of the skills and knowledge fundamental to mentoring, and knowledge about the provisional to full registration process. Participants explore the practice of mentoring and how mentoring can support new teachers to improve their teaching practice.

While teachers from all sectors are welcome to register for the Effective Mentoring Program, VIT has been working closely with Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS), Catholic Education Sandhurst, Diocese of Ballarat Catholic Education, Diocese of Sale Catholic Education and Independent Schools Victoria (ISV) to extend the reach of other mentoring programs across Victoria.