System of Support for Mentor Teachers
20. March 2024The Institute of School Pedagogy is involved in a pilot verification project titled System of Support for Mentor Teachers, aimed at improving the quality of teaching practice for future teachers under the auspices of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports.
The project is overseen by doc. Marcela Janíková, PhD, with organisation and content led by Marie Pavelková, PhD. The lecturers primarily consist of academic staff from the Institute of School Pedagogy and expert lecturers – teachers with practical experience.
The goal of the project is to implement, verify, and evaluate a support system for mentor teachers who guide students in study or educational programmes and pupils in educational fields leading to professional teaching qualifications for nursery, primary, or secondary schools during their placements. Through the implementation of initial training, graduates of this educational programme will acquire knowledge and skills in key areas: understanding professional preparation at the faculty with regard to the role of the mentor teacher, creating a safe environment, joint lesson planning, conducting reflective dialogue during lesson reflection, providing effective and formative feedback, observing, and identifying key aspects of teaching, and self-reflection of the mentor teacher.
A series of four workshops for nursery and primary school mentor teachers began with a workshop focused on defining basic information about the system of placements in teacher training programmes, clarifying mutual expectations between the faculty, university lecturers, and students. The aim of the first session was also to establish respectful and partnership-based communication, clarify the rules of cooperation, and open a discussion about the significance of the mentor teacher and their key role in guiding students in preparation for the teaching profession. Subsequent workshops will further develop mentor teachers primarily in leading, structuring reflection, and conducting reflective dialogue. Lecturers will also focus on selected aspects of planning and observing the teaching of both students and mentor teachers, as well as identifying key teaching aspects with the ability to provide effective and formative feedback.
The overall aim of the project is to systematically develop the mentoring and reflective skills of mentor teachers, contributing to their professional development and enabling them to participate in the preparation of future teachers, help improve teaching placements, and foster cooperation between the university and schools.