For this activity we would like you to start a new message introducing yourself; explain why you have taken on the mentoring role within the Warwick University Partnership and the type of school you work at.
To post a message simply click on the blue Reply button; add your text to the Message section and then click on the Post reply button.
Hello, I'm Amy. I wanted to be a mentor at my school (11-18 comprehensive) because I love my job and want others to have the same passion and great experience in training for a career in teaching that I do/did. I also enjoy the dialogues with mentees about their views and how we can work as a department/school to enhance their skills and harness their enthusiasm. I have never worked with a SD mentee or Warwick University so am excited and interested to see the difference in the approaches over the next year.
Hi! I'm Tracey and I am the new ITT Professional Mentor for my school, a large comprehensive in Warwickshire. I have taken on the role as the correct support and development of trainees is essential for the future of our profession and our children's education.
Hi, I am Abby an IIT PM. I work at Kings Norton Girls and am a mentor for several reasons; to improve my own coaching skills, to pace expertise and passion for teaching to more people and to ensure students of the future are getting high quality teaching.
Hello, my name is Emma and I am a class teacher at a Special School (Primary) in Coventry. This year I will be supporting my fourth student (I have previous experience working with two Schools Direct trainees and one PGCE trainee) but this is the first time I will also be acting as a SD Mentor. I am looking forward to the coaching side of the role and seeing the development of the trainees over the course of their placements at my school. As the demands of our role as teachers have increased significantly in the recent past, I think it is very important to not only provide support with the teaching and learning side of the programme to enable the Teaching Standards to be met, but also looking at how teaching impacts on wellbeing, and providing sensitive support in this respect too.
Hi all, I'm Alice. I'm currently teaching in Year 2 at a primary school in Coventry. I took on the role as 'Mentor' as I am extremely passionate about teaching and learning and want to share this passion with students. I enjoy being a teacher and am determined to have a positive impact on the education of as many young people as I can. Mentoring a student teacher provides opportunity for this number to grow. As a highly reflective teacher, I feel I have a lot to bring to the role, am approachable and can draw on my own experiences and that of my colleagues to help guide a student.
Hi all,
First week back "proper" in school and trying to ensure I get back into the pace! Am looking forward to working again with Warwick Uni and their students. I know as a school we benefit hugely from their input.....hope to meet you all soon.
Nanette
Hi all. First week done! Im a deputy head in a very large primary school in Nuneaton. In the past I have mentored both School Direct and PGCE students. The role can be challenging, yet rewarding. It has been a privilege to watch lots of the students blossom throughout their placements and become good or outstanding practitioners. I look forward to continuing working alongside the University.
Hi, My name is Faye. Warwick University is where I trained to become a teacher, 15 years later and I am still teaching! I have mentored many PGCE students during my teaching career and more recently a school Direct trainee as well. I always enjoy supporting others and I find myself learning new approaches to teaching from the trainees as well.
Hi I am Nikki and I am excited to be working with Warwick again, this time as a mentor rather than a trainee. I trained at Warwick 7 years ago and I am looking foward to being able to help support and mentor our PGCE student. I work in a large secondary school in Warwickshire.
Hello, I am Tracey, I have been a Primary practitioner for 32 years. As a Class Teacher at St Giles Junior School for twenty two years and a Deputy Head Teacher at both St Giles and now Aldermoor Farm Primary School for eleven years, I have undertaken many roles and responsibilities. During my career I have developed considerable experience in both my teaching, leadership and management skills which I believe meet the requirements of this role.
Aldermoor Farm Primary School is located in Stoke Aldermoor, Coventry. Stoke Aldermoor is an area within the Lower Stoke Ward of Coventry and has a larger than average amount of social housing. The area has seen many changes, including a change of demographics from a majorly White British population to a community that is culturally very diverse.We are a three form entry school, larger than average, with broadly 550 children attending.We have a Nursery with 60 places.The proportion of children from minority ethnic groups is well above average.The largest groups are Black African and White British. We have 35 different home languages. Our Enhanced Support Unit for children with autism provides for 7 children in Years 1 to 6. We are in the top 20% for deprivation but our attendance and punctuality is currently 96% ! We have an amazing staff of 100 !
Here at Aldermoor Farm we strive to offer our children a wealth of rich experiences to ensure they access the same opportunities that every other child in the city has. We focus on nurturing our children’s self-esteem by being positive. We say to the children ….”You can do this!” We want our children to have developed their confidence enough to enable them to reach for new goals and aspirations that they thought they were not capable of achieving. They are! Our children have talents, our children have skills. We work with them to gather the tools to take on their journey to be the best that they can be. We help them to unlock their potential.
I would like to think that with having been on the journey from a trainee teacher to my current myself, that I would have gained knowledge and skills to be able to share with our teachers of tomorrow. I firmly believe that we should support each other to be the best that we can be, listening and learning constantly. I utilise this experience to nurture current staff, working with them in their classrooms to develop their teaching and so enhance the children’s learning. Being a mentor is a principal role in developing people; to guide, to advise, support, teach and nurture. The work I do with staff enables them to demonstrate best practice for the students and a passion for the job they do. Through working together, we enable our students to observe good teaching, modelling, develop professional relationships, be involved in shared planning and have the opportunity to discuss, ask questions and take risks. As a school, we celebrate the strong partnership we have with the university which enables not only our students to advance into solid practitioners but also the staff and children at school to access exceptional advice, support and be part of inspirational events.
Hey! My name is Jo and I am really looking forward to taking on the role of a 'mentor'. I have a lot to thank my mentors for throughout my PGCE placements and so really want to give something back by being of help to other professionals, both in terms of them achieving QTS but also providing that more personal support I know that I needed at times. I think the online and face-to-face training that I will be receiving in this role will benefit me hugely and be something which I can apply to other areas of my practice. I really do love my job and so I am excited to instil that same passion into others!
Hi I'm Sam
I'm the Lead Mentor for ITT at Woodrush TSA but also the PM at Woodrush High School. I have done this role for many years and love supporting our trainees to become the teachers that they want to be. I also learn myself from our trainees every year and consider myself very lucky to constantly pick up new ideas to keep my own teaching fresh.
Hi! I'm Hannah Doherty and this is my 3rd year as a professional ITT mentor in partnership with Warwick. I'm also newly appointed as the Assistant Principal here at Shireland Hall Primary Academy.
Hello, I'm Suzanne and I have recently taken on the role of mentoring PGCE students and those attending specific placements. We are a primary school for children with learning difficulties based in Coventry. One of my passions is ensuring that the mental well being of my colleagues is addressed and I believe that we need to provide as much support and advice as possible to our colleagues who will be the teachers of the future. I am looking forward to working with Warwick University and partners.
Hi I'm Georgiie and I'm mentoring in Geography at Arden Academy.
4 years ago I was sat at Warwick University as a trainee myself; my mentor was outstanding and I've gained a great friend from my training year. Arden is where I trained, remained and I've now got myself on the first steps with a career being deputy curriculum lead for Geography so that hard work has paid off.
Mentoring is something I've been interested in since training and I mentored last year for the complimentary placement; our trainee is now sat with us as an NQT. I hope that I can be of use to my new trainee and give the same level of feedback and support that I was given 4 years ago. If I can do that then I'll know I've done a good job.
Hi, I’m Scott. I am an English teacher at an 11-18 Academy. I wanted to be a subject mentor because I enjoyed working with School Experience Students two years ago and working closely with a Warwick ITT student last year in a non-mentoring role. This is my first year as a subject mentor and I wanted to take on the role as I really enjoy the subject I teach and want to share this with the trainee to help guide them to pass the enjoyment on to the students. Whilst I was training, my mentors really guided me to being the teacher that I am today and I want to be able to provide the outstanding feedback and support that I received and have learned since on to the trainee. I have always liked the idea of mentoring and so I am looking forward to getting started. I am also looking forward to having useful and productive conversations about the teaching that takes place which I hope will benefit us both!
Hi
My name is Jodie and I work in a high performing comprehensive school. I have mentored six trainee teachers during my years of teaching and I find it a very rewarding job. It is nice seeing the trainees grow in confidence and experience, as a teacher, throughout the year.
HI,
I'm Tim, and I'm currently teaching at Cardinal Newman School , Coventry. I decided to become a mentor because i remembered how much help and support I had when i was a PGCE student (not during the war but certainly a few decades ago!), and I really want to be able to give something back in return. I feel I have a lot to learn from younger colleagues so it is a 2 way learning journey as far as I 'm concerned. I admire anyone who decides to enter the profession at he moment given the rather negative publicity it gets in certain areas of the media so want to help, support and inspire anyone who does make that choice.
Hello, I'm Nicola. I'm in an 11-18 faith comprehensive school in Coventry. I've mentored for many years both ITT students and NQT's and enjoy supporting people to start their career.
