Who Wants to be a Prospective Mentor to a Trainee Teacher?
“Is it wise getting another bright-eyed and bushy-tailed younglin’ in? I don’t think I could take watching them go all dead inside” – Tom Starkey takes the minutes from your last school meeting…
- by Tom Starkey
Present:
- GL – (Deputy Vice Principal)
- BN
- RR
- CL
Apologies from:
Everyone who didn’t fancy taking on the extra responsibility.
Meeting held in:
109 – The scene of that poor trainee’s valiant last stand against 9F (or ‘9FU’ as they’re unofficially titled) before he fled for a job in advertising.
Item 1 – Mentor Torture
GL shared his wish for the school to take on more trainees as he believes that giving those new to the profession time to hone their craft in a supportive environment can only lead to great things for them and the school.
“And they’re cheap,” said RR.
“And they’re cheap,” admitted GL.
“With our record, do you think it’s wise getting another bright-eyed and bushy-tailed younglin’ in?” asked CL. “I don’t think I could take watching them go all dead inside.”
“And that’s why,” GL replied, with the sudden levity of a daytime game show host, “I’m giving you all the chance to become mentors to make sure that doesn’t happen! Isn’t that fantastic!”
There were words from all. Terrible, terrible words.
After the words had abated somewhat GL put forward his case:
“You lot are the most experienced teachers the school has. You get the best results. You actually turn up to these meetings. And I hate to say it given that you’re all complete pains, but you’re probably the best chance a trainee has of doing well. Or at least surviving with only a few scars.”
The pack settled down at this.
“OK,” said BN, “but we’ve got terms.”
Item 2 – The terms
The following is a list of the terms to be fulfilled prior to any acceptance of a mentoring position.
- Guaranteed, GUARANTEED, NOT ‘PROMISED’ hours off timetable to ‘sit them down and tell them what’s what’ in a locale of the mentor’s choosing. That includes local eateries.
- An understanding that the mentee will act as support for the mentor for a percentage of the timetable and that support will take the form of the mentor’s choosing. “Mostly getting sandwiches,” confirmed BN.
- The mentee will not be dumped into the most challenging classes with the excuse that it’s ‘all good experience’, and will have limited-to-no contact with 10F (formerly 9FU. Sorry, 9F).
- If it looks like the mentee might be struggling they will be supported by all staff. All staff actually includes the Senior Leadership Team.
- The Senior Leadership Team to meet with the mentee to explain their role within the organisation. They will be accompanied the mentors as they would also like to find out.
These were the first 5 points of a continuing 74-point document that can be amended or added to at any time (that’s point 51).
Satisfied, the staff then went on to plan introduction days and martial arts training as GL breathed a sigh of relief.
AOB
BN enquired whether he was allowed to design a uniform for the mentee, which would include reproductions of BN’s current wardrobe. GL said he’d look into it.
(He will not be looking into it.)
Meeting adjourned
So the mentors could practice their knowing looks.
