Teacher mentorship for professional development (Romanian case study)

Mentorship was used to aid the professional development of teachers in Romania. What makes a good mentoring programme?

It is essential that peer mentoring takes place in a safe and comfortable environment, otherwise communication can be hindered. Moreover, it is important to address the issue of integration in schools. Lastly, more emphasis should be placed on the development of behavioural management in the relationship with students, parents and colleagues.

Which of your mentorship programmes (teaching career, pedagogical practice, management/school leaders, curriculum) was the most popular?

Mentorship for both the teaching career and pedagogical practice had an unexpected success. This made us realise the need for training in pedagogical practice, both in initial training and in continuous professional development.

How did participants respond to the programme?

The feedback was almost unanimously positive: the participants have been waiting for such a mentorship opportunity to be integrated into teacher development pathways, and enrolment exceeded expectations.

How did you adapt the programme to the needs of teachers?

Quality teachers exist in all schools, regardless of context. Mentoring is a state of mind and it goes beyond resources. That is why it was very important to attract dedicated, involved and creative teachers.

Do participants prefer physical or online mentoring?

Participants became used to remote meetings and, at first, preferred them. Over time, however, the need for physical, more personal interactions became apparent. The best solution is, of course, somewhere in the middle.

Is adaptive mentoring the way forward in teacher training?

It depends on the educational context, the participants and the environment. But adaptive mentoring – essentially, a professional development community – plays the main role in teacher development. It is a period in which mentor and mentee mutually shape their attitudes, beliefs and practices, and we move from a world of novices to a world of experience.