Designed to fit with your existing professional development priorities, this certified CPD unit enables you to elevate your expertise and focus on an aspect of mentoring that is important to you. You will engage with research and evidence to build your understanding of the development of expertise and effective mentoring approaches. You’ll then dedicate time to apply what you have learnt utilising purposeful practice, an approach centred around taking practical action; you will identify clear goals that will help you to systematically hone your mentoring skills and embed your chosen approach within your mentoring activities. 

Participants’ focus for purposeful practice commonly includes themes such as:

• Enhancing mentoring conversations: active listening; asking questions; developing insight; facilitating and promoting reflection on practice
• Strategies for motivating teachers: setting and agreeing on goals; presenting information from a credible source; providing affirmation and reinforcement after progress
• Practical skills to support development of practice: giving feedback; modelling teaching; providing clear and precise explanations and examples.

This is an assessed unit, requiring you to submit a mentoring development portfolio for assessment, incorporating two written reflections, an evidence-informed action plan, and a short recorded video presentation. The assessment has been designed to support your development in a meaningful way, with the option to focus on developing an aspect of mentoring that you think will make a difference for you and your mentees. Successful completion of the assessment provides 20 credits towards Chartered Teacher (Mentor) Status. Detailed assessment guidance, supporting tools and templates are provided.