Being a mentor and coach for future teachers

Last year I did a professional development to be a coach for future teachers. That means that one or two students from the uni of education come to my class and start their teaching career.

For this year I got one guy and he is in his for year, so the first time he came to see me and my class, was his first time in front of a class. From September onwards he came every Wednesday and taught a lesson. During the other lessons he was watching me. So every week I had to give him a topic and a subject, saying what he has to with the kids. Then I have to observe him during the lessons and give feedback. In the last week before the Christmas holidays he was there every day to prepare his three weeks’ internship for January. He hast o teach almost all the subjects and also plan everything for them.

Being a a coach for him has taught and shown me a lot of things, which is great.

It’s the first time I’m doing this, so I’m still learning how to do it and figuring out what’s part of it.

Being able to sit at the back and watch the lessons has given me the possibility to observe the class and individual kids. The way they work individually, in groups, how much motivation they actually have, how much they participate and they way they work. When I’m teaching myself, I don’t always see everything they do, so this has opened another window for me. I have to confess that sometimes it’s hard not to say anything and intervene.

Seeing someone else teach has also shown me a lot about my own teaching as well. Things I used to do and don’t anymore and just ideas in general. I’m starting to include all this in my lessons now too and it’s great to change it up some more. It’s great inspiration and I have new ideas every day.

The experience also showed me that teaching an actual class is far away from all these theories I have learnt at uni, especially when it comes to dealing with different levels and heterogeneity. There are so many things you only learn when you actually have your own class, like dealing with parents or organising school events.

I enjoy being a coach, giving tips and tricks and just helping someone with their careers. I’m really enjoying the experience.

I have actually wanted to do that back when I was at uni already. I always told myself that it would be very interesting and there I am, three years later. I’m definitely planning on continuing being a coach the next school year and after that.