Mentoring and Forming Leaders and Teachers using the Borromeo's Mentoring Framework (BMF)
Abstract
The basis for the Paper: ‘"Mentoring and Forming Leaders using Borromeo's Mentoring Framework (BMF)"’, stems from the work undertaken in the author’s recently published PhD study (Topliss 2017) https://researchonline.nd.edu.au/theses/161/ and based on personal experiences of mentoring children, teachers and leaders through the introduction of : teaching philosophy for children as a classroom teacher; and then undertaking and providing professional faith formation development for Catholic School leaders and teachers using: Godly Play, Saintly Play and Philosophy for Children. The Mixed Methods study identified and explored the mentoring experiences in the transition from graduate to Early Career Teacher (ECT) in selected Catholic primary and secondary schools in Western Australia. The research addressed a significant deficit, as presently the lack of a system-wide framework for the mentoring of ECTs, the cessation of the current ECT program and the limited training of mentors, has resulted in less than ideal mentoring experiences for ECTs. A chief finding was that the guarantee of a mentor does not necessarily alleviate every problem faced by an ECT. However, the attributes of a mentor may significantly assist or hinder the aspirations of an ECT. Encouragingly, the majority of principals recognised the importance of mentoring by offering support for the instigation of a system-wide mentoring framework. On the basis of these findings, principles upon which a new mentoring framework might be developed are proposed. The suggested System frame-work for Western Australian Catholic Education, titled ‘Borromeo’s Mentoring Framework’, may benefit system-leaders, principals, mentors and ECTs, through the implementation of training programs for Mentors and leaders at a school based level, that enhance critical thinking and faith- formation skills of their teachers and children through such programs like: Godly and Saintly Play, Philosophy for Children (P4C) and Circle of Inquiry (CoI).
Mentoring and Forming Leaders and Teachers using the Borromeo's Mentoring Framework (BMF)
The basis for the Paper: ‘"Mentoring and Forming Leaders using Borromeo's Mentoring Framework (BMF)"’, stems from the work undertaken in the author’s recently published PhD study (Topliss 2017) https://researchonline.nd.edu.au/theses/161/ and based on personal experiences of mentoring children, teachers and leaders through the introduction of : teaching philosophy for children as a classroom teacher; and then undertaking and providing professional faith formation development for Catholic School leaders and teachers using: Godly Play, Saintly Play and Philosophy for Children. The Mixed Methods study identified and explored the mentoring experiences in the transition from graduate to Early Career Teacher (ECT) in selected Catholic primary and secondary schools in Western Australia. The research addressed a significant deficit, as presently the lack of a system-wide framework for the mentoring of ECTs, the cessation of the current ECT program and the limited training of mentors, has resulted in less than ideal mentoring experiences for ECTs. A chief finding was that the guarantee of a mentor does not necessarily alleviate every problem faced by an ECT. However, the attributes of a mentor may significantly assist or hinder the aspirations of an ECT. Encouragingly, the majority of principals recognised the importance of mentoring by offering support for the instigation of a system-wide mentoring framework. On the basis of these findings, principles upon which a new mentoring framework might be developed are proposed. The suggested System frame-work for Western Australian Catholic Education, titled ‘Borromeo’s Mentoring Framework’, may benefit system-leaders, principals, mentors and ECTs, through the implementation of training programs for Mentors and leaders at a school based level, that enhance critical thinking and faith- formation skills of their teachers and children through such programs like: Godly and Saintly Play, Philosophy for Children (P4C) and Circle of Inquiry (CoI).