Mentoring better teachers

Mentor and mentee with child

Victoria University’s early childhood team is leading implementation and evaluation of a $1.3 million mentoring program with Deakin University for the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (DEECD).

So far, mentors have helped two cohorts of new or professionally-isolated teachers develop teamwork, leadership and teaching skills at 113 kindergartens and day care centres across Victoria.

The program is part of a larger project informing government and education providers on models for mentoring of early childhood teachers, ahead of an industry move to Victorian Institute of Teaching (VIT) registration. Overall, the project aims to inform both the DEECD and the VIT in regard to appropriate models for mentoring of early childhood teachers that both align with the VIT registration process, and account for the uniqueness of early childhood contexts.

News: Pilot state-wide professional mentoring program for early childhood teachers (September 2011), Mentoring program for Early Childhood Teachers (August 2011)

Program site: Professional mentoring program for Early Childhood Teachers

“We measure success in how this mentoring influences their teaching because in the end it’s all about the children having the best quality education and care so they can reach their potential.”

Associate Professor Andrea Nolan, Lead researcher
College of Education
Phone: +61 3 9919 7579
Email: andrea.nolan@vu.edu.au