Date and time

Day 1 - Thursday 25 May 2023, 9.30 am to 3.30 pm

Day 2 - Wednesday 7 June 2023, 9.30 am to 3.30 pm

Delivery mode

In person at ISV, 40 Rosslyn St, West Melbourne

Audience 

Experienced Teachers

Description                                  

Over 70% of beginning teachers have reported that having a supportive mentor in the first few years of teaching has influenced their decision to remain in the profession.

Mentors assist new teachers to adapt to the new school climate and help establish their professional identity. They can influence the beginning teacher’s professional behaviour, help to shape their beliefs and professional values and, most importantly, set them on a path of continual reflection and improvement to produce highly effective practitioners.

Independent Schools Victoria (ISV) has partnered with the Victorian Institute of Teaching (VIT) to develop a mentor training course that will support mentors to undertake their duties, develop their human leadership capabilities and provide guidance on how to support their mentee through the VIT’s inquiry process.

The program is open to experienced (fully) registered teachers working in registered schools and early childhood services. Participants must attend both course days to be considered by VIT as a trained mentor for the purposes of sitting on a workplace panel.

Feedback has indicated that teachers find significant professional benefit in working with people from a broad range of contexts. All programs are combined to allow school and early childhood mentors to work together.

Key takeaways               

• understanding of the role of the mentor in the induction process

• exploration of the requirements for applications by provisionally registered teachers for (full) registration

• understanding the requirements of the inquiry process

• make links to your role in the application process

• exploration of the practice of mentoring and how mentoring can support beginning teachers to improve their teaching practice.

Link(s) to relevant VRQA Standards 

• Curriculum and Student Learning – Student learning outcomes                                                           

• Staff Employment – Teachers’ requirements 

Presenter information

Linda Blakis       

Linda Blakis is a Principal Practitioner with VIT.

After a highly competitive recruitment selection process, Linda joined VIT in February 2019 to take on the newly created Principal Practitioner role. This role works across many branches to build a strong connection between VIT and the teaching profession.

A trained secondary teacher, Linda has worked predominantly in the northern growth corridor of Melbourne, and was Assistant Principal of a large P-12 school before taking up the VIT appointment.  Linda is passionate about teaching and the importance of investing in teachers, who she sees as our state’s most important professional group.