ECF Mentor of The Month Case Study
ECF Mentor of The Month Case Study
We are excited to continue celebrating ECT Mentors and their vital contributions to the success of the Early Career Framework. The 'Mentor of the Month' award allows us to recognise those who go above and beyond to support their Early Career Teachers (ECTs).
Winners of this award are chosen based on their engagement with the programme, attendance at events and nominations from their headteacher or ECF Induction Tutor.
This month, we are thrilled to announce Alex O'Connell from Market Field School as our 'Mentor of the Month'. We had the pleasure of asking Alex about his journey as an ECT Mentor, and the valuable skills he has gained from his time on the Early Career Framework.
What is your role within the school?
I am a class teacher, assessment lead and ECT Mentor.
How long have you been an ECT Mentor and how many Early Career Teachers do you support?
This is my first year mentoring and I support 2 ECTs, one year 1 and the other year 2.
What aspects of being an ECT Mentor do you find most rewarding, and why?
I really enjoy the offline element of mentoring, getting time to speak to my mentees about their experiences, discussing elements of their good practice and troubleshooting with them when they run into new situations they haven’t faced before.
From your time on the programme, what skills have you developed and how has it helped you to support your ECTs?
I have developed many skills while working through the Early Career Mentor programme, but most notably I’ve had to develop my organisation, juggling ECT support alongside my other duties has given me a newfound need to keep my diary up to date! I have also developed my patience.
What advice would you give to someone considering becoming an ECT Mentor?
If you have capacity, definitely give it a go! I have met lots of new people through the Face-to-Face training and learnt lots of new strategies to support not only ECTs but also other teachers in my role and different members of staff. It has made me a more present part of my school community and that has given me a great sense of pride in my work.
Alex was nominated for this award by his Headteacher. This is what she had to say:
"Alex is a 'super mentor', taking on an additional ECT as the year progressed. Alex makes time outside of the mentor meetings whenever he thinks the ECT's need him or when they tell him they need him. He is there for their good days and their bad days. Alex supports with tricky behaviours that they may not have seen in training, supports difficult conversations with parents and facilitates meetings. Alex is a sponge and is so keen to learn new things and his drive absolutely needs to be celebrated. If every mentor was like Alex, we would have such a brilliant young generation of teachers coming through the system.’."
Do you know an Early Career Mentor who goes above and beyond? Nominate them below:
Nominate a Mentor
Looking for more information?
Find out more about our Early Career Framework programme here.
If you would like any more information on our ECF programme, get in contact with us:
Email: ecf@bestpracticenet.co.uk
Tel: +44 (0) 117 920 9200 (8.30am-5.30pm, Mon-Fri)