Although professional learning is viewed as something which takes place outside the conventional workplace, the truth of the matter is that professional learning takes place every day as instructors take time to reflect on their professional practice and share ideas aimed at improving student outcomes. Nonetheless, in the quest to increase the effectiveness of professional learning, various models have been designed with the objective of getting positive impact on valued student incomes. The models differ in content and structure, and from self-paced initiatives to well-structured initiatives which may earn an individual formal qualification.
Coaching and Mentoring
In today’s world, peer-network mechanisms are gaining wide acceptance in enhancing professional development. One of those peer-network mechanisms is coaching and mentoring. Many a time teachers are called upon to mentor the skills of their learners, and the whole process of training and supervising calls for coaching and mentoring skills. Sometimes the words coaching and mentoring are used interchangeably, but this varies from one organization to another; what is referred to as coaching in one organization maybe referred to as mentoring in another organization.
Without delving too much on the differences between mentoring and coaching, mentoring could simply be referred to as a process in which an experienced, competent individual guides and advices a less experienced individual to develop in their field, while, on the other hand, coaching refers a process whereby an individual takes another through an experiential learning cycle, with the aim of making the individual to unlock their potential and maximize their performance.
In learning, the process of coaching and mentoring could be referred to as a learning relationship which helps people engineer their own development and, in the process, achieve the results that they value. The main objective is to unlock the potential of the mentee (or the leaner in this case).
As already indicated, the process of coaching and mentoring involves developing a learning relationship between the mentor and the learner, and this is a relationship which indeed develops and changes both the leaner and the mentor. The role of the mentor/instructor is to enable the leaner to take charge of their own development, and this is realized through a number of means.
The first thing for the mentor is to identify potential in the leaner, and then develop the tangible results to be delivered. Also, the mentor has to make the learner realize that their present is a springboard to their future, and the learner has to have a strategy for development. The mentor/coach assists to achieve whatever that the leaner needs to achieve, and this is facilitated though the formulation of clear goals. The mentor then takes the learner through the processes that are needed to achieve the specific goals. Therefore, the role of the mentor is to support the implementation of actions geared towards attaining the goals identified. In point form, the whole process of mentoring and coaching starts with:
- Setting clear goals
- Being aware of the current scenario
- Considering the options available for development
- Making a choice among the options available
The coaching and mentoring model of professional development is good for the education stakeholders because it has numerous advantages for the learner, the coach/mentor and the school where it is implemented. To the learners, they stand to benefit from the increased levels of self-confidence and self-esteem, improved personal skills, and improved problem analysis. Moreover, the learners also have an opportunity reflect on their roles and the career ahead of them.
The coach or the mentor, on the other hand, stands to benefit from increased levels of self-esteem for assisting the leaner to develop, and from the improved problem analysis skills developed while solving the challenges that arise. Furthermore, the coach has an insight into the current practice, and this assists him/her to have an awareness of the different instructing approaches. Therefore, the process assists the coach/mentor to develop professionally.
The coaching and mentoring model of professional development is also beneficial to the schools in the sense that the learners take charge of their own development, and this promotes an environment of mutual trust and respect in the school. In addition, the school also benefits from improved organizational communication, and this assists to foster the school’s values and culture. All these are qualities which schooling institutions strive to achieve, and the coaching and mentoring model exactly delivers these results.
Nevertheless, effective coaching and mentoring in schools does not come on its own, and all the stakeholders (the school, the learners and the mentors) have to play an active role. Above all, the three stakeholders need to develop an awareness of themselves and the responsibilities they need to fulfill in order to facilitate effective development.
The coaches, for example, maybe required to foster a climate of collaboration, and develop processes that support the coaching and mentoring process. The learners, on the other hand, have to be proactive, and should be ready to take charge of their own development. Lastly, the schools have to be supportive of the process, and should provide a conducive environment for coaching and mentoring.
Evaluation of the Three Models
In the context of Saudi Arabia, the journaling model of professional development is the most suitable. This is because the model encourages the individual to take charge of their own development by keeping a daily record of activities. Apart from encouraging individuals to self-reflect, the model also stimulates deep thinking by going through one’s experiences. There is no better platform for self-development other than self-reflection, and this is exactly what the journaling model exactly provides. Moreover, the individual also has a chance to connect with his/her own emotions and feelings thus providing the much needed self-awareness.
Journaling also helps those that are not good at expressing themselves to engage in a thoughtful and creative communication, and this assists those that are not able to discuss complex and challenging issues in a group set up. Although the action-based model and the coaching and mentoring models have their own strengths, they do not give those who are not comfortable in expressing some opinions in a group set up an avenue to self-reflect on those issues, and this gives the journaling model an upper hand with reference to Saudi Arabia.
Conclusion
In retrospect, the journaling model of professional development involves keeping a daily record of one’s activities, and this gives the individual a chance to review their professional growth and progress. Since the records are available, the individual can have a look at them and reflect on some of the best and worst choices made, and be able to take charge of their development by learning from the past experiences. Action-based research model, on the other hand, involves carrying out either quantitative or qualitative research into some of the classroom practices and then evaluating the effectiveness of the strategies in use and the opportunities available for improvement. The best thing with action-based research is that the teacher can reflect and improve on the weak areas. Lastly, coaching and mentoring involves going through an experiential learning cycle, with the aim of unlocking one’s potential and achieving some clearly defined goals.
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