Mentoring novice teachers in learner behaviour support: a deputy principal’s self-study.

Abstract

I am a deputy principal and seasoned teacher in a multicultural urban South African school. I observed the many challenges that novice teachers encounter with compassion, and I understood their anguish when battling to manage learner behaviour in their classrooms. As I often wondered whether their plight was related to a lack of mentorship in the school, this self-study project focused on my own mentoring practice as a seasoned teacher and a deputy principal. Hence, the study’s purpose was to explore how I could improve my mentoring practice to guide novice teachers appropriately. To achieve this purpose, I sought the participation of novice teachers who were employed at my school. I also worked closely with three fellow doctoral students as my critical friends. A sociocultural theoretical perspective was foundational in the study because it was the platform from which I embarked to understand the phenomenon of novice teachers and how they should function and be supported in a school. My first research question was: What have I learned about mentoring novice teachers for learner behaviour support from my memories? In responding to this question, I recalled my own experiences of supportive and unsupportive mentoring. Addressing this question helped me evaluate the role I played – and should play in the future − concerning mentoring novice teachers for learner behaviour support. My second question was: What have I learned about mentoring novice teachers for learner behaviour support by engaging with novice teachers in my school? In response to this question, I engaged novice teachers in creative and participative discussions. By sharing our knowledge and ideas and giving feedback on the challenges and joys that the novice teachers experienced in their classrooms, I was able to put myself in their shoes. In this manner, I developed into a better manager and mentor as I understood novice teachers’ plight. Involving myself in self-study as a mentor and deputy principal enabled me to share my successes and frustrations regarding the induction of novice teachers into a school. My study offers a unique and motivational example of a senior teacher’s endeavours in self-study research.