Education UC launches mentoring plan to support professors new to the system

The initiative was generated by the Faculty of Education, in conjunction with the Ágora Foundation, and seeks to generate a mutual support network between professors of the Catholic University. The launch took place online on Wednesday, April 13.

Leaving the university and entering the world of work can be a complex stage for many professionals. Novice teachers who are fully faced with a classroom, working with other teachers and running a school are not free from this scenario. First professional steps that can determine the career of several teachers: How to facilitate this process? This is the question that the new Mentoring Plan, initiative generated by the Faculty of Education of the Catholic University, together with the Agora Foundation, which will provide support to graduates of the Pedagogy careers of the Catholic University.

This initiative is in line with the project of Initial Teacher Training (FID), developed in the Faculty of Education, by strengthening alliances between graduates and collaborating teachers. For the dean of the unit, Alejandro Carrasco, who participated in the launch of the Plan, "one of the research findings that provided the basis and endowed the Teacher Professional Development system, in particular, and all the continuous training support was the following: The quality of teachers and the acquisition of skills do not occur only in initial training. An important percentage happens in the insertion, when graduating, and this project is a great contribution«.

How Does It Work?

El Mentoring Plan seeks to consolidate a collaboration network with experienced and beginning teachers, who will be able to give or receive support throughout their careers. In practice, Mentorships are carried out on a digital platform, developed by Ágora, which allows connecting and keeping records of meetings between more experienced teachers (mentor) and new teachers (mentee).

In the initial part of the process, the registrations are formalized, where, through different questions, the roles of mentor and mentee are identified, in addition to facilitating their “match", he pointed Carlos Barros, from Agora Foundation. Then an induction will take place and the sessions will take place between May and November. "There are many studies on how to make couples so that the experience is more fruitful for both sides, regarding aspects such as learning processes. We also put together the plan and a methodology, because nobody is taught to be a mentor,” he added. Sofia Figueroafrom the same foundation.

Processes that are directly linked to the practices present in the UC Pedagogy careers, assured the academic and head of the Practicum Programme, Florencia Gómez: “The project seeks to do, also, a connection with the training that the students received in the programs, which is why we have a very clear link between these dimensions and our generative practices. In the training model of the Faculty, the different careers include these central practices, which are the basis for building lifelong skills as teachers”.

The instance, aimed at graduates of UC Pedagogies between 2017 and 2021, also had the testimonies of two professors who work in the mentoring modality during 2021: Maria de los Angeles Elton (as mentor) and Trinidad Villalon (as I mentioned). “What I value most about these mentorships is the human quality that is noticeable in this platform that, thanks to the online modality, we can also have very regularly if any concern arises. A year after we started this mentoring program, I feel much more comfortable in my role as a teacher and I am very grateful for the program,” said Villalón.

If you want to be part of the Mentoring Plan, sign up as mind, or as Mentor.

Relive the launch and learn more about this initiative:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Ei5Ly8RvIQ&feature=emb_title