One year ago, Avenor launched “Teachers for Teachers“, a training and mentoring programme for early-career teachers who want to turn their profession into a true vocation. Our goal was to recruit both primary school teachers and subject teachers for middle and high school who aspire to become the best version of themselves in their careers.

One year later, we talk to Cristina Bumboiu, English Curriculum Leader and Coordinator of the “Teachers for Teachers” programme, to find out what happened in the first year when two young teachers benefited from this project – Oana, Teacher of History, and Andrei, Teacher of Physics, how the program unfolds, and what challenges are encountered.

 

PROJECT START

The intention to create a framework to help young teachers become more confident professionals when embarking on their exciting yet complex teaching journey germinated two years ago and we were happy to launch the Teachers for Teachers project in the spring of 2023. 

At first we did not quite know what to expect but we knew we wanted it to be a two-year journey aiming to help your teachers become better at what they do. After meeting a few enthusiastic graduates we realised that the project was going to be a wonderful learning experience for all those involved as they were asking a lot of questions which made us realise that there was a potential to address an already existing gap in their previous knowledge of  and experience in teaching (pre)teens. 

I think we can now confidently say that our initial predictions were confirmed as Oana and Andrei, our current two trainees, have greatly benefited from receiving input, feedback and exposure to teaching real students in a safer environment instead of being thrown at the deep end. 

”The motivation to enrol in the ‘Teachers for Teachers’ programme came from my desire to contribute to educational development and to share my knowledge in physics with my colleagues and students. As a graduate of the physics faculty, I see this opportunity as a way to collaborate with professionals in the field and to learn from each other to create a more efficient and engaging learning environment.” says Andrei, Physics Teacher and participant in the programme.

WHAT ARE WE AIMING FOR

Since this project aims to at first give participants some time to adjust to being part of a dynamic community while incorporating aspects related to teaching and pedagogy, the aspect of forming positive relationships is crucially important. 

We therefore started by inviting our two young colleagues to first notice the way in which Avenor community members relate to those around us so they were able to make a first impression of the school culture. We sought to encourage them to familiarise themselves with all main aspects of the school life so our newest colleagues could better understand the  mechanisms of the dynamic of an ever growing organism that the school is.  

Our team of teachers from across Primary, Middle School and High School have welcomed the participants into their lessons, their wisdom, experience and expertise being the key ingredients of this process without which we would not have been able to advance the project. 

The senior teachers and mentors have weekly meetings aiming to support their mentees with helpful feedback based on their lesson observations. My role within this process is to curate materials, to set up their weekly routine activities but to also keep in touch with mentors and senior teachers so their advice gets fed back into my weekly meetings with the two trainees. 

This is because we view this as a system rather than a silo keeping the participants away from the other areas of school. We are all interconnected and this reflects in our daily lives. 

”The experience within the Teachers for Teachers programme, which started at the beginning of the school year, has been extremely valuable and useful for me as a trainee teacher. Through this program, I was guided and supported by experienced teachers and a dedicated mentor, allowing me to learn and evolve significantly.

Close collaboration with mentors specialised in history has led me to explore innovative teaching methods, historical contexts, and interdisciplinary approaches deeply. Through this program, I developed essential communication skills, better understood students’ needs, and created engaging and stimulating learning environments.

Furthermore, the guidance provided by the mentor in the program encouraged me to implement my ideas and surpass my limits sustainably and constructively

Participating in the Teachers for Teachers program is an essential part for my professional growth. It not only provides me with support and guidance, but also allows me to enhance my skills and confidence as an educator.” – says Oana, Teacher of History and participant in the programme.

CHALLENGES

Since this is a new initiative we have also encountered quite a few challenges. Since this is a new role within the school we found that sometimes not all community members shared the same understanding of the process and we are still in the process of refining the process so it will become better next year when we plan to continue. 

At the same time, not having a model to refer to meant that much more time than initially anticipated was needed in order to create a more coherent structure. Since Oana and Andrei have become more independent in their teaching this year it looks like the project will need some adjustments so it is better suited to those involved in it. 

From a training perspective reaching common language and expectations has been and is still one major focus area. Since young professionals may come with their own set of experiences and expectations, sometimes what we mean by ‘giving clear instructions’ for example may be different from what they have been used to in their careers as students, for example. 

WHAT’S NEXT

But this is where our team’s experience comes to debunk myths and misconceptions. 

I would say that hard but honest conversations are central to personal and professional development and if I were to think of anything  I could say to our current trainees it would be that they should be really listening to and incorporating the feedback they are given. 

If Avenor were a village they would be the two toddlers whose growth everybody has contributed to.  

Any young graduate or teacher wishing to be part of the project should know that this is an extraordinary experience that I wish I had had 20 years ago when I started teaching. At that time I was guided by my former High School English teacher who was very eager to help me but I did not know very well how or where to start. 

Here we have that system which is being constantly developed and the key factor is the willingness to be brave enough to take risks, to make mistakes and most importantly to reflect on those mistakes and to become a better person and a better professional.