This course is separated into five modules of learning:

Module One: Mentoring and Coaching as Part of Teacher Professional Development
This module will cover the definition and experiences of mentoring and coaching, the links between other types of professional development and mentoring and coaching and how to carry out effective mentoring and coaching.

Module Two: The Mentoring and Coaching Continuum
In this module, we are going to look more closely at definitions of mentoring and coaching from a theoretical perspective. You will discover both that there is a lot you know already – but maybe haven’t articulated – and a lot you don’t.

Module Three: Mentoring and Coaching Skills
In this module, we are going to look in broad terms at the sorts of skills you need to be a good mentor or coach.

Module Four: Mentoring and Coaching Tools
In this module, we are going to look at some of the tools that coaches use in practice. As this is a self-study module, we will focus broadly on the kinds of structure used in coaching sessions and a few of the tools that a good coach will use.

Our focus in this module is coaching rather than mentoring, but those who wish only to mentor should also find the structures and tools useful. You should discover as well that some of what we describe is useful in the relationships you have with colleagues, friends and family.

Module Five: Creating a Coaching Culture in Your School
In this module, we are going to review what we have learned and consider what might be your next steps for introducing mentoring and coaching to your school. We will look again at the place of mentoring and coaching within a programme of teacher – and school–leader continuing professional development.

We will remind ourselves of the kinds of people and frameworks you might want to involve, and we will introduce a different layer of coaching that may be of more immediate interest to you.

Study time: 20 mins.