I found the Class Central online learning catalog quite by accident while researching online free school mentoring training. I needed this because of my professional advancement (I am a classroom teacher). The course name Learning to teach: mentoring and tutoring student teachers caught my attention and that’s how I started the training. The course is created by The Open University and available for free on the OpenLearn platform.

The course

The training is very well designed. It is very clear and I found it so interesting that I went through it “almost in one breath”. It is exactly what I needed and what I was looking for. I learned a lot about mentoring. The term “mentor” means a person who works daily with a teacher at the beginning of their career, supporting their development during their tenure. I remembered the teacher who supported me when I started working at the school.

At this training, guidelines were clearly given on what is important to follow in the role of a mentor, specific instructions and examples of what to pay attention to, and that the role of a mentor includes giving selfless advice as well as observing the emotions of your student.

I also learned that the role of a “tutor” can include providing academic support, if a student is studying for an academic qualification, and visiting the school to observe teaching. There are clear guidelines for this role as well.

Conclusion

My opinion is this training Learning to teach: mentoring and tutoring student teachers is great, clear, does not require a lot of time, and provides a lot of information. I will wholeheartedly recommend it to everyone who is engaged in the work of a teacher.

This course will help me become a better mentor to my students, as well as a better tutor to students. After this course I have a clear idea of the role of a mentor.

What’s next

A related course that I would like to participate in is Exploring Inclusive Pedagogies.