Achieving a goal you have set is incredibly rewarding.
But achieving those goals is not something that just happens.
You need to put in hard work over a consistent period of time in order to get there.
Sometimes there will be things that try to get in your way and slow your progress. This is especially true in the ECE sector when you have challenges and distractions appearing on a daily basis.
The way through is prioritisation and targeted support.
That is exactly what Jihye Shin did when working with me on the extended Kete Ako Support Program.
Find out how Jihye set herself up to achieve her goals during her provisional teaching period, along with meeting her certification requirements… and how you could do the same!
The Importance Of Goals In Provisional Teaching
During your certification, there will be educational requirements to meet, that much you know already. If you are entering this period of your career simply looking to tick the boxes so that you gain certification, you aren’t maximising the potential of this time.
That’s why I strongly encourage the people I mentor to set goals also.
Goals are what keep you motivated and push you to be your very best. What those goals might be is entirely up to you. They can be goals related to your teaching, goals in your personal life, or ones that bridge the gap between work and life balance.
Jihye had a goal to improve her documentation skills to ensure she was capturing moments of teaching and learning effectively. She knew this would enhance her overall impact as an ECE teacher long term.
Keep reading to find out how we worked on this goal together and what the overall results were. It might just inspire you to set some targeted goals yourself!
The Challenges of Provisional Teaching
Jihye experienced a very common challenge – that it was increasingly difficult to meet with her Centre assigned mentor on a regular basis. The fact that her mentor was in a senior teaching role with many responsibilities, combined with staff illnesses and daily distractions, meant that she and her mentor were not able to meet as regularly as they’d hoped.
“I felt as though I needed more time put aside for meetings to cover my understanding of what the certification process is about. As a beginning teacher, I wanted to develop my documentation skills to ensure I was correctly capturing moments of teaching and learning.”
When Jihye and I started working together in the Kete Ako program, this was our very first focus. Being able to provide Jihye this targeted support meant that we could really make progress on her certification requirements and her personal goals concurrently.
Building A Strong Foundation to Learn From
When you look at everything you need to complete as a provisional teacher, the list of tasks can feel imposing. But, it doesn’t have to be! Like many things, it is easier to complete when you have an understanding of what is expected and break everything down into simple steps.
As one of Jihye’s mentors, I helped her to get her head around all of that:
“Leanne is a wonderful mentor for teachers who are beginning their certification process. The clarity she provides regarding expectations and processes around obtaining full certification is incredibly helpful which genuinely made the experience less daunting.
I appreciated her warmth and understanding, especially during times when my workplace was going through a tough time with staff shortages and sicknesses. I have grown in confidence as a teacher which I credit towards the conversations Leanne would lead me through during our meetings.”
A Greater Understanding
There is plenty of work that you can do alone to personally improve your understanding and teaching practices. But, when you have the support of an external mentor, you can push your ideas and comprehension even further! An external perspective can be invaluable for extending those ideas and gaining even more insight.
This is how my knowledge and experience helped Jihye during our time working together:
“Over the course of my mentoring programme with Leanne, I have seen a huge benefit in the way that I reflect on my teaching practice. Whenever I shared a teaching story or reflections, Leanne would pose questions such as “how does this impact learners?” and “what would you do differently?”. Through these conversations, I became increasingly aware of providing enough context and depth in my reflections.
Over time, I noticed that my reflections included clearer connections between learning and teaching.
I also believe that my overall understanding of inquiries and the registration process grew. Leanne gave explanations and examples of how inquiries inform, shape and add to my teacher registration rather than treating the two as separate mahi. This new way of viewing inquiries and registration has lessened my stress and anxiety around paperwork. I am now so much more confident in working through my inquiries as I have built strategies to manage the workload.”
Is External Mentorship Right for You?
Jihye gained greater confidence and clarity in her teaching practices because of the work we did together. By working through my extended Kete Ako program, she received plenty of targeted support to improve her documentation skills as she wanted, but also developed her skill of reflection which she will carry with her throughout her teaching career.
Do you want to gain the same clarity as Jihye? If you are currently having trouble finding the time to meet with your Centre Mentor?
If that’s the case, the Kete Ako Program could be the perfect solution. A 6-month mentoring program is the perfect resource for provisional teachers. With scheduled, prioritised time to explore your professional growth and certification understanding, it puts you on the path to success.
Find out more about Kete Ako here or simply get in touch if you have any queries about how external mentorship might work for you.
I also have resources that can be added to your toolkit. Click here to read more about the Roadmap or click here to purchase the Roadmap to Certification e-book for Provisional Certified Teachers. Alternatively, if you are wanting to learn more about my packages, reach out today.
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