I’ve never been a mentor. Where do I start?
A great place to start is to complete the mentor training online modules. The next step is to find out what practicum the student is completing and familiarize yourself with the assignments and expectations of that specific practicum.
I have questions about assignments. What should I do?
You can contact the practicum instructor for clarity regarding the assignments so that you can support the student. You may also want to ask open ended questions of the student to determine what they understand about what they are supposed to do.
The student is not acting in a professional manner. What should I do?
The first step is to have a conversation with the student to share what the expectations are and what you are observing that is not meeting the expectations. If this does not correct the situation then please contact the practicum instructor and share your concerns. They will work with you to make a plan for next steps. If the unprofessional behaviour is putting children at risk or requires that the student be removed from the centre please follow the centre policy and contact the practicum instructor immediately.
I think the student is handing in work that I did as their own.
If you have concerns that the student is providing the instructor with information that is not accurate to what they are doing please ask talk to the student about your concerns. If after the conversation you are still concerned please contact the practicum instructor.
I do not think the student should pass the practicum. What should I do?
As a mentor your role is to support the student by providing modeling, collaborative conversation, and constructive feedback. If at any point in the practicum you have concerns about the student’s practice it is important to address it right away with both the student and the practicum instructor. This allows the instructor to support the process by completing an assessment and supporting the student to set goals to meet the learning outcomes.
The student has been talking about the centre and the children in the community and has broken confidentiality. What should I do?
Please contact the practicum instructor and inform them of the situation so that they can support you in next steps.
We had to close the centre unexpectedly (eg: snow day, power outage, illness) and the student says they do not have to make up the hours. Is this true?
If the program is not available for the student on a day they were scheduled to attend, or the college is closed, then the student does not have to make up those hours. If the centre and college are open and the student does not attend then they have to make up those hours. It is the responsibility of the student and instructor to determine if the hours for the practicums have been met: the mentor needs only to sign the timesheet indicating when the student was present.
I think the student would benefit from seeing all the shifts that occur in the day. Can I ask them to change their hours?
Yes, all students should be planning their practicum hours with the support of the mentors. The daily hours required are set out by the instructors at the beginning of the semester (usually 6 hour days not including a ½ hour lunch for ECC 140, 141, and 142) but the time that these hours are fulfilled will vary depending on the centre and the program being offered.
The student does not seem able or interested in being an ECE, and spends most of their time not engaging with the children or the program.
During the application process all students are required to complete a requisite skills and abilities form that shares with them the requirements that are needed to work as an ECE. If you are noticing that they are not engaging because they are unable to do so, please share that information with the practicum instructor.Â
If what you are observing appears to be more about motivation or disinterest, have a conversation with the student about what you are observing, how you are perceiving the behaviours, and what you would like to see changed. If you would like support to have the conversation or if after the conversation you do not observe changes in the student’s behaviours, please contact the practicum instructor.
The student says they cannot assist in the washroom and/or with diapering. Is this true?
Students can be in the washroom with children as long as another adult is present and supervising. Students, unless on a workplace practicum, cannot engage in washroom/diapering routines without another adult present with them. It is important to think about the relationship that the student has with the children, for example it would not be appropriate for a student to be in the washroom with and/or diapering a child that they have only just met.
What does pedagogy mean and why is it used so much in the information?
Pedagogy is “the method and practice of teaching by exploring ideas and issues and creating environments where learning and thinking can flourish” (Province of BC, 2019, p.104). At NIC we use the term pedagogy to indicate the importance of the work that Early Childhood Educators do with children. We believe that it is important to use terms that illustrate that learning is occurring in early years programs and that ECEs are educators supporting that learning.
What is a theoretical perspective? Which one does the college want us to use?
“A theoretical perspective can be understood as a lens through which we look, serving to focus or distort what we see. It can also be thought of as a frame, which serves to both include and exclude certain things from our view…it serves to organize our thoughts and ideas” (Crossman, 2020).
NIC ECCE Faculty understand that there are many theoretical perspectives and believe that there is not a “right” one. We appreciate when students and mentors have the opportunity to engage in thinking with many perspectives and engaging in the rich discussions that this can bring.
I don’t feel comfortable telling the student that they need to change a behaviour. What should I do?
Part of learning is having a supportive mentor who wants to see growth in the student’s skills. If you need support in having a conversation with a student about a particular practice or concern reach out to the practicum instructor who can assist you in the conversation.
Can I get a copy of the textbooks and resources that the students use?
Yes, many of the resources and textbooks that the NIC ECCE Department use can be found online or in the North Island College Library. As a member of the community you can access the NIC library, information about being a community borrower can be found here.
What is my responsibility for on-going feedback for the student?
You are asked to provide regular feedback verbally to the student – anything from something they did that you observed and appreciated to things they can work on. Students are asked to engage with you in collaborative dialogue on a regular basis about their assignments, so you can expect that they will ask you for a time most days that this can happen. You will also be asked to provide written feedback to the student (shared with the instructor) through mid-term and final comments as well as on some assignments. Verbal feedback will be shared with the instructor during their on site visits.
References
Crossman, A. (2020, January 22). Understanding theoretical perspective and how sociologists use it. https://www.thoughtco.com/theoretical-perspectives-3026716#:~:text=A%20theoretical%20perspective%20is%20a,or%20distort%20what%20we%20see
Province of British Columbia. (2019). British Columbia Early Learning Framework.