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National Childhood Network (NCN)

Mentoring

Introduction

Mentoring

Since the development and implementation of NCN ‘s first Quality Assurance Programme, mentoring has always been a core part of our work to support the achievement of quality standards in services. Mentoring forms an important part of the support that NCN provides to services online, face to face, through the help desk, peer leaning networks and through supporting the National Síolta Aistear Initiative.

What Mentoring do we Offer?

In supporting services to develop their quality practice and demonstrate evidence of meeting the national quality and curriculum frameworks, NCN’s Early Years Quality Support Specialists offer support to services through:

Coaching
responding to skills-based needs and helping to encourage and enable others

Guiding
sharing knowledge in a way that empowers others

Modelling
modelling successful behaviours and attitudes, demonstrating successful strategies

Teaching
inspiring, enthusing and helping others to integrate knowledge into daily practice

Advising
being a source of specialist support

Counselling
acting as a reflective listener, enabling others to find their own solutions to problems

Leading
inspiring others to develop their vision, communicate this with others and deliver results

Being a “Buddy”
supporting new colleagues to settle into their role with help from more experienced people

Settings are supported in multiple ways through providing information, training, or additonal support where we can.

Communities of Practice

Communities of Practice offer a professional learning approach which is considered to be very effective in facilitating focused dialogue and enriching workplace relationships. They are a “space” where participants can connect with others who share similar interests and passions to discuss all topics relevant to early childhood education and are formed to foster connections, further knowledge, and engage in conversations and activities around a common interest.