Professional Mentoring: Focus
Professional Mentoring: Focus
A focused period of professional learning and development
Develop and enhance any aspect of your professional practice
Professional practice develops through experience, learning, relationships and engagement with the circumstances in which we work. At times, it can be valuable to discuss a particular area of practice with someone who brings relevant professional experience and a different educational perspective. Professional Mentoring: Focus provides a structured opportunity to examine a specific professional interest, responsibility or area of development over three months. Drawing upon the educational philosophy of Paulo Freire, our approach emphasises dialogue, critical reflection and learning grounded in professional experience. Rather than simply providing advice or prescribing solutions, mentoring creates opportunities to consider different perspectives, question assumptions and develop a deeper understanding of your practice. The intention is not only to develop professional knowledge and judgement, but also to consider the organisational relationships and wider circumstances that influence what may be possible.
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Who is this package for?
Professional Mentoring: Focus may be appropriate if you are:
- Developing a particular aspect of your professional practice.
- Taking on new responsibilities or entering an unfamiliar area of work.
- Seeking to extend your understanding of a professional field or approach.
- Exploring how educational ideas and professional experience connect.
- Looking for informed discussion of questions arising from your work.
It is particularly suited to people who have a reasonably identifiable area of professional interest and would benefit from a concentrated period of mentoring.
What does the mentoring involve?
The programme begins with a discussion of your professional context, experience and learning interests. Together with your mentor, you will identify the areas you wish to explore and consider how the available sessions might best support your development. Subsequent sessions provide opportunities for mentoring conversations informed by relevant professional experience, educational perspectives and the questions emerging from your practice. Where useful, your mentor may suggest selected readings, educational resources or other material to support further reflection. The final session includes a review of the discussions, learning and questions that may inform your continuing professional development.
What's included?
- A three-month mentoring engagement.
- Six individual sessions of 60 minutes, normally held twice monthly.
- An initial discussion of professional context and learning interests.
- Mentoring conversations drawing upon relevant professional and educational experience.
- Selected resources and learning materials, where appropriate.
- A concluding review of learning and possible next steps.
Specialist mentoring
Changemakers offers mentoring across a developing range of professional fields, including education and critical pedagogy, community development, leadership, public services, voluntary organisations and the social economy. The availability of particular specialisms depends upon the experience of our mentors. We will discuss your interests and the relevant expertise available before confirming an arrangement.
A different approach to professional development
Our mentoring is concerned with more than improving individual competence or performance. We recognise that professional practice is shaped by institutions, organisational cultures, relationships and inequalities of power. Understanding these influences can be as important as developing new knowledge or skills. Our approach encourages participants to consider their professional circumstances critically, recognise different possibilities for action and connect reflection with practice.
Begin a conversation
If you have a particular aspect of professional practice you would like to explore, we welcome an initial discussion about whether Professional Mentoring: Focus would be appropriate.
Tell us about your goals. We will discuss the right approach with you before agreeing a package and arranging payment.
Looking for a more sustained period of professional learning?