Mentoring for early childhood teachers

Moving from provisional to full registration with the Victorian Institute of Teaching is an important step in a teacher’s career and demonstrates that they are proficient against the Australian Professional Teacher Standards. For more information about how teachers do this, visit: Moving to full registration.

Provisionally registered teachers need to be guided through the process to move to full teacher registration with the help of a mentor. Mentors can either be an experienced teaching colleague, or someone who has undertaken the Effective Mentoring Program.

This page provides details on how provisionally registered teachers can find a mentor, and how experienced teachers can become mentors.

See what mentoring looks like in Victoria
 
 

How to find a mentor

Find a mentor

There are many different ways mentors and provisionally registered teachers can find each other. Some of these options may depend on your early childhood setting type and location.

You may find the following suggestions helpful in connecting with a mentor:

  • use the mentor map below
  • contact Gowrie Victoria and request access to a free mentor (more information below)
  • if your service does not have a mentor, your employer/manager could approach a nearby service to see if they have a mentor or an experienced teacher available to mentor you
  • if your employer operates multiple services, they may be able to connect you with a mentor or experienced teacher from another service they operate
  • if you are not the only teacher at your service and if appropriate, ask your manager to send the other teacher(s) to undertake the Effective Mentoring program (see How to Become a Mentor below)
  • become a member of relevant Victorian early childhood teacher social media pages and advertise that you are looking for a mentor
  • if you can not find a mentor located within a reasonable distance to you, consider working with them by video and phone calls, emails and video recordings etc.
  • use your professional network or alumni contacts.

Mentor map

The below map lists over 60 mentors who may be available to guide you through the Victorian Institute of Teaching's process to become fully registered. All of these mentors have undertaken the Effective Mentoring Program.

If you have any questions, or to add your service details to the mentor map, contact the early childhood mentoring team at ec.mentoring@edumail.vic.gov.au.

Free access to a mentor

The Department is working with Gowrie Victoria to provide free mentor support for provisionally registered early childhood teachers who want to move to full teacher registration with the Victorian Institute of Teaching.

What support will Gowrie Victoria provide?

Mentors from Gowrie Victoria will work with provisionally registered teachers to support them through the process to move from provisional to full teacher registration. The level and type of support provided by the mentor will be tailored for each provisionally registered teacher. This may include face-to-face, videoconference, telephone and email support.

Priority will be given to teachers who can not access a mentor.

How to apply

To request access to a mentor, contact Gowrie Victoria on 9362 2210 or email: jennyc@gowrievictoria.com.au.

How to become a mentor

The Department is working with the Victorian Institute of Teaching and Cambridge Education to deliver the Effective Mentoring Program.

The Effective Mentoring Program is two days of professional learning that equips experienced early childhood and school teachers with mentoring skills.

Teachers who do the training learn how to support provisionally registered teachers at the beginning of their careers and guide them through the Victorian Institute of Teaching's process to become fully registered. 

The training is delivered over two days face to face and includes an online learning component. The training is provided at no cost to participants.

Teachers who register for the training must be able to attend day one and day two of the training, and complete the online modules.

How to register

For training dates and to register, visit the Victorian Institute of Teaching Effective Mentoring program website.