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14/03/2015

A key to prepare student teachers to become effective teachers upon graduation

Since January 2015, VVOB together with its partner organisation of the Ministry of Education have organised thirteen nation-wide training activities on mentoring skills and feedback sessions to teacher trainers and teaching practicum committees of Teacher Training Centres (TTCs) in order to prepare them to be good mentors during teaching practicum of student teachers. With a view to ensuring quality of the nation-wide training, Ms Veerle Amelinckx a professional teacher trainer from Artevelde University College Ghent (Belgium), responsible for teaching practicum, made a follow-up visit to some of the training activities in March 2015 along with a refresher training of two days to all partner’s trainers from the 13th to the 14th of March, 2015.

Nation-wide training on mentoring and feedback sessions

VVOB Cambodia staff members adapted the role of a counselor and/or a coach to support its operational partner’s trainers to conduct nation-wide training on mentoring skills and feedback sessions. The training activities took place at the TTCs with approximately 30 participants in one training. The trainers applied participatory approaches such as group discussions, role plays, and actual practice. Firstly, the participants worked in groups to discuss and determine characteristics and responsibilities of a good mentor so that they could be well aware of their own qualities and responsibilities in teaching practicum. Secondly, we looked into the importance of mentoring and feedback sessions. Tools like 'Johari Window', 'Active Listening', 'Mirroring', 'Involved Confronting' and 'I message' were discussed. Thirdly, we guided the participants through the six steps of mentoring and feedback sessions with video clips providing an example of each step as a visual aid. Lastly, the organisational aspects of a good feedback session were discussed, which included what a mentor needs to do or prepare before, during and after the feedback sessions.

Refresher training on mentoring and feedback sessions

Veerle Amelinckx provided a refresher training on mentoring skills and feedback sessions to all (eleven) VVOB operational staff members in Cambodia who received the first input training in September 2014.

Firstly, Veerle did a wrap-up session of her own observations of two nation-wide training activities she visited. She gave some useful recommendations and tips for a good facilitation: sharing responsibility in training; considering yourself as a team of facilitators; working together and appreciating your colleague’s input; making good agreements before the start of the training on how to add information (interrupt each other right away or wait until the end of the topic, give a sign to the facilitator if you want to add something and, facilitator can give a sign when you’re not sure about a topic or question and want some input or help from your co-facilitators); encouraging active participation by all participants and facilitators; stimulating reflection; sharing ideas; giving feedback to the participants’ contribution in a constructive way.

Secondly, there was a session to refresh some important topics of the contents of the nation-wide training, which included 'Johari Window', 'Active Listening', 'Mirroring', 'Involved Confronting' and the 'six steps of mentoring sessions' followed by a question and answer session. As a result, we have made some adjustment to the nation-wide training materials for better understanding and more convenient use in the next trainings.

After the refresher training, Mr Muong Chantouch, who is one of the partner’s staff members, made the remark that this refresher training indeed helped deepen his own as well as the team’s understanding of the training content. We hope all that we will be able to facilitate even better in the next nation-wide training as well as providing ongoing coaching and mentoring to teacher trainers and model teachers at practice schools when they are doing their feedback session, during regular follow-up visits.