The use and development of ‘Teachers’ TV’ to support initial teacher training and in-service teachers’ continuing professional development

This paper outlines how one university became involved in the development of two programmes for ‘Teachers TV’ on the role of the mentor in schools. The reasons were both practical, and developmental, with short and long term gains for students and teachers alike. The original idea was to provide up to date video material of student teachers and mentors, tailored to support the initial mentor training courses run by the university as part of in-service teachers’ Continuing Professional Development. Following the successful development of the programmes, they are now being used to demonstrate what makes for an effective mentor. The student teachers that took part were enthusiastic about the use of video as a starting point for discussion of their practice with their mentor, as featured in the programmes. The integration of such an approach is now being considered by those developing new QTS (Qualified Teacher Status) courses at the University of Cumbria. At the end of the process, both the students and the mentors felt that they had become more reflective practitioners. The materials have been picked up and used by other Initial Teacher Education providers and have proved valuable in their own context.