ABSTRACT
The interaction between teacher and learner has been the focus of many studies in education and beyond. The quality of the interaction is a key issue for everyone involved in teacher education and yet the ability to communicate effectively is often left to the individual and, to an extent, the ‘hidden curriculum’. Interpersonal and communication skills, as such, are seldom overtly taught and yet these are fundamental skills to our profession. There is evidence from research that individuals experience limitations to their ability to communicate when they wish to address some difficulty which has arisen. I wish to explore this evidence and offer a number of models of dialogue which, I have found, greatly enhance the process to the advantage of everyone involved. These models come from the field of counselling, as it is within this arena that people explore difficulties with a view to changing perceptions and moving forward. I will argue that these models provide an opportunity to develop transferable skills, in that they are equally useful for teachers when interacting with children. If mentors can successfully model positive interventions with their student teachers, they are providing a very useful learning opportunity.
