ABSTRACT
This chapter addresses the importance of building early trusting and collaborative relationships between mentors and beginning teachers. It explores how mentors develop relationships with beginning teachers. Effective mentoring is highly important for beginning teachers to help them on their journey to greater understanding, independence and autonomy, both in their classroom practice and their wider professional life. Managing transition and change can be tricky for anyone in any context. Such changes might occur during the beginning teacher’s training period as well as when they take on their first teaching post. The chapter is based on the premise that mentoring is relational, and a skilled mentor will know how and when to change approach in that mentoring relationship. The beginning teacher needs inducting into the school setting, from familiarising themselves with day-to-day logistics such as playground duties. A democratic approach is instrumental in enabling collaborative self-development, giving the beginning teacher a voice and confidence in their development.
