ABSTRACT
This chapter looks at different definitions of mentoring and then examines the importance of the context working as a mentor, highlighting a number of documents from England and other countries that impact everyone's mentoring practice. It then considers three potential mentoring models a mentor could adopt to inform their practice. Montgomery suggested that definitions of mentoring often involve the concept that advice and guidance to a novice, or person with limited experience, is given by an experienced person. In education, school-based mentors play a vital role in the development of student teachers and the induction of newly qualified teachers. They also support other staff at various points of career development. The chapter explores three well-known models, all of which focus on the need for the mentor to be flexible in their style and approach to best fit the needs of a beginning teacher at any given stage of their development, in initial teacher education and/or their teaching career.
