On the occasion of International Women’s Day, Brainfeed took the opportunity to recognize the efforts of twenty exceptional women leaders in the field of education. We featured them in our cover story “Women Edupreneurs” of March 2023 edition of the Brainfeed Magazine. These women leaders focused and strived for creating a positive ecosystem at their workplace that helped other women in contributing to their fullest and ushering in the much needed change. Each one of these women educational entrepreneurs shared what it took them to successfully complete their entrepreneurial journey during which they have explored and found new identities for themselves and other women working with them.
‘If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.” — Isaac Newton
Newton, of course, was not standing on the shoulders of giants. He was explaining that his ideas were not exclusively his own. He was influenced by the ideas of those who came before him. When Newton used the expression “giant,” he was referring to his mentors who were considered giants in the scientific community. Despite being a genius in his own right, Newton acknowledged the fact that he could not have made his scientific breakthroughs on his own without the support and guidance of his mentors.
We have come a long way in the 21st century with everything becoming more accessible. Even the education system is seeing a transformation, with practical and experiential erudition taking a lead on age-old instructional models. While degrees and certificates are a significant part of education, it may not be enough. We still need to assure essential skills to kick-start a career and not to mention, finding a job in the field.
Today teachers are training students to be future ready and that obliges them to instruct vital skills for 21st century jobs. This entails teachers to build capacity and be adept with student centric pedagogic skills to be able to facilitate quality instruction. This is where mentors step in and offer the assistance that is beyond doubt required.
In education, mentoring entails partnering novice teachers with an experienced peer who serves as a positive role model. Mentoring facilitates to sharpen professional competencies, build confidence and relationships, develop resilience, and character, and raise expectations.
A mentor must be Meticulous in Enthralling Naturalistic Talent Optimistic and Resilient. Every person who has achieved greatness was supported by a guiding lamp who not only provided knowledge but also inspired them through their own personal experiences. It is noteworthy to mention the outstanding education stalwarts like Maria Montessori, Anutai Wagh – pioneers of novel child-centric pedagogical theories, who were great influencers and mentors of their time and who through their life work have been a profound inspiration to millions of educators.
In my own educational journey, I have been fortunate to have erudite mentors who guided and influenced me to develop skills in all facets of educational practice and kindled a passion to embrace and adopt holistic education practices essential to empower students to be wholesome individuals. I continue to be inspired every day by women colleagues in my organisation, who selflessly work with diligence and passion to touch the lives of students and make an indelible impact. Those who work with such passion create a cascading effect, motivating the novice teachers to strive for greater self and team efficacy and facilitate innovation and creativity.
Mentoring allows teachers to learn from one another and facilitates reciprocal sharing of knowledge. Effective mentoring makes a mentee function in their own style, scrutinises for flaws, supports them with feedback and cheers them up when they get it right.
The importance of mentoring in education lies in the fact that a mentor may not directly deliver solutions, they facilitate reflective thinking and give sufficient space for the mentee to choose suitable strategies and techniques necessary for attaining the goal. While embarking on a mentoring relationship, the best gift which a mentor can give their mentees is by believing in them and making them feel valued.
Trust is a key element in mentoring. When mentors check their biases, talk to their mentees outside of the teacher role, and on a more personal level and not hold grudges then this daunting task becomes less formidable.
An effective mentoring process is key to support professional productivity and retain good teacher talent which are essential for institutional reform efforts.
A mentor must be Meticulous in Enthralling Naturalistic Talent Optimistic and Resilient. Every person who has achieved greatness was supported by a guiding lamp
