So I have thought long and hard about posting a blog about Droichead. I know that people have very mixed opinions on it and I am not promoting Droichead, but instead giving an honest review of my own experiences. My school decided to take part in the Droichead Pilot this year. We have two NQT's and hope that this process will make their Dip experience as helpful and pleasant as possible. Last year I completed the Initial Mentor Training and have been performing the role of mentor since. I found the training to be very well run and it opened my eyes to the demands placed on NQT's. It is not that long since I completed my Dip but expectations have changed over the past few years. We spoke about the fear that an NQT feels when there is a different car in the carpark, or when they see someone that might be the inspector walking into he school. I vividly remember that fear, even though I had a very supportive inspector. I do think that the current Inspectorate model of probation does not work. It shows the NQT on a one-off basis and is in no way supportive or encouraging for their induction process. With Droichead, I see the whole school having an instrumental role in the development of the NQT. The school I am based in has a very welcoming open-door policy. This year we have slightly formalised this, in that I have spoken to each teacher personally to ask if they would allow an NQT to observe them teach a lesson. Every teacher in the school welcomed the idea and this alone has helped to make the NQT's feel that the whole school is interested in their induction.
The NQT's and the Professional Support Team (PST) which includes staff, management and myself, attended a Cluster Meeting recently and found the it very informative. The PST will take part in four training days over the next few months. The information that we received at the cluster meeting and from speaking to others has helped us to get started with the process. The PST team are there to support and mentor the NQT's. As a mentor, I have been arranging for the NQTs to observe in other teachers' classrooms. I also meet with them each week, if necessary, to discuss how they are getting on and see if they need any help or advice. This is something I would have already done, so I don't feel that this is any extra work for myself. I also find that having two NQT's at the same time is of great benefit. They bounce ideas off each other, share stories and issues that arise. As far as I can see, the Droichead process can be of great benefit to a school and its NQT's. I do also acknowledge that the Droichead process may not be of benefit to certain schools. I think that I will be able to form a better opinion at the end of the year when we come together as a staff and discuss how the year has gone. As a school, I feel that being involved in Droichead has helped us to be more aware of the workload and stress that NQT's are under. It is still in the pilot stage and needs to be shaped to suit different types of schools, e.g. two-teacher schools versus developing schools with several NQT's. I am happy to be involved in the pilot and to try to understand the process a bit better. At the end of the year I hope to be able to reflect back on the experience and have a more informed view about Droichead. In my opinion, the final year of teacher training should take place working alongside a classroom teacher in a school setting. The whole school should be involved in the induction of the student teacher. A support team from the college along with a PST should be on hand to help and guide the student teacher throughout the year. Having consulted with the PST, the college should then 'sign off' for the student and recommend them to the Teaching Council. The problem is that there is no sign of anything like this happening. Therefore I look forward to supporting the NQT's in my school throughout the Droichead process and hoping they feel supported throughout the year.
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August 2018
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