Professional Mentoring for Early Childhood and Primary School Practice / Springer Texts in Education (PDF)

worked as the practice placement coordinator and consultant tutor with the dual role of supporting other tutors and students on practice and ensuring equity and a standardised approach to mentoring and assessment of practice. Most recently, Jennifer has jointly developed the programme for Professional Practice Mentoring in Early Childhood Practice to further support students and staff whilst on practice placement. Jennifer also lectures in the area of promoting health and wellbeing in early childhood across the BA. ECCE, BA in Early Childhood Practice and the B.Ed. undergraduate programmes and the Master's in leadership of wellbeing in education. Promoting the importance of emotional wellbeing and self-care for students, tutors and early childhood practitioners working with young children and families are core components of these modules. In 2021, Jennifer was awarded a national Teaching hero award and digital badge from the National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education in Ireland in recognition of her work with students.

Ann Donnellan has a M.Ed in mentoring, where the views, attitudes and experiences of adult learners who engaged in and experienced the process of mentoring within the early childhood field, were researched. Key components of creating an effective mentoring relationship, including building trust, establishing a comfort zone, working from a strengths-based approach and setting goals were explored. Optimal conditions for mentoring such as a supportive mentoring framework, time and the mentees willingness to engage, were all examined through the lens of lived experiences. Ann is a mentor to students who work in the early years, promoting a culture of reflection, self-review and continuing professional development and she values the reciprocal relationship that mentoring offers. Ann has co-written and co-developed content for an innovative Level 8 Special Purpose Certificate in Professional Mentoring for Early Childhood Practice. The mentoring lens here focuses on empowering existing early childhood education and care educators and mangers to mentor early childhood students undertaking practical placement while engaging in their undergraduate degree programme. Ann is co-author of Leading Inclusion from the Inside Out A Handbook for Parents and Early Childhood Teachers in Early Learning and Care, Primary and Special School Settings (Peter Lang 2021).