The roles and tasks of mentors - BMEGT51XX21104-71

The aim of the course is to provide students with a comprehensive overview of the multifaceted role of a mentor, its functions and the associated responsibilities. During the course, students explore traditional and contemporary interpretations of the role of the teacher-mentor and learn about the basic principles, objectives and ethical framework of mentoring. The course emphasizes that participants should be able to consciously position themselves in the process of supporting the professional development of their mentees. Students will learn about the supportive, developmental, facilitative, and evaluative functions of the mentoring role and will be able to choose between these tasks in a situation-specific and reflective manner. The course also aims to explore the institutional and systemic contexts of mentoring and to develop the cooperation, communication, and feedback skills related to the role. The course contributes to strengthening the professional identity of mentor teachers.

1. Knows traditional and online systems and documents related to portfolios.
2. Knows the theory and methodology of competence development.
3. Knows the system and requirements of teacher training and continuing education.
4. Is aware of the role of views that shape teaching practice and knows how they can be shaped.
5. Is familiar with the multifaceted background of choosing, leaving, and remaining in the teaching profession.
6. Is familiar with the specifics of working with teacher candidates and career starters, as well as adult education, and the professional requirements and ethical expectations of counseling.
7. Knows the methods and techniques of reflective thinking and professional analysis.
8. Knows the specific features of the organizational functioning of institutions and the impact of organizational characteristics on the work of teachers.
9. Knows the latest research and development results related to the work of teachers.
10. Has extensive professional knowledge, is familiar with the professional literature related to their field, professional journals, and alternative pedagogical approaches.

1. Able to apply teaching skills and competence development methodology in a conscious and high-quality manner.
2. Able to guide trainees in gaining experience both inside and outside the classroom.
3. Able to monitor and evaluate trainees' work in a constructive manner.
4. Able to support and assist the professional socialization of trainees.
5. Able to develop self-confidence and self-efficacy.
6. Able to demonstrate modern, good practice in the given field.
7. Able to handle pedagogical problems and conflict situations.
8. Able to provide guidance and assistance in the planning, implementation, and analytical evaluation of pedagogical situations and processes.
9. Able to support the intern's independent ideas, provide professional analysis, and realistically evaluate their implementation.
10. Able to help the trainee find their own professional development path that suits their personality.
11. Able to seek/find effective, creative answers to pedagogical problems arising in different contexts from a mentoring perspective.
12. Able to determine the intern's performance (results) based on an analysis and evaluation of regulations, facts, and situations, and to select, develop, or adapt activities, content, tools, and methods to achieve these results.
13. Able to plan, organize, and evaluate mentoring processes in collaboration with the mentee.
14. Able to create a mentoring environment that supports and encourages changes and improvements in pedagogical views and practices.
15. Considers mentoring as a learning situation and takes advantage of opportunities for mutual learning.
16. Able to develop the reflective thinking of career starters.
17. Able to assess the competencies of career starters, plan their development based on this assessment, and support it with an appropriate methodological culture.
18. Able to evaluate the professional competencies and development of trainees in a professionally sound manner that supports their development.
19. Is capable of effective professional cooperation, equal communication, and constructive problem solving with career starters and colleagues.

1. Their attitude is accepting, supportive, and patient.
2. Their credibility is rooted in their own teaching practice and work experience.
3. They feel responsible for the continuous professional development of their intern/teacher candidate.
4. They request and accept feedback from their intern/teacher candidate and use it for their own continuous self-improvement.
5. Considers continuous self-reflection important for their own development as a mentor teacher.
6. Keeps abreast of professional literature and practical developments related to the role of mentor and support teacher and the methodology of support, and continuously trains themselves in this area.

1. They are capable of professional self-reflection and self-correction in their decisions.
2. They are characterized by cooperation and responsibility in relation to their profession, field of expertise, and its representatives.

The course is primarily lecture-based, but interactive teaching methods are also used to deepen theoretical knowledge. During the lectures, students work on pedagogical situations through case studies, short group discussions, and question-based debates, which highlight the complexity and practical implications of mentoring roles. The course emphasizes self-reflection, role awareness, and experience sharing as learning tools. Students analyze the roles and tasks they have learned in relation to their own pedagogical practice, thereby promoting the application of knowledge and the formation of professional identity. The theoretical background is supported by teacher presentations, case studies, and digital illustrative materials.

• M. Nádasi, M. (Ed.) (2010-11). A mentorfelkészítés rendszere, próbája, a mentorképzés szakterületi előkészítése, I–III. kötet. Budapest: ELTE Eötvös Kiadó.
• Sallai, É.(2015). A mentori tevékenységek tapasztalatai. In Sallai, É. (Ed.). A pedagógusok gyakornoki rendszerének fejlesztése és értékelése. Budapest: Oktatási Hivatal.
• Kőpatakiné Mészáros Mária – Mayer József (2009): Bevezetés a mentorálás módszertanába.https://ofi.oh.gov.hu/bevezetes-mentoralas-modszertanaba
• Falus Iván - Szűcs Ida (2022): A didaktika kézikönyve. Akadémiai kiadó. Budapest
• Lengyel Zsuzsa, Szekeresné Nádudvary Ildikó(2024): 101 jógyakorlat mentortanároknak. ELTE Kiadó, Budapest.

The objectives and learning outcomes set out in points 2.1 and 2.2 are achieved through active participation in the exercises (partial performance assessment).

The course is graded based on a written exam where students show off their theoretical knowledge, conceptual clarity, and practical interpretation skills. The exam questions may include definitions, short explanatory tasks, and complex essay questions based on situation analysis and role interpretation. The aim is for students to demonstrate that they are able to identify and interpret different mentoring roles and understand their pedagogical and supportive functions in real-life situations. The assessment criteria include theoretical knowledge, analytical thinking, practical applicability, and the use of professional language. An optional, ungraded formative feedback task may be included during the semester to support students' self-reflection in preparation for the exam.

• classroom activity: 60
• exam: 40

• Exam: 40

Active participation in class and passing the exam.

Due to the nature of active participation, it cannot be replaced or corrected.

Consulted with the Faculty Student Representative Committee, approved by the Vice Dean for Education, valid from: 02.06.2025.

Lesson 1: Mentoring roles in 21st century educational institutions The mentor as an introductory, supportive, feedback-providing, helpful, and critical partner What roles are expected in kindergartens, elementary schools, and secondary schools? The changing image of the teaching profession and the evolving role of the mentor Practice: Interpreting role-play situations according to institution type (e.g., "The first parent-teacher conference of a beginning teacher") Lesson 2: The mentor as a professional introducer – supporting career entry Phases of professional socialization Kindergarten teachers, primary school teachers and secondary school teachers as career starters – different challenges Clarifying expectations, mentoring induction into the institutional culture Practice: Compiling a mentoring "starter pack" to help with institutional integration (three versions: kindergarten, lower grades, high school) Lesson 3: The mentor as a professional feedback provider – lesson observation and feedback Methodological sensitivity, language use, objectivity The quality of mentor feedback: motivating, developmental or critical? Evaluating work with children of different age groups (kindergarten play activities vs. secondary school oral debate lessons) Practice: Writing and presenting feedback on three types of activities in role-play – with institutional specifics Lesson 4: The mentor as facilitator – supporting learning and teaching situations Individual learning paths, adaptivity Methodological support: differentiation, digital solutions, creative pedagogy The culture of thinking together Practice: Cooperative kindergarten game, analysis of differentiated reading lessons in lower grades and project-based learning in secondary school: how does the mentor help with planning? Lesson 5: The mentor as a source of communication and emotional support Atmosphere of trust, empathy, supportive conversations Dealing with stressful situations, failures, and conflicts Teacher isolation – the emotional needs of new teachers Practice: Simulated conversations – new teachers' anxiety about parental feedback (three types of institutions) Lesson 6: The mentor as a reflective developer A culture of reflection in education Helping mentees to reflect on themselves Reflective journal, joint evaluation Practice: Writing a reflective journal about three different teaching or educational situations – preparing mentor feedback Lesson 7: The mentor as a community partner – connecting with the teaching staff and parents Supporting professional integration Joint programs, work communities, supporting relationships with parents Representing the mentee's interests Practice: Institutional situation: "The mentee is involved in a conflict with a parent – how can the mentor help?" – case study on three levels Lesson 8: Developing and summarizing your own understanding of the role of a mentor Your strengths and challenges in mentoring roles Assuming a role appropriate to the institutional context Creating a personal mentoring map