Are we truly hearing our trainees, or helping them make sense of what they hear?
In SEND, confidence and the quiet power of mentoring in Initial Teacher Training, the importance of listening to the voices of trainees and Early Career Teachers (ECTs) was explored. The question was a simple one: are they being heard? My Masters research suggests that, in many cases, the answer is “yes”, but with an important caveat. Being heard is not the same as being understood, and it is certainly not the same as shaping practice. This is where the role of the mentor can evolve, from listener to sense maker.
Listening is not enough
Across the study, mentees consistently described the value of mentors who were approachable, empathetic and willing to listen. They spoke positively about relationships where they felt safe to share concerns, reflect honestly and ask questions. In many cases, mentoring was rated as effective or highly effective in meeting their needs.
However, when exploring the substance of mentoring conversations, a more complex picture emerged. Mentors often set the agenda. They frequently dominated the dialogue, sometimes speaking for the majority of the session. Even in relationships where trust was strong, the mentee’s voice would remain present, but not always influential.
This highlights a subtle but critical shift we need to make. If mentoring is to be genuinely developmental, the mentee’s voice must do more than exist; it must inform, shape and drive the professional learning process.
The mentor as sense maker
The idea of the mentor as a “sense maker” offers a helpful lens here. Early career teachers operate within a complex environment: competing priorities, implicit expectations, evolving pedagogy, accountability pressures and the unwritten rules of school life. For many, the challenge is not a lack of information, it is too much information without coherence.
This is where the mentor adds value.
A sense making mentor does not simply provide answers. They help the mentee interpret experience, connect theory to practice and navigate ambiguity. They act as a translator between frameworks (such as the ITTECF), school context and the lived reality of the classroom.
This aligns closely with one of the strongest themes to emerge from the research: mentors who “nudged” rather than directed were seen as more effective. They resisted the temptation to solve problems and instead helped mentees make sense of them for themselves.
Clarity as the bridge
At the heart of this process sits the concept of clarity. The Clarity Model developed through the research offers a practical framework for embedding sense making into mentoring:
- Communication: Open, explicit conversations about expectations, needs and purpose
- Listen: Active, intentional listening—not just hearing but seeking to understand
- Agree: Shared understanding of strengths, next steps and priorities
- Read: Connecting discussion to wider thinking and evidence
- Insightful: A solution-focused approach that looks beyond the immediate issue
- Time: Protecting space for preparation, reflection and dialogue
- Your voice: Ensuring the mentee’s perspective drives the process
Clarity is not about simplification, it is about making complexity manageable. Providing the structure through which mentors can help mentees interpret their experiences and act on them with confidence.
The conditions for sense making
The research identified several conditions that enable mentors to operate effectively in this way:
- Time: both the most powerful enabler and the most consistent barrier
- Trust: built through honesty, consistency and relational depth
- Advocacy: mentors acting as champions, helping mentees navigate systems and expectations
- Interpersonal skill: communication, empathy and the ability to manage difficult conversations
- Supervision: the often overlooked need for mentors themselves to be supported and developed
Without these conditions, mentoring risks becoming procedural, potentially focused on compliance rather than growth.
A shift in mindset
To move towards mentoring as sense making, we need a shift in mindset at all levels of the system.
For mentors, it means letting go of control and embracing the uncertainty of dialogue. It means asking more thoughtful questions rather than simply offering answers.
For organisations, it means recognising mentoring as a relational, developmental process, not a task to be completed. Time, training and supervision are not luxuries; they are essential.
For mentees, it means stepping into their role as active participants. The evidence is clear: when mentees take ownership of the conversation: speaking more, questioning more, reflecting more, the impact is significantly greater.
From being heard to being understood
Ultimately, the evolution from “voice” to “sense making” is about depth.
It is not enough for mentees to feel heard. They must feel understood, empowered and able to act. The mentor, in turn, becomes more than a guide or facilitator, they become a partner in thinking.
As one participant in the research reflected, mentoring is about “those stepping stones on the teaching journey.” The role of the mentor as sense maker ensures that those stepping stones are not just placed, but interpreted, navigated and built upon.
In doing so, we move closer to mentoring that truly develops teachers, not just supports them.
by Keith Ford: Responsible Officer: ITT and Training