The Mentoring Relationship
A greater awareness of the relational component of mentoring resulted in changed practices towards the relationship that developed between the mentors and mentees. Some of the participants stated that they approached the relational side of mentoring differently. They indicated that they became cognisant of the link between the support provided to the preservice teachers and the relationship developed with them, which in turn led to a shared understanding of the expectations and standards that the pre-service teachers needed to achieve:
I am making a concerted effort to establish a more personal relationship than I had been doing previously. I am also encouraging the mentee to take risks without fear of being penalized in the assessment. (Participant C)