Mentoring: a path to shaping the next generation of teachers and citizens

My journey as a mentor with the UCL Institute of Education began long before I formally took on the role. It started in 2012, when I joined the Citizenship Secondary PGCE programme as a student teacher, stepping into a profession at a time of significant educational change. This was within the context of a coalition government and uncertainty around the future of Citizenship as a statutory subject. At times, it felt as though policy shifts were happening faster than lesson planning, and there were moments when it seemed even Michael Gove was experimenting with education in ways that left us all wondering who exactly the lesson was for. Yet, it was also one of the most empowering periods of my professional life. 

I was fortunate to be guided by exceptional educators. Under the tutelage of Jeremy Hayward and through the mentorship of Ben Hammond, I experienced a model of teaching that was both intellectually rigorous and deeply human in its purpose. Their belief in the value of Citizenship education was unwavering, and this conviction shaped my own and my peers of future Citizenship teachers. During my school placements, I saw first-hand the transformative power of the subject. Students were not only learning content, but also finding their voices, engaging critically with the world around them, and beginning to understand their role within it.

These early experiences did more than train me to teach. They instilled in me a sense of responsibility to contribute actively to my community and to support young people in becoming informed and engaged citizens. It was also this sense of purpose that led me, just a few years after qualifying, to return to the UCL Institute of Education and offer my support as a mentor to new student teachers. I strongly felt that I needed to carry on the legacy of what I was given and saw it as an opportunity to pay it forward to others.  

Mentoring has since become one of the most rewarding aspects of my career.

There is a particular satisfaction in witnessing those small but powerful moments of progress: the first time a trainee successfully runs a market-style activity and sees students actively engaging with the material, or when they facilitate a class debate where every student feels able to contribute respectfully. Seeing the student teachers give their first warning or first detention while encouraging them to also reward good behaviour and issue reward points. These moments bring a visible sense of confidence and clarity, an ‘aha’ realisation that they can do this. Equally, when lessons do not go to plan, those experiences become just as valuable. Supporting trainees to reflect, evaluate and adapt has deepened my own understanding of teaching as a process of continual learning, resilience and refinement. 

As UCL celebrates its 200th year, I find myself reflecting on the enduring importance of mentorship. It is a legacy built not only on knowledge, but on relationships, encouragement and shared purpose. I am proud to be part of that tradition and to contribute, in my own way, to shaping the next generation of teachers and citizens. 

Faiza Issa
Nower Hill High School