LOOP -Scaffolding in Teachers development: Mentoring and Mentors in induction programs

Today's European challenges, namely the promotion of common values ​​of equality, democracy and citizenship, pose very demanding tasks for education, requiring permanent questioning of the role of schools and teachers across Europe. This is a real problem that requires a common approach at European level. Strongly marked by this complexity, the main educational actors need urgent support to face some of the main priorities facing them: (i) school dropout, (ii) school failure, iii) socio-economic and educational inequalities and (iv) the inclusion of refugees and ethnic minorities. These problems require new methodological proposals, which value the important work of teachers and support them, not only at an early stage of their career, but also at different stages of their professional life. If it is certain that there is an academic curriculum that scientifically prepares teachers, it is no less true that it does not prepare them to face many difficulties, which they will experience from the first year of professional activity. On the other hand, teachers with more years of career and with an in-depth knowledge of the educational system need to follow the evolution of knowledge and the current experiences of students. This reality shows the urgent need to support both professionals, motivating them, not only for their professional development, but also creating conditions to improve their effectiveness and consequently their satisfaction. This can be achieved, as TALIS, 2018 demonstrates, with a clear commitment to Induction Programs and, in particular, Mentoring Programs. Coherently, the LOOP (designation associated with unity, wisdom and evolution), which is based on values ​​such as diversity in education, equal opportunities for school and educational success, pillars of this strategic partnership, allows the construction of new pedagogical approaches and teaching methods, especially focused on inclusion and cooperative work. The LOOP intends to contribute for the training opportunities that are given, to the teachers at the beginning of their careers and in the face of new school contexts, supporting the acquisition of pedagogical practices articulated in the contexts, in a perspective of intergenerationality, reinforcing the skills of teachers, trainers and Mentors of teachers, through resources and the promotion of community learning networks. The effective sharing of knowledge, based on cooperation between teachers, at different stages of their careers, must be properly insured, there is no deep and insurmountable gap between generations of teachers, risking an irreparable loss of knowledge, which you can see the average age of teachers in active employment. The passage of acquired knowledge is not safeguarded in the training of teachers and should be considered, through a bet on the valorization of acquired knowledge, interpersonal relationships and the recognition of what this entails for the acquisition of knowledge, emotional and social development, professional performance and career motivation. LOOP provides real access to Training Programs for Mentors, Mentoring for teachers and their effective implementation in the countries of the Consortium. LOOP is developed around five workpackages, ten activities and three intellectual products (LOOP landscape, LOOP toolkit for mentoring and LOOP provider for better outcomes), with a clear bet on the assumption that training is the key to the success of students.