Coaching and Mentoring: Keeping it Simple is designed to support school leaders, teachers, and support staff in developing or refining coaching and mentoring practices that are not only clear and meaningful but also deeply sustainable over time. In an ever-evolving educational landscape, the need for intentional, reflective professional learning has never been more critical.
Whether you are at the very beginning of your journey into coaching and mentoring, or whether you are looking to re-energise and enhance an established approach, this book provides a comprehensive and practical guide tailored to your context.
Through a blend of evidence-informed strategies, reflective prompts, and step-by-step guidance, it encourages thoughtful engagement with the principles and practices that underpin effective professional support. Each chapter is designed to spark conversation, inspire collaboration, and empower educators to create a culture where learning is continuous, capacity is built collectively, and growth is shared across the whole school community.
Above all, this book emphasises sustainability-ensuring that coaching and mentoring are not seen as one-off initiatives or isolated responsibilities, but as embedded, dynamic elements of everyday professional life. By fostering an environment where trust, curiosity, and feedback are the norm, you can help to create a thriving culture of development that benefits all staff-and, ultimately, all students.
Davey, Jodie: - Jodie Davey began her teaching career in 1992 as an enthusiastic 20-year-old, fresh out of university and full of energy. Her first posting was in a small country town in South Australia, where she spent four wonderful years teaching in primary schools. Though teaching wasn't something she had seriously considered during high school, she quickly discovered a deep passion for the profession. The classroom felt like home.In her fifth year of teaching, Jodie was posted to a city school where she took on the role of Curriculum Leader-her first experience in leadership. Just six months later, Jodie was invited to step in as Acting Deputy Principal for the remainder of the year.Over the following years, Jodie continued classroom teaching across a diverse range of settings: international schools, Catholic schools, state schools, and independent schools, in both primary and secondary environments. Each experience enriched her practice and deepened her understanding of teaching and learning. Although she held several leadership positions during this time, her heart remained in the classroom. Then one day, Jodie began to see leadership through a new lens. No longer was it about stepping away from the classroom she loved but it was an opportunity to extend her impact. Jodie realised that by leading and supporting other educators, she could indirectly influence the learning and lives of many more students. This was her lightbulb moment. Over the next twelve years, Jodie embraced a variety of leadership roles: Assistant Principal, Curriculum Adviser, Director of Teacher Performance and Development, and now, more than three decades after stepping into her first classroom, Jodie Davey is an Education Consultant in her business-Powerful Partnerships-where she works extensively in coaching roles with individuals, schools and education systems. In 2011, Jodie completed a Master of Educational Leadership, focusing her research on building the capacity of others. Through that study, she discovered the potential of coaching and mentoring, coming to believe that when we get coaching and mentoring right, we unlock transformative growth for educators and the students they serve.
