The Ripple Effect of Teacher Mentorship on Student Success

To enhance instructional quality, the ability of school administrators to observe the teaching process and provide effective, ongoing professional development for teachers is key. School-based teacher mentoring programs allow mentors to regularly assess how well teachers approach lessons and interact with students, ensuring that students and teachers both receive adequate support.

For 33 years, World Education has worked to improve education quality in Cambodia. In line with the government’s efforts to improve national learning outcomes, we support teacher education and strengthen school management structures. Over the last six years , we have helped the government roll out the reading component of its national early grade learning package, Komar Rien Komar Cheh. We continue to support this rollout today, with a focus on strengthening the Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sports’ new school-based early grade teacher mentoring system .

Mastering Mentorship

The Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sports’ investment in a mentoring system provides teachers with a support network that helps them practice new approaches found in the Komar Rien Komar Cheh learning package; it also supports teachers’ professional progress. The mentoring system relies on a layered structure, including master mentors and school-based early grade mentors, the latter supporting early grade teachers in Khmer and math .

Mr. Bunchhoeut is a primary school teacher with more than ten years of experience. He currently teaches grade 2 and serves as a school-based early grade mentor to grade 1–3 teachers. His mentoring work helps teachers with the technical aspects of the early grade reading package, like paired and group reading, helping improve student learning outcomes in reading and writing and building teachers’ confidence using the available tools.

This year, Mr. Bunchhoeut attended a two-day refresher training supported by World Education on the mentoring system, and he further developed his skills and confidence with support from master mentors. He now applies those skills during monthly observations of the teachers he mentors, using digital observation tools closely linked to the methodologies in the learning package. During a school visit after the training, our staff observed Mr. Bunchhoeut mentoring a grade 3 teacher. Mr. Bunchhoeut watched the teacher’s lesson, carefully listened to her self-reflection, reviewed her strengths and areas for improvement, and offered encouragement.

Mr. Bunchhoeut said that before the training he had “not yet fully understood and been confident enough in mentoring, observations, feedback, and planning due to limitations in my communication skills, motivation, language, and techniques for supporting teachers .” After the training, he felt that he “gained new insights, experiences, and knowledge about mentoring, especially on processes before, during, and after mentoring. I am now more confident in my ability to mentor.” Mr. Bunchhoeut hopes to share his knowledge and support with other teachers and mentors to enhance their professional paths and help students succeed.

The Classroom Impact

The mentoring system is enhancing teachers’ abilities. Ms. Boren, a grade 3 teacher, was mentored by a school-based early grade mentor this year. When classroom challenges arise, she knows she can consult her mentor. Through a variety of effective instructional strategies that facilitate increased student engagement and understanding, this mentoring support has improved her teaching and her confidence

My mentor’s ongoing support and guidance empowered me to create a more dynamic and supportive learning environment,” said Ms. Boren.

After observing Ms. Boren teach Khmer, her mentor conducted reading and writing assessments with four of her students. The students successfully read all 16 of the difficult words presented and correctly wrote 8–10 of the 10 challenging words given.

Ms. Boren is one of many well-equipped teachers fostering collaborative, enriching learning environments in Cambodia with the support of a sustainable, government-led mentoring system. Investing in teacher professional development creates a culture of continuous improvement that positively impacts the entire school community.