“It is fascinating how much a simple drawing can evoke feelings and thought”

On the use of drawing in professional mentoring and the development of early year teachers’ inner personal sovereignty

Abstract

Dialogue and verbal approaches are often used in professional mentoring to promote reflection on one's own practice. Could it be that creative methods such as drawing together with dialogue can contribute to a different form of professional learning? Based on theoretical concepts taken from the integrative supervision tradition, a study is presented where it is investigated whether drawing can contribute to development and professional learning. The concept of "inner personal sovereignty" focuses on a psychological state in which one as a professional experiences inner balance in situations with external pressure. The participants in the survey are experienced mentors for newly qualified early year teachers. In a mentoring exercise, the participants drew a situation in which they had experienced inner personal sovereignty. The drawing was then shared in smaller groups. Analysis of reflection notes from the participants shows that immersing oneself in a situation from practice through drawing led to increased attention and depth in reflections, an activation of affective and personal aspects of professional practice, and strengthened awareness of the prerequisites for personal sovereignty as an early year teacher.