Reframing Mentoring in Initial Teacher Education Through an Appreciative Lens

This article examines how a small group of visiting lecturers in Initial Teacher Education enhanced their mentoring through an Appreciative Inquiry process. Adopting an appreciative stance enabled them to shift from deficit-focused reflection to recognising tacit strengths and deepening relational mentoring. Their reflections became more closely aligned with the strengths-based principles in Aotearoa New Zealand early childhood education, fostering greater confidence, intentionality, and collaborative professional growth.