Abstract:

Education in the 21st century is characterized by significant challenges that indicate the necessity of innovations in education at all levels. Trends in the field of digitalization point to the improvement of the technological equipment and infrastructure of schools, the meaningful preparation of students for life and success in the 21st century requires new methods and approaches in teaching and evaluating students, teachers need to improve many competences for effective teaching. At the forefront of all these challenges are teachers and school leaders. In order to manage these changes, the continuous education of teachers seems to be insufficient. Teachers and school leaders need targeted, personal support that would help them in their professional growth and personal development. For this purpose, several regional centers for teacher support were established in Slovakia on the initiative of the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic. Regional centers offer workshops for primary school teachers and also personal mentoring. Workshops for teachers are implemented in 5 priority areas: educational programs, evaluation of students' educational results, educational process and teacher's teaching style - social climate, personalization of teaching and inclusive education, digitalization. The contribution is devoted to the importance and benefit of mentoring for the support and development of teachers, but also to other possibilities of teacher support through teachers' clubs and coaching.

Keywords:

Support for teachers, mentoring, professional development, regional centers.