Secondary Education Teacher Preparation - Teacher Education

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Secondary Education Teacher Preparation
→ Mentor Teachers

Working With Interns

Role of the Mentor Teacher

The mentor teacher is an essential part of the Secondary Teacher Preparation Program. The mentor teacher works closely with and guides the intern throughout the internship. The mentor teacher's responsibilities include:

Planning and Communication

  • Negotiate with intern and field instructor a sequence of intern responsibilities in accordance with the program standards
  • Provide intern with an outline or list of topics intern will be responsible for teaching, allowing extra time for intern to locate resources, plan, receive feedback from mentor teacher and instructor, and revise
  • Establish regular times to confer with the intern about long-term planning and provide support for identifying big ideas and appropriate curriculum materials.
  • Help identify places in the curriculum where the intern can try out ideas learned in seminars
  • Confer regularly with the field instructor about progress and concerns
  • Participate in all mentor teacher meetings  - 3 per year, in August, October and

Supporting Intern Learning

  • Facilitate and monitor intern's progress from observation to co-planning and co-teaching to lead teaching.
  • Guide the intern through daily school-based experiences such as working with other teachers, dealing with classes on an assembly day, etc.
  • Provide appropriate, classroom-based learning opportunities throughout the year.
  • Work with intern as a co-teacher as soon as possible, sharing decisions and observations
  • Observe intern's teaching and help the intern think about student understanding, alternative approaches, grouping, management, etc.
  • Provide interns with oral and written feedback about their teaching, including written feedback about the intern's focus class for the focus class binder.
  • Reflect with the intern about teaching, student learning and ideas and strategies studied in seminars.

Assessment

  • Participate in assessment conferences
  • Prepare written assessments prior to assessment conferences, using the appropriate forms for your intern's subject area, and provide copies for the intern and field instructor at the conference
  • Write and submit an Exit Performance Description at the end of the academic year
  • Help interns think about their careers as future teachers