The quality of a student teacher’s experience rests with the cooperating teacher. As a veteran educator, inservice teachers know well how to run a classroom and teach their content areas, but the act of mentoring another professional presents a new set of challenges. By following these three principles, cooperating teachers will be able to provide a quality intern experience, which does not compromise student learning and can result in their own further professional development.
Establish Effective Communication
The key to any working relationship is communication. As a mentor, the cooperating teacher must establish clear systems of communication at the start of the experience, and encourage the student teacher to gradually assume more responsibility for leading these conversations. Mentors should also communicate regularly with the university supervisor to share concerns, or areas of progress, as this will prevent small issues from becoming big problems that could affect student learning.
Areas that should be discussed before the experience begins include classroom expectations (what has to be done certain ways and what can be changed to suit the student teacher’s style); frequency and type of feedback and evaluation (both informal and formal feedback should be given on a regular basis, regardless and in addition to the formal system used by the university); and ways in which the student teacher should present the experience to parents.
Build Professional Collegiality
Preservice teachers bring some experience to the classroom, and a great deal of learning and background knowledge. It is the responsibility of the cooperating teacher to structure the student teaching experience in a way that treats the teaching candidate as a fellow professional, while ensuring the integrity of student learning.
Establishing the authority of the student teacher with pupils is essential. Student teachers should begin immediately taking over teaching responsibilities, gradually but quickly building to teaching the whole day. Encourage students to go directly to the student teacher with questions, and intervene with decisions only in cases where safety or learning are at risk. Include the student teacher in playground or other duties, faculty meetings, professional development, and parent-teacher conferences.
Encourage Classroom Creativity
One of the most exciting aspects of mentoring a student teacher is the opportunity to learn new ideas from them. Though sharing materials, resources, and teaching methods is part of the mentoring process, cooperating teachers must also allow student teachers to try their own ideas to see what works and what doesn’t. Many cooperating teachers find new resources through their student teachers and their own teaching becomes revitalized.
As student teachers try new methods, mistakes are inevitable. But if safety and learning are not compromised, no harm will be done and the student teacher will come away from the experience that much wiser. Be sure to build time in after questionable lessons to discuss what worked, what didn’t, and why. Encourage the student teacher to develop ways to authentically assess student learning, and to reteach concepts when necessary.
The student teaching experience is an opportunity for both the cooperating teacher and the student teacher to reach new heights of professional knowledge and practical wisdom. By acknowledging the potential areas of conflict, and establishing professional boundaries and systems for communication, both the new and veteran educators will grow from the experience and become better able to meet the needs of their students.
Barbara Abromitis - Barbara Abromitis, Ed.D. is a freelance writer and educational consultant, with degrees in reading education and educational psychology, ...
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