Lately I have been thinking about some concerns I have regarding the relationship between student teachers and their cooperating teachers or mentor teachers. {This article} about The Boston Teacher Residency Program explains the use of a medical model for teacher training where teachers go through a residency period. It got me thinking even more that perhaps some changes are in order with regards to how teachers are trained and what expectations are in place for the nature of their "on site training."
What is the role of a cooperating teacher?
Isn't it to teach...to coach...to inform...to mentor....to inspire...to breathe the passion of educating into a novice teacher so they transform from someone who understands the pedagogy and theory into someone who can truly put that knowledge into action in an effective way that helps kids?
I don't understand why sometimes the presence of a student teacher in the classroom translates into having an "assistant' of sorts therefore reducing the workload for the classroom teacher. I know that I have never been a cooperating teacher, so I don't know the ins and outs of what is required of them, but I would sure think that actively listening to and being engaged with all lessons taught by the student teacher is an integral part of being able to help that pre-service teacher understand how to improve his or her teaching. The presence of the word cooperating in the title of Cooperating Teacher indicates a collaboration and not a dissolvement of responsibility during the student teacher's assignment. Yes, the responsibilities shift from teaching to coaching, but there is still a job to be done and an important role to play. The feedback a master teacher can provide is extremely valuable to someone about to enter the profession, especially in this job market where getting a teaching position is extremely competitive if there are any available openings at all. Students who are studying to be teachers don't get to make decision about their placement, yet the particular circumstances in which they are placed can make or break their success which is based almost entirely on the relationship developed with the cooperating teacher.
I think that a teacher should have an active interest in being a mentor because the involvement and attitude of the mentor directly affects the pre-service teacher. Yes, it is essential to let the student teacher take the reins and make decisions, teach, plan, grade, and truly experience what it is like to be the classroom teacher, yet I think the cooperating teacher needs to be by his or her side the entire time (not joined at the hip, but soaking in everything the student teacher does in order to be able to offer specific reflections). They need to be active participants, so they can provide meaningful feedback and constructive criticism and teach about teaching!
I really look forward to a time when I can work with a student teacher as one of my long term goals is to teach pre-service teachers at the college level. I think it would be a great opportunity to be able to act as a mentor for something entering the profession and to help them realize their full potential as an educator. When I was a student teacher and when I was a first year teacher, I craved feedback from other professionals and my mentors because I always wanted to know how I could be better. I wanted to be observed and I always welcomed visitors (especially unannounced visitors) because I wanted to know what they could tell me about my teaching through their perspectives, expertise, and years of experience. I look forward to when I can be a source of influence on other teachers just starting out.
Education is really in crisis right now and I think that teacher training is an extremely important facet of education that needs to be fixed. I can only really go on the experience that I had in student teaching, but I feel it was WAY too short (only 10 weeks) and I only worked with one grade level. Back then I thought it was great and I emerged feeling like I was a fantastic candidate for any job, yet looking back-I knew nothing! Barely anything about the actual job skilled required to make it work in a classroom and stay afloat when all the responsibility truly falls to you. It is important for pre-service teachers to work with kids at various ages (yet I think it is ridiculous for someone training to be a middle school teacher to do a student teaching assignment in Kindergarten (happening at my school right now)) because this is a waste of valuable time he or she could be using to learn how to do the job they actually want to do. Working with different age groups is good, but within the range or level the teacher is interested in!
Bottom line--I think teachers who are willing to take on student teachers need to really clarify within themselves the reason why. Are they passionate about educating other teachers? Do they feel forced by administration? Is there a bonus/perk like tuition credits that goes along with it?
Would you be excited about the idea of being a mentor to a pre-service teacher?
What did you like the least/most about a cooperating teacher you worked with?
Should schools let anyone be a CT or should there be special requirements to justify a willingness/interest?
6 comments:
I'm currently a pre-service teacher in my last semester. One day, I would love to mentor and assist another pre-service teacher because I believe I'll always remember what it felt like to be in that position.
I've been very fortunate to have an amazing CT for my kindergarten practicum. She has always been very real and honest with me and has offered her help to me when I get my own classroom. She also has let me do as much with the students as possible from the beginning which to me was very valuable. Most of the CT's that I've worked with have been great. I'm such a hands on learner and would much prefer to interact with students rather than sit in the back of a classroom collecting observation hours. Let me do, then let's talk about how I can get better.
I'm very thankful for all of my CT's this semester and I know it's tough on them. I think that there should be special requirements. A alot of the schools I visit just have a binder where candidates just sign up to observe. I think that is a good idea but only teachers who are willing to be CT's and have expressed true interest should be placed in the binder.
I can't wait to mentor a student teacher simply because I know what was lacking in two of my three practicums and what was FAB-U-LOUS in the last one and I want to share that gift with someone else.
My university required 2 practicums and I did 3. The first one is always half days. It became clear to me and the other gals placed in our school that we were free help. One left daily in tears because her CT was SUCH a mean-spirited person to her. My second one I left purposely about 3/4 of the way through because it was terrible. The teacher didn't want me there from the get-go and while I absolutely adored the kids, it was not a pleasant environment and I felt like I couldn't become the teacher I wanted to be if I stayed there.
Taking a chance, I signed up to do it again and I'm glad I did. I had the BEST cooperating teacher and 4 years later, we still stay in touch. She did the perfect balance of letting me try things on my own but then bringing things back to the table and asking me to reflect on what I had tried, how it had worked and what we might change. It was the best experience I could have asked for and I have never regretted for a moment taking the opportunity to repeat that experience because of the relationship I was able to develop with my CT.
MY CT was terrible! I pride myself in NOT being like her. She was a very veteran teacher who was willing to open up her classroom. I think that is why she was selected.
I would like to be a cooperating teacher but unfortunately my school rarely gets student teachers and I think it's mainly because my principal is not very open to them. I almost would feel bad bringing someone to my school because i know my principal would not help them to get a job and all and my principal in student teaching basically got me my current job.
My cooperating teacher was good- she wasn't perfect, she definitely liked having someone to share responsibility with her- but we got along really well and she did teach me a TON about teaching, especially in the area of literacy. I think literacy is my strongest area now because it was her strongest area and she passed on her passion and knowledge about literacy to me.
Some day I definitely want to be a student teacher...I have to work on being more confrontational and delivering constructive criticism first though :)
Currently, there are three ST in the school I worked at. I know that the CT have been closely working with them, specially one of them. For the conversations between them I've overheard at lunch or in open areas, I have noticed the intentions are to closely work with them. I can tell you that the harsh reality is that those teachers have been pulled away from that by the demands the school has. All of a sudden, having two or three teachers "available", meaning: "not directly responsible for a class" means: Helping hands! for all those taks that are done in a rush or half done at times for lack of staff. That's the sad reality I see.
I would love to be a CT. I am having a great mentoring relationship with my partner. As a first year teacher, I think I am receiving a much better trainning and on the job mentoring than before because we are working together as a team. I still have to make my own instructional decissions of course. However, her support, input and wisdom is readily available and I love this much more than my Student Teaching seasons.
As you know, my experience with all of my CT's this year have been very lack-luster. It was been a point of frustration for me throughout the year, but I know that it has helped me grow in more ways than I could've imagined.
I definitely think that CT's should have to go through more mentor training. My CT is a great person, but I just don't think she has the skills needed to be an effective mentor.
Post a Comment