Collaborating with the Mentor Teacher

M7 U2 Activity 1: Collaborating with the Mentor Teacher

Project Description

Overview Effective collaboration with your mentor is very important for a successful practice teaching experience in which you test and improve your teaching skills. Your mentor teacher will regularly provide you feedback on your teaching practice with the goal of improving your practice. He/she will also conduct a weekly evaluation of your teaching performance, beginning in Unit 2 of Module 8. In this activity, you will initiate that collaboration with your mentor to discuss the requirements of clinical practice as well as your approach and plan for the next twelve weeks. You will identify areas in which you are hoping to grow and learn as well as questions you or your mentor may have moving forward. Performance outcomes

• Candidates understand the importance of collaborating with their mentor as they plan for student learning

• Candidates will collaborate with their mentor to develop a plan to maximize their success throughout clinical practice.

What will you do?

1. Set up an introductory meeting with your mentor to prepare for your practice teaching. In your meeting discuss the various guiding documents provided to support you during the clinical practice:

   • The TEACH-NOW Clinical Rubric

   • Ways of Thinking about the Rubric

   • Mentor Handbook

   • Guide for Sequencing of Clinical Experiences (for new teachers)

   • Curriculum topics for 12 weeks of Clinical Practice

   • Learning Environment Management Plan

2. Review the Visible Thinking Routine video in the Activity Resources. Use the Compass Points strategy to discuss your clinical practice with your mentor. Discuss what excites you, what worries you, what you need to know and what suggestions your mentor can provide as you begin your clinical practice. Transfer your key points to a Compass Points chart with E, W, N, and S sections.

3. Discuss with your mentor the ways that you will use data to inform your instruction and how you will gather and track student achievement data over the course of your 12 weeks of clinical practice. Start discussing possible goals for student growth in the areas of subject specific goals, vocabulary goals, and collaboration and problem-solving goals over your 12-week clinical practice.

4. Update and submit your checklist document that you started last week.

5. Submit a picture of your Compass Points after the Visual Thinking Routine discussion with the mentor.

Report requirements

• Updated Checklist document

• Picture of Compass points created with your mentor

Notes Keep in mind that your mentor’s time may be limited. When initiating this meeting, as well as those during Module 8, be respectful of the time that s/he will be meeting with you before your clinical practice begins.

(The above information was cited from the TEACH-NOW Teacher Preparation Certificate Program)

My work

Activity Resources

• Guide for the Sequencing of Clinical Practice

• Compass Points overviews

Compass_Points_0.pdf

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