Mentor Training

Salisbury UniversityThe Power of Two in Today’s Classroom

Congratulations!You are interested in hosting an SU intern…

What are your next steps?

Mentor responsibilities…Promptly sign and return your contract to Salisbury University.Remain engaged in all aspects of instruction throughout the experience.Provide constant feedback (oral & written) to the intern daily.Complete mid-term and final evaluations online and on time.

Mentors oversee…Welcome gestures (email, letter, phone call, banner)

Introductions to faculty, staff, parents & students as your co-teacher (not an SU student or student teacher)

Work space with supplies

Provide a map of the school & a tour

Supply important school contact numbers

Discuss school expectations (principal’s vision, dress code, arrival & departure times)

Mentors oversee…(cont.)Provide schedules (classes/subjects, planning time, duties, meetings, after school activities)

Supply handbooks (county, school, classroom)

Furnish curricular materials (textbooks, manuals, teacher guides, State curriculum)

Provide class roster(s) & seating chart(s)

Supply incidental information (copier info, supplies, faculty room, restroom, parking, technology, media)

Discuss school & class procedures (fire drill, crisis plan, delay schedules, behavior policies, management strategies)

P-12 StudentAchievement

Preparing thenext generation

of teachers

Teacher Professional Development

Inquiry &Dissemination

Why PDS?

The PDS Difference

“Student Teachers” vs. Internsa cohort of interns placed exclusively in PDS sitesinterns complete a100-day Extensive Internship experience over two semesters

Approach to the Experienceremain engaged in instructionrely on school/university support

What is co-teaching?

Mentor & intern collaborating together in the…planning of instruction.delivery of instruction.assessment of student learning.

Mentor & intern remaining engaged in instruction.A win-win for everyone involved:

Pre-K – 12 students & parentsSU candidatesTeachersLocal schools

Co-teaching is NOT…Co-teachers “taking turns” teaching. One co-teacher disengaging from the instructional process after a week of modeling.Interns “taking over” classes on a set timeline.an extended “coffee break” for mentors.a free ride for interns.

Free Ride

A fact to consider…Accountability

With the high stakes testing in Maryland & across the nation, schools cannot afford to have their “A-List” teachers disengage from instruction.With two teachers in the classroom the student-to-teacher ratio decreases making differentiation a reality.

Who supports co-teaching?Your school district superintendentYour administrationSU education faculty and studentsThe Maryland State Department of Education

Bottom line…PDS and co-teaching are not “SU things”…they just make sense!

What does co-teaching look like?Four basic models1. Supportive teaching - one

teacher is the lead instructor while the other teacher provides support for individual students and observes particular behaviors.

Strategies: graze & tag, proximity, conferencing, strategic pull-out, 1-on-1...

Mentor:lead voice

Intern: support

One-on-One Strategy

Co-teaching models continued…2. Complementary Teaching -

when one co-teacher enhances the instruction provided by the other co-teacher.

Strategies: record & edit, demonstrations, simulations, activity/lab set-up & break down, technology assistance, modeling...

Record and Edit Strategy

Intern: lead voiceMentor: complement

Co-teaching models continued…

3. Parallel Teaching - when two or more people work with different groups of students in different sections of the classroom.

Strategies: tiered instruction, stations, small groups, literature circles...

Mentor

Intern & Candidate

Small Group Instruction

Co-teaching models continued…4. Team teaching - both teachers are actively

engaged in instruction and management of the class.

Strategies: role playing, modeling, cooperative learning, think alouds, project-based instruction

MentorIntern

Cooperative Learning Groups

SU Mentor Training benefits include…

a Salisbury University “Clinical Mentor” designation & certificate. a $50 bonus each time you host an SU intern for an 8 week internship experience. ($225)the satisfaction of knowing that as a trained mentor teacher you are making the most of all available resources in your classroom.

ReferencesBing, J., Dunn, A., Veditz, J. (April 2007). A Royal Flush: How to Maintain a Successful PDS Partnership.Brown, J., Conners, K., Ennis, T., Gasior, P, Houghtaling, C., Johnson, J., Lutz, M.K., Siers, S. (April 2007). 21 strategies in 21 minutes: hands-on ideas for co-teaching in PDS internship.Conners, K., Gasior, P., & Siers S. (November 2006). Re-inventing the student-teaching internship to maximize P-12 student achievement. Elburn, S., & Siers, R. (2007, June). The power of two: Maximizing the collaborative experience - A phenomenological study. Paper presented at the Professional Development Schools Workshop, Salisbury, Md.

References continued…MidValley Consortium for Teacher Education (2000).

Partners for Student Achievement: A Co-Teaching Resource Handbook. http://coe.jmu.edu/esc/Consortium_Co-Teaching.shtml.

Thousand, J.S., Villa, R.A., & Nevin, A.I. (2006). The many faces of collaborative planning and teaching. Theory Into Practice, 45 (3), 239-248.

Villa, R.A., Thousand, J.S., & Nevin, A.I. (2004). A guide to co-teaching: Practical tips for facilitating student learning. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Created by…The Regional Professional Development Schools Program of the Seidel School of Education and Professionals Studies, Salisbury University