Support Team Characteristics

Characteristics of Supervisors, Mentor/Support Teachers, and School Site Administrators

University Supervisors/Site-Based Supervisors Will:

• • Attend University orientation to understand program curriculum (including TPEs and CalTPA model), effective supervision approaches, roles, and expectations.

  • Hold appropriate credentials or have equivalent experience in educator preparation.

  • Have expertise in the content area in which the candidate is being supervised & know the California Academic Content Standards and Common Core Standards for the grade level(s), and subject(s), and class(es) being observed.

  • Have recent professional experiences in school settings where the curriculum aligns with California’s adopted content standards and frameworks and the school reflects the diversity of California’s student population.

  • Communicate and collaborate effectively with other members of a Teacher Candidate’s support team.

  • Suggest a variety of instructional strategies to engage all students in learning.

  • Understand the importance of scaffolding learning so that all students have access to the core curriculum & recognize differentiated instruction and assessment for English learners and students with special needs.

  • Have experience creating and maintaining safe and effective classroom environments for student learning.

  • Recommend a variety of ways to teach literacy within various content areas.

  • Share subject-specific materials and ideas with Teacher Candidates.

  • Provide information for Mentor and Support Teachers about Dominican’s program.

  • Observe and complete formal scripted classroom observations of Teacher Candidate.

  • Confer with the Teacher Candidate before the observation to establish weekly goals.

  • Meet with each Teacher Candidate after the observation to provide constructive feedback on their progress.

  • Model for the Teacher Candidate professional behaviors consistent with excellence in teaching.

  • Confer with other members of the Teacher Candidate's support team:

    • • Meet with Mentor and Support Teachers, as needed, to discuss progress and to develop plans for addressing any problems that may arise.

      • Confer regularly with School Site Coordinators/Principals/Mentor Teachers to problem solve any difficulties related to Teacher Candidate.

  • Evaluate the Teacher Candidate’s performance.

  • Speak with the Site Coordinator/Principal at the end of the semester about the school’s continued participation as a Dominican training site.

  • Meet other specific requirements as determined by individual school districts or programs.

Mentor/Support Teachers Will: 

• • Complete Orientation and training focused on effective supervision approaches, instructional practices, current curriculum development and/or content-specific pedagogy.

  • Hold a Clear Credential in the content area for which supervision is being provided and have a minimum of three years of content area K-12 teaching experience.

  • Have demonstrated exemplary teaching practices.

  • Communicate with the Supervisor and staff, as necessary, to understand the role and expectations of the Mentor/Support Teacher.

  • Provide orientation for the Teacher Candidate before Student Teaching begins: Explain school procedures and classroom expectations, particularly those related to planning, grading, and classroom management.

  • Guide the Teacher Candidate in organizing curriculum and planning instruction, including review of lesson plans.

  • Provide the Teacher Candidate with a minimum of five hours of weekly support across the TPEs.

  • Share instructional resources with the Teacher Candidate & provide specific reflective and constructive written or oral feedback at least once each week to develop and improve the Candidate's lesson planning, classroom implementation, reflection, and self-assessment skills.

  • Schedule and participate in conferences with the Teacher Candidate.

  • Supervise the development of short- and long-term planning (lesson plans, unit plans, etc.).

  • Assist the Teacher Candidate in developing plans for addressing classroom problems/issues as they arise.

  • Provide the Teacher Candidate with opportunities to implement a variety of teaching strategies.

  • Provide the Teacher Candidate with opportunities to observe and apply concepts and strategies outlined in the California Dyslexia Guidelines, including direct observation of strategies designed to support students with dyslexia.

  • Provide the Teacher Candidate with opportunities to learn about how teachers use screening and diagnostic techniques to inform teaching and early intervention. 

  • Observe the Teacher Candidate’s classroom teaching performance regularly.

  • Support the Teacher Candidate’s transition to becoming the lead instructor.

  • Model professional behaviors consistent with excellence in teaching.

  • Confer regularly with Supervisor to provide feedback on the Teacher Candidate’s progress.

  • Meet other specific requirements as determined by individual school districts or programs. 

Administrators and School Site Coordinators Will: 

• • Introduce the Teacher Candidate to appropriate department and/or grade level members.

  • Assist Teacher Candidates in establishing appropriate sites for observation and participation experiences the semester before Student Teaching.

  • Expect candidate to participate in department, grade level, and staff meetings.

  • Include candidate in available professional development opportunities.

  • Approve Student Teaching placements as appropriate.

  • Work with the Supervisor in developing and refining the supervising skills of Mentor/Support Teachers as appropriate.

  • Make school policies and procedures available to Teacher Candidates.

  • Distribute funds to the University as delineated in the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) or Budget Agreement. 

  • Provide a regular forum for communication and feedback about the program through the Approved Program of Mentor’s Advisory Board and program staff.