MENTOR TEACHERS
(Also referred as Cooperating Teacher)
A mentor is someone who allows you to see the hope inside yourself. ~ Oprah Winfrey
Mentor Teacher (also referred to as the cooperating teacher): A teacher employed in a public school or a nonpublic school which meets the state performance standards as established in KRS 156.160 or which has been accredited by a regional or national accrediting association who is contracting with an educator preparation institution to supervise a student teacher for the purpose of fulfilling the student teaching requirement of the approved educator preparation program. A minimum of 3 years teaching experience is required, along with completing training at the state level through the Educational Professional Standards Board (EPSB).
Overview of Responsibilities/Training for Mentor Teachers
We ask all Mentor Teachers to review two short videos prior to supporting a Topper Teacher.
WEEK ONE
Prepare the class for the student teacher and make the student teacher feel at home in the school.
Organize a work and planning space in the classroom for the student teacher.
Provide a tour of the building.
Share the safety procedures for your classroom/school.
Provide the student teacher with materials, resources, schedules, class rolls, policies and procedures, and curriculum guides.
Establish a weekly time to meet to plan and discuss feedback regarding the student teacher's growth. We do ask the Mentor Teacher to plan with the student teacher and share resources that go along with any school/district curriculum. As student teachers take over more responsibilities, they may do more individual planning.
The student teacher no longer needs to create a video at the beginning of the placement. This was revised in June 2023.
Professional Growth Plan (PGP) PROFESSIONAL GROWTH PLAN / SELF ASSESSMENT
Explain methods of maintaining attendance, grades, cumulative records, communication with families, and other necessary records and routines of the classroom.
Organize classroom observations with other teachers in the building (student teacher needs 3 per 8-week placement or 6 total for the semester).
FOLLOWING WEEKS THROUGHOUT THE 8-WEEK OR 16-WEEK PLACEMENT
Allow student teacher to assume responsibility, usually during the second week, starting with one class or lesson. Classes are then added, one each week until the student teacher is teaching all of the classes of the cooperating mentor teacher. The full day solo teaching should last for a full week for each of the two 8-week placements or two full weeks for a single 16-week placement. Mentor Teachers may continue to co-teach during the solo weeks, as they see the need.
Evaluate the student teacher frequently on an informal evaluation using:
Written Weekly Feedback Form or a version of this form that fits the needs of the Mentor Teacher (This is for overall feedback to record progress and identify needed areas of growth. The student teacher will upload these forms to their Sources of Evidence Google Site.)
*Note that the Mentor Teacher may focus just on a few of the domains at a time. As long as the student teacher receives feedback on all 4 domains over time.
3. Work collaboratively with the university supervisor to assess the student teacher's progress, both informally and formally using:
Midterm Progress Evaluation The Mid-term Progress form that will be used beginning Fall 2024 for all student teachers with only one 16-week placement. It has a revised scoring guide. (The University Supervisor will provide this form.) It is only completed on individuals with one 16-week placement. Student teachers who have two 8-week placements will have two final evaluations instead.)
Final Evaluation, The Final Evaluation form that will be used beginning Fall 2024 for all student teachers. It has a revised scoring guide. (University Supervisor will provide this form.)
Disposition Rating Form Rubric Documentation of a student teacher's disposition is a source of evidence to show the potential for success as a teacher. The Supervisor and Mentor Teacher will use this Dispositions Rating Rubric to rate the student teacher’s performance on each component. This is completed on the midterm progress report for 16-week one placement student teachers and again at their final evaluation. For student teachers who complete two 8-week placements, their disposition ratings are completed at the end of each of the 8-week placements.
4. Discuss the following Sources of Evidence on a regular basis with the student teacher:
Weekly Projected Schedule of Responsibilities (student teacher is responsible for completing this but under your guidance as you co-plan)
5. Inform the University Supervisor should there be major concerns regarding the student teacher's performance. The University Supervisor will contact the Professional Educator Services Director, as needed. We encourage Mentor Teachers not to hesitate to reach out early so that we may intervene early.
WEEKLY PLANNING SESSIONS AND FEEDBACK
To help the student teacher identify his/her strengths and weaknesses as a potential teacher, the Mentor Teacher, and Student Teacher should:
Establish a weekly time to meet.
Both the mentor teacher and student teacher should be prepared with notes/questions to guide the discussions.
The mentor teacher should take a positive approach with the student teacher, emphasizing the student teacher's assets as well as areas for growth.
Weekly written constructive feedback should be provided to the student teacher to allow time for improvement.
Student teachers are scored following the same expectations as a KY teacher, as identified in the KY Framework for Teaching Rubric. It is appropriate for many student teachers to be at the developing level in most areas.
Objective reflection and self-analysis on the part of student teacher should be cultivated. If a mentor teacher believes that a student teacher is not responding well to feedback or using that feedback to improve, the mentor teacher should notify the university supervisor as soon as the challenging behavior is noted.
Please plan to use the co-teaching model regularly. The expectation is that the student teacher is engaged at all times. See Co-teaching page on this website
WEEKLY FEEDBACK FORM This form may be adapted to fit the needs of the Mentor Teacher. However, there is an expectation that student teachers will receive regular weekkly feedback and that there will be documentation of that feedback. It is understood that every component may not be provided specific feedback each week; but over the course of the placement, each component of the 4 domains should be addressed. The Student Teacher will make this feedback available to the University Supervisor, for review, at each formal observation. Please note: student teachers are scored following the same expectations as a KY teacher, as identified in the KY Framework for Teaching Rubric. It is appropriate for many student teachers to be at the developing level in most areas.
WEEKLY PROJECTED SCHEDULE OF RESPONSIBILITIES This form may be adapted to meet the needs of the class schedule, as well as the most effective way for Student Teachers to record the schedule of responsibilities. However, the expectation is that Student Teachers will keep a weekly list of the content being taught and/or duties they are in charge of completing. This documentation will be part of the Student Teacher's Sources of Evidence Google Site for the University Supervisor to review.
Tuition Waiver Application for Mentor Teachers In recognition of valuable service to the preparation of teachers a mentor teacher may apply for a tuition waiver for each student teacher he/she mentors each school year.
Co-Teach Training Every mentor teacher is required to complete this training that is an EPSB requirement. We ask mentor teachers to review it each time they host a new student teacher.
SUPERVISION BY A CERTIFIED EMPLOYEE AT ALL TIMES
KRS Chapters 157 and 161 require the employment of competent certified teachers, but there is no express or implied exclusion of an assistant or student teacher. The student teacher cannot be employed by the local board of education, can receive no compensation from said board or exercise any authority in the management or control of the class. While a student teacher is working with the class, the regularly employed certified teacher must remain in a supervisory capacity to see that the recitations are heard and instructions given according to his/her own judgment and discretion. There can be no delegation of this authority and responsibility.
The student teacher may be devoted to his/her pursuit of the art of teaching, but he/she is not a teacher within the meaning of the law, which has undertaken to insure that school children shall be taught only by those who have met, not by those seeking to attain, a certain standard of proficiency.
Therefore, it is the opinion of this office that a student teacher may not legally take charge of a classroom in the absence of the regular teacher.1 A January 1975 opinion of the Attorney General2 not only reaffirms this opinion but further states that a student teacher is not authorized to teach except under the supervision of a certified teacher. In response to the Attorney General's statement, the following policy statements will guide Western's university supervisors and student teachers.
A student teacher has no legal authority as a certified teacher either in or out of the classroom. The student teacher may not be used as a substitute for his/her supervising teacher or for another certified teacher.
A student teacher may not legally assume full or unassisted responsibility for any activities (such as field trips, debate contests, etc.) that occur away from the cooperating school.
Absence from the classroom on the part of the supervising teacher for any period of time is governed by the policies of the local Board of Education.
A WAIVER BY EPSB DOES ALLOW FOR STUDENT TEACHERS TO SERVE AS EMERGENCY CERTIFIED SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS. HOWEVER, UNLESS A STUDENT TEACHER IS BEING HIRED TO SUBSTITUTE, THEY SHOULD NOT BE LEFT ALONE WITH THE STUDENTS.