Tips

Clinical Supervisors

1. Read through tips for teacher candidates and mentors below. It is the university supervisor's responsibility to facilitate both the teacher candidates and the mentor teacher through the placement.

2. When possible, pair potential candidates during the mentor class to help them become accustomed to working with one another and to help predict any major personality clashes that may exist.

3. Ensure stakeholders such as administration, placement coordinators, mentor teachers, and teacher candidates are familiar with the model.

   • Review paired placement literature to become more aware of how to make the model successful, common pitfalls, and be prepared to discuss with stakeholders.

   • Have an orientation meeting with involved stakeholders and use the provided resources to describe the paired placement.

4. Research state policies regarding the amount of time teaching or other state policies that may impact the paired placement.

5. Facilitate a plan for teacher candidates teaching responsibilities that align with research-based co-planning and co-teaching strategies:

   • one teach/one observe

   • station teaching

   • one teach/one assist

   • parallel teaching

   • teaming

   • alternative teaching

6. Routinely check in on the triad of mentor teacher and teacher candidates.

   • Use resources provided by the team to start conversations with the mentor teachers and teacher candidates to help ensure there may not be any hidden barriers and ensure accountability for those involved in the model.

   • It is recommended to have a minimum of two debriefs with the paired placement team related to the model; one early in the semester and one at midterm. The supervisor may want to complete a final debrief to complete a PDSA cycle for future implementations.

Teacher Candidates

1. It is important to establish each day who the lead teacher is for the day and which co-planning/co-teaching strategy is being used.

   • Some people put the name on the board so that students know who is the lead teacher of the day.

   • The lead teacher should ensure that all of the materials are ready for the day of instruction.

2. It is important to establish the schedule of when each teacher will serve as the lead teacher as soon as possible. The schedule should include transition periods.

3. General planning of scope and sequence of lessons should be a team effort.

   • The lead teacher is responsible for writing the lessons that he or she leads.

   • The lessons from a unit should be discussed by all so that whomever is involved in teaching the unit understands how the material builds across the lessons. This also ensures smooth transitions between lead teachers.

   • Team planning also enables everyone to assist with the lesson.

   • During the co-planning and/or co-teaching process the lead teacher should make it clear what type of feedback/support s/he would like/expects from their team. For example, if you would like feedback on the transitions between activities, you should be sure to make this explicit to the other teammates (possibly in the comments section of the document).

   • Each teacher should have a copy of the lesson plan ahead of the day that it is going to be taught.

   • Remember to refer back to the Co-planning and Co-teaching model handouts to help you work together more effectively.

   • See the rule for lessons plans being prepared a specific number of days in advance in the syllabus.

4. It is important for each teacher to participate in debriefings of lessons.

5. Each teacher candidate should assist the other teacher candidate when appropriate.

6. Each teacher candidate should use the observation protocols he or she is not teaching or is not the lead teacher. The protocols are designed so that one can focus on a particular aspect of instruction at a time. Please see instructions in the syllabus.

7. It is important that each teacher sees himself or herself as a member of the team to ensure student learning is taking place.

   • The atmosphere should not be competitive.

8. During the lead teacher’s full days of teaching there should be sometimes when the person is left alone in the room to help the person feel confident about being able to orchestrate a discussion and/or manage a class alone.

   • The other candidate can observe other teachers during this time or shadow a student around for a day (see handout).

9. For those teacher candidates completing the EdTPA:

   • As a team you should establish who will teach first when completing the EdTPA learning segment.

   • Make sure that the person teaching the lesson is the only teacher in the video.

   • Make sure that when you plan your lesson you provide specific details about making accommodations for students with specials.

   • You also need to make sure that you provide specific feedback.

Mentors

1. Allow time for the pairs to work individually and collaboratively. Support candidates as a pair and individually acknowledge and affirm the teacher candidates identities.

2. Read through tips for teacher candidates above. It is the mentors responsibility to facilitate interactions between the teacher the frame teaching as a professional practice in which each professional is growing in their practice.

3. Be cautious of comparing candidates during discourse with pairs. Use focusing questions during debriefs that encourage discussion around the implementation and use of NCTM's eight effective teaching practices.

4. Be aware of the teacher candidates program requirements.

   • Communicate with supervisor.

   • Refer to clinical manual provided by the institution for teaching requirements.

   • Provide opportunities for candidates to transition into lead teaching responsibilities.

   • Assign leadership responsibilities to individuals in a pair to ensure accountability for lesson plans and tasks.

5. Given the potential negative views of the model on preparing teachers for isolated teaching and classroom management, ensure each candidate has an opportunity to lead teach in isolation. Use resources provided by the supervisor to engage the other teacher candidate in following K12 students and observing other teachers in the building.