Taking It Public: Rendering Visible the Spectrum of Clinical Supports for Teacher Candidates

• In Event: Roundtable Session 17
  In Roundtable Session: Mentoring Relationships Involving Preservice Student Teachers, Supervisors, and Teachers

Abstract

Teacher candidates enter their student teaching experience with a range of skills, knowledge, and experiences. In an ideal situation, the supports provided by mentor/cooperating teachers and university-affiliated supervisors would be responsive to where the individual teacher candidate is on the spectrum of teacher development. This paper presents findings from a qualitative study exploring the extent to which mentor teachers and supervisors provide learner-centered supports to teacher candidates. The most salient finding of this investigation is that university supervisors who attend to the individual readiness of student teachers, do so differently for those who are struggling. For the student teachers who are thriving, there appears to be little attention to learning outside the capacities outlined in the lesson observation form.

Authors

• Joni Kolman, City College of New York - CUNY

• James Christopher Head, CUNY Graduate Center