"My Role Is to Help You See the Good Things": Considering Mentoring in the Moment

• In Event: Strengthening the Interactions Between Mentor and Preservice Teacher

Abstract

Mentor teachers (MTs) are tasked with supporting the professional development of student teachers (STs). Yet little is known about the mentoring practices they enact in the moment, during classroom instruction. In this paper, we examine the perspectives of a MT and ST as they consider whether, how and why mentoring in the moment (MITM) contributes to their professional development. Specifically, we consider how the MT and ST: collaboratively make decisions about whether and how to adjust course during a lesson; highlight one another’s strengths and recognize weaknesses; and navigate tensions that emerge when reflecting upon MITM experiences. Findings point to new possibilities for examining MITM as educative mentoring and forefronting the perspectives of educators to support their professional development.

Authors

• Joanne E. Marciano, Michigan State University

• Scott D. Farver, Michigan State University

• Amy R. Guenther, Michigan State University

• Lindsay Joseph Wexler, Michigan State University

• Kim Evert, University of Virginia