"What Doesn't Kill You, Makes You Stronger!" Alternative Certification Programs: Interns' Perspectives About Mentorship

• In Event: 43.078 - MTCC Roundtable Session 16
  In Roundtable Session: 43.078-3 - Understanding Supervision for Preservice Teachers in Diverse Field Experiences

Abstract

Given the national shortage of special educators, many are entering the profession through alternative certification (AC), assuming full responsibility for classrooms or caseloads before they are fully licensed as teachers. This qualitative study explores in depth the support provided to beginning teachers in an AC program. Through several sources of data, we describe the perspectives of first-year versus second-year interns about the frequency, helpfulness, and nature of support they received from their assigned mentors, other sources of support at their school sites, and their university intern program. The findings illustrate the need for universities and schools to immediately identify a school site mentor and provide consistent access to that school site mentor throughout the school year.

Authors

• Rosalinda Larios, California State University - Los Angeles

• Andrea G. Zetlin, California State University - Los Angeles

• Leila Ansari Ricci, California State University - Los Angeles