Sense-Making of the Field Coach Experience: A Collaborative Self-Study by Developing Teacher Educators

• In Event: Self-Study, Mentoring, and the Next Generation of Teacher Educators

Abstract

Teacher educators play a pivotal role in teacher education, yet little is known about the preparation, development, or sustainability of this role in academia. The following study investigates a subset of teacher educators—specifically, three doctoral students—who serve as field coaches to teacher candidates in their coursework and field experiences. By employing self-study methodology, we explore how this context interacts with our personal histories to shape our development. We invite teacher education programs to consider several components that support new teacher educators—mentorship from experienced faculty, opportunities to collaborate and share resources with stakeholders across the program, and affordances of time to find balance between the many roles teacher educators are asked to fulfill simultaneously.

Authors

• Kristen Driscoll, University of Colorado - Boulder

• Elizabeth Tetu Bohl, University of Colorado - Boulder

• Mary Beth Snow Balderas, University of Colorado - Boulder