The Value of Mentorship for Teacher Candidates Committed to Teaching in Underresourced Schools

• In Event: Fairmont Roundtable Session Eleven
  In Roundtable Session: Preparing Future Teachers to Teach in Diverse Contexts (Table 1)

Abstract

Teacher education programs are continually seeking ways to better prepare future educators. Teacher retention has been a consistent problem for the field of education. This study was borne from a larger investigation at a midwestern university that houses a specialty track of education in preparing teacher candidates (TCs) who desire to work in under-resourced, urban schools. In this study, the research team analyzed the role of mentorship and peer relationships in supporting TCs’ engagement with anti-racist, culturally responsive teaching practices. A strong and consistent theme discovered in analysis was that TCs utilized the tiered levels of support built into the program (cooperating teachers, the research team, and other students in the program) as beneficial mentors for their own growth.

Authors

• Tiffany Rowland, University of Toledo
  Presenting Author

• Ruslan Slutsky, University of Toledo
  Presenting Author

• Katherine Kresin Delaney, University of Toledo
  Presenting Author