Randi Nevins Stanulis

“Jumping in”: trust and communication in mentoring student teachers

Abstract The purpose of this study was to uncover how two student teacher/mentor teacher pairs made sense of their roles during a year-long field placement. We learned about the ways in which the pairs discussed the idea of “jumping in” as they framed trust and communication as integral components of mentoring in learning to teach. Qualitative data sources informed our analysis of the ways people made sense of their roles in a mentoring relationship and provided participants’ perspectives on involvement in group conversations about mentoring. Implications include: (1) mentoring as “jumping in”; (2) conscious collaboration in learning to teach; and (3) mutual mentoring.

Classroom Teachers as Mentors: Possibilities for Participation in a Professional Development School Context.

Abstract This paper describes how five classroom teachers make sense of their role as mentors in support of novices as they learn to teach. These teachers interact within a context that provides possibilities for participation with a teacher education program and professional development research. The main aim of the study was to gain insights into ways in which the five mentors talk about their theories of how novices learn to teach, use different sources of knowledge to help novices learn to teach, and model and encourage critical reflection about issues and practices in teacher education. Findings reveal that four of the five mentors played prominent roles as teacher educators, and developed collaborative relationships within the professional development school context between mentors, prospective teachers, and university faculty through sustained interactions, shared professional responsibility, and respect.

Quality Teacher Induction: “Fourth-Wave” (1997–2006) Induction Programs

The purpose of this essay is to describe quality teacher induction that has evolved from “fourth-wave” (1997–2006) teacher induction program development and research. A definition of quality induction is proposed, and a set of induction goals and components are outlined. Understandings gained from fourth-wave programs are described, including ways in which quality induction programs are delineated by their comprehensive systems of organized, educative mentor assistance, professional development, and formative assessment of novice teachers in their first-through-third years of teaching. More empirical studies are needed on the effects of induction on novice teacher performance and student achievement, and on subject-based and urban teacher induction.

The Teacher's Role in Creating a Positive Verbal and Nonverbal Environment in the Early Childhood Classroom

Teachers play a critical role in establishing the verbal and nonverbal environment in the early childhood classroom. Within this article, childrens literature is used as a vehicle for enhancing understanding of (a) how teachers talk to children, (b) how teachers allow children to talk to each other in positive and reinforcing or negative ways, and (c) how teachers help children talk to themselves about their learning and participation in class. The role of the teacher as a positive, conscious, and deliberate model of self-regulated learning is promoted.

Negotiating preparation and practice: Student teaching in the middle

Student teaching is the bridge between preparation for teaching and the beginning of a teaching career. All that has been previously theorized, discussed, imagined and observed either comes together or gets left behind as new teachers begin the development of their own personal teaching style through a day-to-day immersion in the realities of classroom life. The fit between preparation and actual teaching is never perfect; the most conscientiously prepared student teacher will find that a portion of the work of student teaching involves an ongoing accomodation of differences between the preparation for teaching and life in the classroom. In this article, the AA. consider the work of our own collaborative student teaching team composed of a student teacher, a classroom mentor, and a university mentor as they negotiated the less-than-perfect fit between teacher preparation and life in a middle school language arts classroom

Action Research as a Way of Learning about Teaching in a Mentor/Student Teacher Relationship

Abstract This case of critical action research describes themes of learning in one mentor/student teacher relationship. A mentor teacher, student teacher, and university educator collaboratively examined philosophies, knowledge, and relational factors that guided actions during student teaching. Data collection included videotaped conferences, stimulated recall interviews, and writing in a dialogue journal. The mentor and university educator collaborated in data analysis and construction of a case of mentoring that includes four themes of learning: respect, learning community, mentor/student teacher relationship, and learning from action research. Results indicate benefits of supporting sustained conversations between mentor and student teacher, benefits of engaging in action research for the mentor and student teacher, and benefits of creating a collaborative context for teacher learning. I try to be real reflective. I try not to say, “No, thats wrong”, or “Yes, thats right” … And I try to let her find...

Finding her way: a beginning teacher's story of learning to honour her own voice in teaching

Abstract This article examines the ways in which a collaborative action research design became the lens by which a classroom teacher and two university teacher educators examined the practice of a novice during her second year of teaching. Together the three authors tell a story of a young womans struggle to find and honour her voice as a new teacher. Three overarching themes were identified from the date, including university preparation, formal/informal support networks and finding and honouring her voice. Findings revealed that the collaborative nature of this research provided for unintended praxis for all researchers. Ultimately, the teachers quest for voice and ultimate articulation of self-as-teacher emerged as a result of her participation in this collaborative inquiry.

Mentoring Beginning Teachers to Enact Discussion-based Teaching

As interest in improving the quality of teaching has increased, so has an interest in how teachers can be mentored. We described the Practice of one mentor as she assisted three beginning teachers to shift their teaching practice to a more robust understanding of the high-leverage practice of discussion-based teaching. This mentor participated in a two-year university-led professional development intervention to prepare her to target discussions as a focus. Tenets of assisted performance are used to analyze the mentoring approach used with each unique beginning teacher. The tenets of assisted performance include: (a) identifying performance levels, (b) structuring situations, and (c) scaffolding support and preparing for unassisted performance. In this study, we documented ways in which the mentor demonstrated authority to persist in moving each beginner to embrace features of a complex practice related to reform-based teaching.

Teacher as Mentor, Teacher as Learner: Lessons from a Middle-School Language Arts Teacher.

Abstract This article reports results of a year‐long study of the mentoring relationship between an experienced middle school language arts teacher, Dera, and a novice teacher, Kelly. Our research focused primarily on what Dera learned about herself as an educator through the mentor relationship. Randi, a university educator, worked with Dera and Kelly during the year to provide another layer of support in thinking about issues of learning to teach. We analyzed transcripts from research and mentor meetings along with journal entries from the year‐long study in order to be able to report the “lessons learned”: planning the learning experiences in mentoring, letting the mentoring relationship evolve, and “putting yourself out there” as a teacher and learner.

Beginning teachers improve with attentive and targeted mentoring

Abstract In the attentive, targeted mentoring framework, mentors shift their focus from helping beginning teachers merely survive the first year to empowering them to thrive and impact student learning.