Teacher Mentors
Teacher mentors are essential to the success of the Professional Development School. They support our teacher candidates in bridging theory and practice, offer real-time feedback, model effective instructional strategies and encourage reflection on teaching and student learning. They contribute to our culture of continuous learning and collaboration within our PDS community.
Our teachers and childcare center providers who serve as mentors are asked to advise and supervise teacher candidates at their local schools and centers throughout the semester. Teacher mentors are asked to provide daily insights, suggestions and feedback to support teacher candidates’ development.
Our PDS uses a specific 3-level mentoring structure to support our teacher candidates' professional development. The objective of the mentoring structure is to develop a continuum of authentic mentoring experiences for teacher candidates.
The three mentoring levels include:
- Preliminary Mentoring
- Intermediate Mentoring
- Advanced Mentoring
Our mentoring structure provides descriptors for each level including (a) the presumed readiness of teacher candidates; (b) the overarching goals of each mentorship level; (c) the learning outcomes for teacher candidates; (d) the general characteristics of each mentorship level; and (e) the anticipated quality of mentorship provided.
Level 1: Preliminary Mentorship
Teacher Candidates’ Presumed Readiness:
Prior to this level, candidates have had little formal exposure to classroom-based mentorship experiences
Overarching Goal of Mentorship at this Level:
For candidates to have opportunities to experience authentic teachers’ work, students’ learning processes and life in classrooms.
Learning Outcomes for Candidates:
- Identify and reflect on key aspects of a teacher’s professional work within the classroom and school.
- Demonstrate a professional disposition.
- Initiate and seek out opportunities that are supportive of students and mentor teacher.
- Demonstrate a commitment to ongoing development and personal growth within the profession of teaching.
Qualities of Mentorship that School Partners Provide at this Level:
- Mentor a teacher candidate one or two times a week for a total of three hours weekly over the course of the semester
- Guide and support teacher candidate’s knowledge of classroom and school procedures, expectations, and norms
- Provide mentoring to prepare teacher candidates to carry out appropriate instructionally beneficial experiences such as working with individual students, supporting a teacher/mentor-planned learning center/ small group, and introducing a segment of a lesson
- Provide regular informal and formal feedback to the teacher candidate about what went well and what changes should be made in the future.
- If SUNY Cortland faculty liaison has requested the use of an evaluation tool, the mentor teacher completes and reviews with the candidate at designated times
General Characteristics of Mentorship at this Level:
- School hosts 15-25 teacher candidates and assign one staff member to be the school’s PDS liaison
- Candidates are typically mentored for 25 hours or less
- Embedded in one of the first pedagogy courses candidates take in their programs
Qualities that SUNY Cortland Provides at this Level:
- SUNY Cortland provides a stipend of $500 per semester to the school
- Access to 3-6 hours of professional development opportunities to all staff in the district
- Designates one college faculty member to be the college’s PDS liaison to the school
Level 2: Intermediate Mentorship
Teacher Candidates’ Presumed Readiness:
Candidates have had at least one formal classroom-based mentoring experience.
Overarching Goal at this Level:
For candidates to begin to be mentored by an inservice teacher to learn about the assessment, planning, and teaching cycle.
Learning Outcomes for Candidates:
- Identify and reflect on key aspects of a teacher’s professional work within the classroom and school.
- Demonstrate a professional disposition.
- Plan and implement a segment of a lesson in the host classroom
- Seek out and apply mentor teacher’s feedback when interacting with students.
- Demonstrate a commitment to ongoing professional development and personal growth within the profession of teaching.
Qualities of Mentorship that School Partners Provide at this Level:
- Mentor a teacher candidate one or two times a week for a total of five hours a week over the course of the semester
- Guide and support teacher candidate’s understanding of classroom and school procedures, expectations, and norms.
- Provide the teacher candidate with opportunities to plan, implement, and informally assess short segments of instruction.
- Provide appropriate, instructionally beneficial experiences such as working with individual students and supporting a learning center or small group.
- Provide regular informal and formal feedback to the teacher candidate about what s/he is observing and doing.
- If SUNY Cortland faculty liaison has requested the use of an evaluation tool, complete and review with the student at designated times.
General Characteristics of Mentorship at this Level:
- School hosts 15-25 students and assign one staff member to be the school’s PDS liaison.
- Candidates are mentored between 25-60 hours.
- Embedded in the midpoint of teacher candidates program.
- School and college faculty consult on field assignments for candidates.
Qualities that SUNY Cortland Provides at this Level:
- SUNY Cortland would provide a stipend of $750 per semester to the school
- Access to 6-10 hours of professional development opportunities to all staff in the district
- Designate one college faculty member to be the college’s PDS liaison
Level 3: Advanced Mentorship
Teacher Candidates’ Presumed Readiness:
Candidates have had multiple field experiences and are expected to engage in more direct teaching with specific focus on their preparation for student teaching.
Overarching Goal at this Level:
For candidates to develop proficiency with implementing the assessment, planning, and teaching cycle.
Learning Outcomes for the Candidates:
- Identify, reflect and engage in key aspects of a teacher’s professional work within the classroom and school.
- Demonstrate a professional disposition.
- Initiate, seek out, and engage in opportunities that are supportive of students and mentor teacher.
- Plan, implement and assess multiple and connected segments of instruction leading to full lesson plan implementation
- Seek out and apply host teacher’s feedback
- Demonstrate a commitment to ongoing development and personal growth within the profession of teaching.
Qualities of Mentorship that School Partners Provide at this Level:
- Support a teacher candidate during an immersion experience of between three-four weeks duration.
- Guide and support teacher candidate’s understanding of classroom and school procedures, expectations, and norms.
- Provide the teacher candidate with multiple opportunities to plan, implement, and assess instruction.
- Provide appropriate, instructionally beneficial experiences, such as involvement and participation in planning, delivering whole class lessons, providing interventions to small groups and individual students.
General Characteristics of Mentorship at this Level:
- School hosts 15-25 candidates and assign one staff member to be the school’s PDS liaison.
- Mentorship dedication at this level vary in duration depending on program.
- Candidates are expected to engage in more direct teaching with specific focus on identifying and talking about the effect of their teaching on student learning.
- Candidates are expected to develop a professional teaching persona and use data to reflect on their instructional efforts.
- School and college faculty consult on field assignments for candidates.
- Candidates demonstrate they are prepared for student teaching.
Qualities that SUNY Cortland Provides at this Level:
- SUNY Cortland would provide a stipend of $1000 per semester to the school
- Access to 10-15 hours of professional development opportunities to all staff in the district
- Designate one college staff member to be the college’s PDS liaison.