Willamette University

Graduate School of Education

Supervising Teachers: Roles and Responsibilities

Supervising teachers share responsibility with University faculty in providing support, instructional assistance, and assessment of MAT candidates. The design of the field experience is unique to the indivdual situation and is controlled by the joint decisions of the supervising teacher, the University supervisor, and the MAT candidate.

Supervising teachers agree to:

  • Attend three MAT school partnership workshops scheduled during the year,
  • Familiarize student teachers with classroom, school, and district policies and procedures pertaining to the student teacher placement assignment,
  • Establish and regularly communicate their expectations for student teachers in that placement,
  • Share classroom materials and other resources to help student teachers plan and teach effectively during their placement,
  • Assist student teachers in choosing an appropriate topic and time for implementing a work sample,
  • Develop and monitor a plan that details the transitional steps from practicum to student teaching. Elementary supervisors and student teachers also need to develop a calendar that specifies the assumption of responsibilities throughout the spring semester,
  • Require that student teachers submit written detailed lesson plans for review and feedback before assuming any teaching responsibility in the classroom,
  • Assist student teachers in writing, implementing, and modifying unit and lesson plans, and collecting written instructional plans according to a mutually agreeable schedule,
  • Monitor student teachers’ teaching with respect to classroom management, and help develop effective classroom management skills,
  • Provide instructional assistance through the use of six or more formal observations (a formal observation includes a pre/post conference, observation of the lesson, and copies of written critique/feedback given to the student teachers and placed in the student teacher’s file),
  • Use the student teaching evaluations to evaluate the student teacher six (6) times at regular benchmark intervals throughout the second semester, and meet with the student teacher to discuss the evaluation,
  • Acting as an experienced mentor, guide the student teachers toward developing their individual teaching style,
  • Encourage the student teachers to experiment with a variety of styles and strategies,
  • Confer with student teachers weekly at a designated time to review instructional plans and to discuss strengths, issues and problems that arise in student teaching,
  • Confer regularly with the University supervisor about student teacher progress, and alert University supervisors as soon as possible about any concerns or problems,
  • Hold at least three, three-way conferences with student teachers and the University supervisors: a) to work out in detail the arrangement and expectations for student teachers in their assignments, b) to determine readiness to move into full responsibility for planning and teaching, c) to evaluate progress, and d) to make recommendations for licensure,
  • Arrange for the student teachers to attend departmental/faculty meetings, and encourage participation in other appropriate school and faculty activities,
  • Complete the TSPC Student Teaching Summary Report with the University supervisor near the end of the school year.

Suggestions for Successful Mentoring

While the primary responsibility is always to the students in the classroom, the supervising teacher should insure that the MAT candidate is gradually assuming an increasing amount of responsibility. Though candidates will make mistakes and will benefit from constructive criticism, supervising teachers will want to provide this feedback privately to avoid impairing the relationship between the MAT candidate and the students.

The supervising teacher can help the MAT candidate get off to a good start by preparing the students and their parents for his/her coming. Introducing the student teacher to the students as "your other teacher" or "my co-worker" or a member of our "teaching team" will convey the impression of a peer relationship. This website provides a number of tools for supervision that can help in the process of providing effective mentoring.

Practicum

Practicum allows MAT candidates the opportunity to examine the student-teacher relationship and the role of the teacher within the context of the classroom, school and community with an emphasis on the level of authorization. MAT candidates observe, gather and analyze data, assist, co-teach and teach during their practicum. Their responsibilities include one-on-one, small group and whole class instruction, lesson development and assessment of student performance.

MAT full-time and MAT Aspire students spend about 80 hours at this practicum site during the Fall semester. Towards the end of the semester, MAT students engage in planning, implementing and assessing a unit of instruction in the classrooms to which they are assigned with the guidance and supervision of their supervising teachers. They complete a work sample for that level of authorization.

Practicum Supervising teachers agree to:

  • Attend the practicum supervising teacher training sessions each fall semester,
  • Familiarize practicum students with classroom, school, and district policies and procedures pertaining to the practicum teaching assignment,
  • Establish and communicate their expectations for practicum students in that assignment,
  • Require that practicum students submit appropriate plans before assuming any teaching responsibility in the classroom,
  • Assist practicum students in writing, implementing, and modifying lesson plans for a mutually agreeable implementation schedule,
  • Monitor practicum student’s teaching with respect to classroom management/control, and help develop effective classroom management skills,
  • Provide instructional assistance through the use of two formal observations. A formal observation includes a formal evaluation form completion, a pre/post conference, observation of the lesson, and copies of written critique/feedback given to the practicum student and placed in the candidate’s file,
  • Encourage practicum students to participate in appropriate school and faculty activities,
  • Meet with practicum student to discuss and evaluate progress in meeting TSPC and INTASC competencies,
  • Confer regularly with the practicum student to review plans and discuss classroom issues,
  • Meet with practicum students and University supervisor as needed and for a final evaluation conference.