Katya Nemtchinova Seattle Pacific University Natalia Orlova UJEP, the Czech Republic
Nov 07, 2014
Katya NemtchinovaSeattle Pacific University
Natalia Orlova
UJEP, the Czech Republic
Mentoring is a relationship between two people with learning and development as its purpose’.
The mentor-novice relationship in the context of teaching is one of the most important strategies to support novices’ learning to teach, and, thus, to improve the quality of teaching.
StudyTo examine the mentor/student teacher dyad by
studying student teachers’ (and, where possible,
mentors’) perceptions and assumptions about
mentoring in the context of MA TESOL practicum.
SPU PracticumPhase I: Observation to get a sense of the day-by-day progress of classes
Phase II: Actual teaching experience at the host teacher's discretion.
What teaching/mentoring skills did you bring to Phase II?
At the beginning of Phase II, how much mentoring and guidance did you
expect to receive/give about these issues?
Were your expectations met during the practicum?
Yes (80%) My practicum teacher
exceeded all of my expectations.
My teacher was very encouraging.
I am thankful for the support that my practicum teachers gave me.
No (20%) I had expected to be
able to get feedback on my performance, but almost none was forthcoming due to pressures of her other teaching assignments.
I had expected to receive more feedback from the teacher, but she became seriously ill.
My practicum teacher exceeded all of my expectations. The teacher met with me after every class to give feedback on my presentations and lessons. The teacher used a dialogic method with me when I would show him the lessons I was planning for the class. This means that he would not give a simple "approved/unapproved" answer to my class ideas. He would lead me to better lessons by asking specific questions about my knowledge of the class dynamics juxtaposed against what I wanted to do in class. This had the effect of not only helping me to create better lessons, but also gave me (what I like to call) a more "spiritual" or "organic" understanding of what teaching is. The process allowed me to develop an eye for the types of activities which would best serve the class. This process still influences me today.
How much mentoring and guidance did you actually give the practicum student
with these issues?
Students immediate (80%) regular (75%) verbal (22%) more (10%)
Teachers immediate (82%) regular (76%) specific (31%) student self-evaluation
(12%) generally positive (10%)
What type of feedback was most helpful to you? (level of detail, how often)
How do you define teacher identity? What skills did you see develop in you/ your
practicum student’s teaching identity? Students discovery (57%) trial and error (46%) classroom management
(38%) interaction with students
(21%) encouragement and
motivation (16%) confidence (10%)
Teachers confidence (100%)
How did the mentoring relationship with the host teacher/ the practicum student
affect your teaching?
Students practical impact (57%) emotional impact (53%)
Teachers practical impact (27%) motivational impact
(31%) meta-teaching (89%)
What are the qualities of an ideal host teacher/practicum student?
Ideal host teacher open (44%) good model (42%) feedback (27%) patient (24%) forgiving (19%)
Ideal student open (45%) organized (33%) enthusiastic (29%) feedback (29%) patient (18%)
What suggestions do the participants of the study have for the pre-practicum
preparation of students?
Students observation (including
multiple) (35%) self-evaluation (29%) expectations (23%) knowledge of institution
policies (15%)
Teachers multiple observations
(47%) self-evaluation (22%) expectations (16%)
Czech context: school placement
Czech context: practicum format
What teaching skills did you bring to the teaching
practicum? Language teaching (except writing) 80% Class organisation
80% Working with different types of materials 70%
Maintaining friendly classroom 20%
environment
At the beginning of the practicum, how much mentoring and guidance did you expect to receive
from your host teacher about these issues? A lot or some
A little or none
Don’t know
Classroom management
83.3% 16.3% 0%
Lesson planning 76.6% 23.3% 0%
Sharing materials 70% 30% 0%
On the spot support 46.6% 36.9 16.6%
Outside of class time 56.6% 36.6% 6,6%
Professional development
83.3% 9.6% 6.6%
Pre-practicum expectations
Were your expectations met or not met during the practicum?
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
Fully met
Somehow met
Not met at all
“I was lucky that my cooperating teacher was not simply willing to analyze my lessons but he was ready to answer my questions and make me think by some of
his questions.”
“No matter how hard I tried to get any
feedback from the host teacher on my class
performance, I couldn’t receive any as she was
constantly busy.”
What type of feedback was most helpful to you (level of
detail, how often)? Immediate informal 95% Immediate formal 2% Delayed formal 5% Follow-up suggestions 70%
for further planningLittle or no feedback at all 6.6%
How do you defineteacher identity?
the qualities of an ideal host teacher?
What skills and qualities did you see developed in your
teaching identity? classroom management skills 94% selecting materials and activities
relevant for the students 50% confidence and wish to teach
15%
after graduation voice modulation and “acting” 10%
awareness of self-improvement 45%
What suggestions the participants of the study have for the pre-
practicum preparation For peers: For trainers:
select a good host teacher be well prepared for each
class do not expect wonders study carefully the
textbook used at school do not be discouraged by
the negative experience – go ahead
to have practicum earlier more hours of
observations, ideally in the same school
to help to widen the repertoire of useful techniques
more peer teaching on practicing grammar
What did we learn? 1. Teaching practicum is an important component of
teacher training that positively shapes student teachers’ identity.
2. The success or failure of the practicum depends on the establishment of a productive mentoring relationship between the host teacher and the practicum student.
3. Mentoring has a positive effect on mentors.
4. Professional development is an important part of teacher preparation.