For Mentors

Mentor
Mentoring is an important component of teacher preparation in which experienced educational professionals facilitate an intern’s growth and competencies as a teacher. As teachers begin their mentoring process, be sure to clarify expectations with intern and develop consistent communication structures. The roles and responsibilities of a mentor include:

PHASE I

  • Welcomes and orients intern to school and school community
  • Provides intern with varied, developmentally appropriate teaching experiences (bit teaching, small group teaching, co-teaching, whole class instruction; sustained teaching; full teaching)
  • Provides intern with all appropriate information regarding curriculum, students with special needs, standardized assessments and other data interns should have in order to teach all students effectively
  • Facilitates intern’s exposure to school support personnel and interactions with them as appropriate
  • Collaborates with intern to support their planning of a specified unit that they will teach during their full-time placement
  • Confers with Professional Development School Site Coordinator and UMBC personnel to maintain ongoing communication
  • Completes Clinical Practice Performance Assessment (CPPA) forms in the Education Accountability System via Tk20 by the date specified in the UMBC Mentor Handbook, including the “Phase 1 to Phase 2 Transition Performance Assessment,” if required by the Program, which must be completed before leaving for winter break
  • Problem-solves with University Supervisor and Program Coordinator; if school is a UMBC PDS, consult the IHE PDS liaison and PDS site coordinator (e.g. responsibilities, requirements, concerns, scheduling conflicts)

 

PHASE II

  • Develops a plan for a gradual release and transition of intern to full teaching responsibilities
  • Supports the intern to complete UMBC’s program requirements of full-time instruction for specified number of weeks
  • Coaches intern in classroom management, instructional processes, and assessment techniques
  • Co-plans with intern regularly
  • Observes intern and provides daily formative and/or summative feedback
  • Confers with Professional Development School Site Coordinator and university personnel to maintain ongoing communication
  • Contributes to both the ongoing and final evaluation of the intern (in consultation with the University supervisor), completing Clinical Practice Performance Assessment (CPPA) forms in the Education Accountability System via Tk20 by the date specified in the UMBC Mentor Handbook, including the “Mentor Teacher Feedback on UMBC Teacher Education Program and UMBC Supervisor Survey” for each intern mentored
  • Problem solves with Supervisor and Program Coordinator (e.g. responsibilities, requirements, concerns, scheduling conflicts)
  • Supports intern in the development of the teaching folio and completion of required action research project
  • Guides intern in aligning action research project with the school improvement plan
  • Scores teachingfolio with designated rubrics or provides other feedback as designated by the program
  • Develops a plan for gradual lessening of teaching responsibilities toward the end of the internship

 

Note: Some responsibilities may occur in both Phase I & Phase II.