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.