Mentoring practices of cooperating teachers to prepare student teachers for meeting selected Iowa Teaching Standards: the student teacher's perspective

Abstract

Student teaching is the most widely studied aspect of inservice teacher preparation (Gibson, 2000), the premier event for which the preservice educator has been trained. It is critical that this experience goes well, as it sets the stage for his/her career. Appropriate guidance is key during this stage of development for teachers. Without mentoring or guidance, student teachers may not be ready to meet the challenges that await them in their own classrooms. This study used qualitative research to determine how student teachers perceive that they are being mentored by their cooperating teachers to assist them in meeting the Iowa Teaching Standards, specifically standards 7 and 8, related to professional behaviors. Mentoring skills that developed within the student teaching experience as a result of the relationship between the student teacher and the cooperating teacher were observed. This project used multiple methods to collect data. Data were obtained from interviews, student teaching seminars, student teacher focus groups, and the reflective journals of each student teacher and from a focus group session of cooperating teachers. Behaviors, skills, and mentoring practices were observed by the student teachers as demonstrated by the cooperating teachers. Data from the focus group questions were grouped into four themes: classroom management, teaching strategies, networking/professional development, and mentor relationships. The student teachers observed examples of professionalism and ethical behavior during their student teaching placements. These observations provide the real world application of topics discussed during their collegiate program of study. For these Iowa preservice educators, it is imperative to grasp the reality of these concepts. These concepts