What Cooperating Teacher Case Studies Reveal About Their Phases of Development as Supervisors of Student Teachers

Abstract

SUMMARY This paper describes a qualitative study which examined case studies written by cooperating teachers who were enrolled in a graduate course in the supervision of student teachers. In these cases, cooperating teachers told their stories of working with student teachers. They described their thoughts and feelings, the dilemmas they faced, and the strategies they used to help their student teachers to succeed. The cases were used as a basis for studying cooperating teacher development. As a result of a content analysis, feedback from cooperating teachers and college supervisors, and a review of the appropriate literature, six phases of cooperating teacher development were identified and described. They are: Phase I: anticipation/ excitement; Phase II: confusion/clarity; Phase III: on-stage/backstage; phase IV: letting go/hanging on: Phase V: co-teacher/solo teacher, and Phase VI: loss/relief. The phases are intended to assist cooperating teachers in reflecting about their roles as teacher educators and supervisors.