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Mentoring and Supporting Student Teachers

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Tips for Mentoring Student Teachers

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Adapted from:ĚýPittier, H. (2016, September). Ten tips for mentoring a Student Teacher. ASCD Inservice Blog.

For Supervisors and Co-operating Teachers

  1. Sit down and talk about expectations (ideally, at your Introductory Meeting!), both yours and your Student Teachers’. Let them know the CT isĚýgoing to be taking the lead early in the process and expect them to observe, take notes, and, most important, ask questions daily.
  2. Teaching is a full-time position. TheĚýjob often involvesĚýsome nights and weekends, and that meansĚýStudent Teachers’ mightĚýas well.ĚýHelp them accommodate this potential change to their schedule and time management.
  3. Ease Student Teachers into teaching. Start them off with small bits of a lesson, maybe a review or the anticipatory set. Build to having them teach a segment of a lesson and eventually a full lesson. Next, piece together lessons and eventually have them conduct a full unit: planning, delivery, grading, etc. Like with students, scaffold and use gradual release of responsibility.
  4. Debrief, debrief, debrief. When Student Teachers are in front of the class, you have to be in the room taking notes.ĚýAsk why they did something or reacted in a certain way. This isn’t a “gotcha” moment but rather a time to help them engage in reflection. It is only when we truly reflect on our practice that we grow. You will find that you will also grow as a teacher as you help your Student Teachers reflect.
  5. Provide clear and useful feedback. Be sure to let Student Teachers know when they do a great job or show improvement on something you were working on together. Provide actionable feedback on things that need improvement, but don’t overwhelm.

For Co-operating Teachers

  1. Go over school procedures and be sure to introduce your Student Teacher(s) to your fellow teachers. Treat them as colleagues and expect them to act like colleagues.
  2. Don’t just tell your Student Teachers about planning and grading;Ěýmake them a part of the process. Develop your lesson plans together so they can see your thought process. Sit with them during planning time and grade papers together. Make it clear they should ask as many questions as possible about both processes.
  3. Keep a cooperative journal. Ask Student Teachers to reflect on their teaching in writing. Read their reflections and provide written responses the next day.
  4. It is likely your Student Teachers will be ill experienced in dealing with discipline issues. Be sure to review your classroom management plan, classroom norms, and discipline philosophy. As they watch you at the beginning, make sure they note any misbehaviours and how you handled them. Talk about why you did what you did and what, if anything, you might have done differently. As they begin teaching, let them know you are there but they are in control. You aren’t going to step in unless it absolutely necessary. The first time the Co-operating Teacher steps in to deal with discipline, the Student Teacher has lost credibility in the eyes of some students.
  5. Let them see that you truly care about your students. Relationships are important and get trickier in high school, where the Student Teacher is only a few years older than the seniors. Make sure there is a clear line of professionalism in the relationships between the students and teachers.

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Further Resources:

  • BLOG: Cult of Pedagogy, July 16, 2016
  • RESEARCH ARTICLE: Hobson, A.J., Ashby, P., Malderez, A., & Tomlinson, P.D. (2009). Mentoring beginning teachers: What we know and what we don’t. Teaching and Teacher Education, 25, 207-216. DOI: 10. 1016/j.tate.2008.09.001
  • PROFESSIONAL ARTICLE: Elfert, M., & Clarke, A. (2015, November). Surprising That Anyone Would Want to Be a Cooperating Teacher: The challenges and rewards of hosting Student Teachers. EdCan Network. Retrieved from

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Version Version française

Conseils pour le mentorat des stagiaires

AdaptĂ© de:ĚýPittier, H. (2016, September). Ten tips for mentoring a Student Teacher. ASCD In service. Retrieved from

Pour les superviseurs et les enseignants associés

  1. Asseyez-vous et discutez de vos attentes (idéalement, lors de votre réunion d'introduction !), les vôtres et celles de votre stagiaire. Faites-leur savoir que l'EC va prendre l'initiative au début du processus et que vous vous attendez à ce qu'ils observent, prennent des notes et, ce qui est le plus important, posent des questions quotidiennement.
  2. L'enseignement est un poste Ă  temps plein. Le travail comporte souvent des nuits et des fins de semaine, ce qui signifie que les stagiaires peuvent partager cet horaire. Aidez-les Ă  s'adapter Ă  ce changement potentiel Ă  leur horaire et Ă  leur gestion du temps.
  3. Faciliter les stagiaires Ă  se sentir Ă  l'aise avec l'enseignement. Commencez-les par un petit bout de leçon, peut-ĂŞtre une revue ou une activitĂ© d'ouverture. Demandez-leur de prĂ©senter une partie d'une leçon et Ă©ventuellement une leçon complète. Ensuite, rassemblez les leçons et, Ă©ventuellement, demandez-leur d'enseigner une unitĂ© complète : planification, enseignement, notation, Ă©valuation, etc.ĚýComme pour les Ă©lèves, Ă©chafaudez et libĂ©rez progressivement vos responsabilitĂ©s.
  4. DĂ©breffez, dĂ©breffez, dĂ©breffez.ĚýQuand les stagiaires sont devant la classe, il faut ĂŞtre dans la salle en prennant des notes.ĚýDemandez-leur pourquoi ils ont fait quelque chose ou rĂ©agi d'une certaine façon. Il ne s'agit pas d'un moment de « je t'ai eu » , mais plutĂ´t d'un moment pour les aider Ă  s'engager dans la rĂ©flexion. Ce n'est que lorsque nous rĂ©flĂ©chissons vraiment Ă  notre pratique que nous grandissons. Vous dĂ©couvrirez que vous Ă©voluerez Ă©galement en tant qu'enseignant en aidant vos stagiaires Ă  rĂ©flĂ©chir.
  5. Fournir des commentaires clairs et utiles. Assurez-vous d'informer les stagiaires lorsqu'ils font un excellent travail ou qu'ils montrent des améliorations sur quelque chose sur lequel vous travaillez ensemble. Donnez des commentaires pratiques sur les choses qui doivent être améliorées, mais ne les accablez pas.

Pour les enseignants associés

  1. Passez en revue les procédures scolaires et présentez votre stagiaire à vos collègues enseignants. Traitez votre stagiaire comme un collègue et attendez-vous à ce qu'il agisse comme un collègue.
  2. Ne vous contentez pas de parler à votre stagiaire de la planification et du classement ; intégrez-les au processus. Préparez ensemble vos plans de cours pour qu'ils puissent voir votre processus. Asseyez-vous avec eux pendant la période de planification et notez ensemble les devoirs. Précisez clairement qu'ils doivent poser autant de questions que possible sur les deux processus.
  3. Tenez un journal coopératif. Demandez aux stagiaires de réfléchir par écrit à leur enseignement. Lisez leurs réflexions et fournissez des réponses écrites le lendemain.
  4. Il est probable que vos stagiaires n'auront pas l'expĂ©rience nĂ©cessaire pour rĂ©gler les problèmes de discipline. Assurez-vous de revoir votre plan de gestion de classe, vosĚýnormes de la classe et votreĚýphilosophie de la discipline. Pendant qu'ils vous observent au dĂ©but, assurez-vous qu'ils notent tous les inconduites et la façon dont vous les avez traitĂ©es. Expliquez pourquoi vous avez fait ce que vous avez fait et ce que, le cas Ă©chĂ©ant, vous auriez pu faire diffĂ©remment. Quand ils commencent Ă  enseigner, dites-leur que vous ĂŞtes lĂ , mais qu'ils ont le contrĂ´le. Vous n'interviendrez que si c'est absolument nĂ©cessaire. La première fois que l'enseignant associĂ© intervient pour traiter de la discipline, le stagiaire a perdu de sa crĂ©dibilitĂ© aux yeux de certains Ă©lèves.
  5. Faites-leur voir que vous vous souciez vraiment de vos élèves. Les relations sont importantes et se compliquent au secondaire, où le stagiaire n'a que quelques années de plus que les élèves les plus âgés. S'assurer qu'il y a une ligne claire de professionnalisme dans les relations entre les élèves et les enseignants.

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Autres ressourcesĚý

  • BLOG: Cult of Pedagogy, July 16, 2016
  • RESEARCH ARTICLE: Hobson, A.J., Ashby, P., Malderez, A., & Tomlinson, P.D. (2009). Mentoring beginning teachers: What we know and what we don’t. Teaching and Teacher Education, 25, 207-216. DOI: 10. 1016/j.tate.2008.09.001
  • PROFESSIONAL ARTICLE: Elfert, M., & Clarke, A. (2015, November). Surprising That Anyone Would Want to Be a Cooperating Teacher: The challenges and rewards of hosting Student Teachers. EdCan Network. Retrieved from

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Guidelines & Resources for StudentĚýTeachers in Distress

One part of being a mentor is recognizing and supporting your Student Teacher duringĚýpotentially difficult times. If you know or believe a student is in stress, here are some Guidelines for Intervention:

  • Respect your limits
  • Provide safe space: Privacy, non-judgmental, showing empathy
  • Initiate contact and identify behavior objectively: “I am concerned about changes I’ve seen in you…"
  • Clarify your role: “I would like to be some help if I can. I am not the sole problem solver in this situation but I am concerned…”
  • Actively listen: By asking open questions, normalizing and validating the student’s feelings
  • Create a plan: Connect them to resources, share information on resources, draft a plan of action
  • BuildĚýresponsibility: ResponsibilizeĚýStudent Teachers for their wellbeing. You are there to support and connect them with resources. They need to articulate their needs, and participate in the solution.

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Ask the student: "Do you feel you can wait to speak with someone or do you feel you have to speak with someone right away?"

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I can wait to speak to someone

The Faculty of Education is home to a full-time Local Wellness Advisor (LWA). LWAs are mental health professionals who deliver adapted programming to all Education students and can provide one-on-one single-session interventions with students.

Suggest that they connect with their Local Wellness Advisor via:

  • One-on-One AppointmentĚýbyĚýemailing the LWA atĚýlwa.education [at] mcgill.ca
  • Workshops & Events, such as Tea Time, Skills for Managing Stress & Anxiety, Tools & Tips for Well-Being. Students can learn more and register on the .

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I need to speak to someone right away

đź•—ĚýMonday-Friday, 8am-4pm
Same-day appointments with a counsellor may be available in in the Wellness Hub.ĚýA variety of other services are also accessible through the Hub, including peer support and peer health education, health and wellness programming, group therapy and support groups, health promotion and outreach.

Brown Student Services Building (downtown campus)
3600 McTavish Street, 3rd floor
T: 514-398-6017

To access services or get more information, visit Student Services' Virtual Student Wellness Hub.
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đź•“ĚýMonday-Friday, After 4pm; Weekends

If theyĚýare feeling better after speaking with someone tonight and feel they can wait to meet with a counsellor, theyĚýcan book an appointment with theirĚýLocal Wellness Advisor (see above).

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