Being There as a Support, a Guide, and to Intervene When You Have To - Mentors Reflect on Working with Teacher Candidates

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by acoobca

Study examining how mentors in a secondary teacher preparation program perceive their long-term relationships with teacher candidates. Describes how candidates and mentors choose each other at the outset and how the relationship develops over time, emphasizing trust built through sustained collaboration. Findings position mentors as quasi-teacher educators extending university preparation, highlighting mentoring benefits for prospective and practicing teachers and for teacher preparation generally. Argues that understanding these outcomes optimizes field experience and supports effective teaching formation.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages15

Reading Time38 min

AccessFree to download

Literature Review

Field experience and authentic learning

Evolving relationships and roles of mentors

Impact across the teacher education pathway

38 Being There as a Support, a Guide, and to Intervene When You Have To: Mentors Reflect on Working with Teacher Candidates Lawrence J. Ruich Indiana University-Perdue University ofColumbus Thomas Browning Wayne State College Gretchen Butera Indiana University This paper presents a study that investigated how mentors perceived their long-term relationships with teacher candidates in a secondary teacher preparation program. The study describes the process by which the teacher candidates and the mentors select each other and how the relationship develops, with findings that suggest that the length of time teacher candidates and mentor teachers work together as essential to building trust. Mentors identify themselves as quasiteacher educators who serve as an extension to the university preparation process. Findings explore the benefits of mentoring for the prospective and practicing teachers as well as to teacher preparation in general. To optimize the value of field experience, it is important to understand this relationship and its outcomes. Keywords: choice, mentor, field experience, teacher preparation Education Leadership Review of Doctoral Research, Vol. 8. Fall 2020 ISSN: 1532-0723 © 2020 International Council of Professors of Educational Leadership. This manuscript may not be used commercially or edited. When quoting portions of this text, full attribution to the author/s is required. 39 Data from this mentor study underlines the essential role of field experience in teacher preparation, making a compelling case for the centrality of the mentor role in solidifying and deepening the teacher candidate’s understanding and skills about the profession (Parker-Katz & Bay, 2007) . The extensive set of interviews of mentor-teachers provides a glimpse into the ways mentors relate to and support teacher candidates in their efforts to become effective teachers. The length of time these individuals spend together helps develop this significant relationship. The researchers of the study illustrate the wisdom embodied in a policy that extends the mentor-teacher candidate relationship from beginning fieldwork through student teaching. It is common for the relationship to continue into induction. In this study, we refer to practicing teachers who work with teacher candidates as mentors, signifying the role they play in preparing prospective teachers. The program is unique in that both parties select each other at the outset of a candidate’s program. Consequently, the candidate will student teach in the classroom of their chosen mentor. Literature Review Researchers in teacher education identified the importance of field experience in teacher preparation. Through early experiences, teacher candidates have opportunities to engage in authentic learning (Caprano et al., 2010), increase knowledge while receiving the collaborative support of others (Glazer & Hannafin, 2006), work toward advancing the skills of students with individual needs (Hanline, 2010), and challenge what may be unchecked biases by working with students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds (Gonzales & Gabel, 2017; Villegas, 2007) . During field experiences, teacher candidates work in the classroom to try their hand at identifying suitable material, developing lessons, facilitating classroom procedures, and delivering instruction (Darling-Hammond, 2010; Lampert, 2010) . The impact of these field experiences does not diminish over time. Teachers describe early field experience and student teaching as the most beneficial, authentic, and practical aspects of their teacher education (Clarke et al., 2014) . As researchers in teacher education continually informs us, learning to teach is a difficult, complex, demanding, and emotional journey (OrlandBarak & Wang, 2020; Spalding et al., 2011) . It occurs over time and is contextualized, unpredictable, often personal, and idiosyncratic (Lampert, 2010; Spalding et al., 2011) .

FAQs

How do teacher candidates and mentors begin their mentoring relationship in this program?

Both parties select each other at the outset of the candidate’s program. The candidate then student teaches in the chosen mentor’s classroom.

What role do mentors play according to the study findings?

Mentors identify themselves as quasi-teacher educators who extend the university preparation process. They provide support through supervision, feedback, modeling, and professional development.

Why is the length of time working together considered essential?

The study emphasizes that sustained time helps build trust and deepens the candidate’s understanding of the profession, strengthening the field experience impact over time.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by acoobca