Cooperating teacher and program supervisor training

Require cooperating teachers and program supervisors to complete training on effective adult mentoring practices or provide evidence of past mentoring ability and complete an assessment of mentoring skill.

Provide frequent high-quality training opportunities for cooperating teachers and program supervisors to learn and practice mentoring skills.

Consider a joint observation with the cooperating teacher and program supervisor, followed by a conversation with the student teacher as a means of aligning expectations

Provide explicit guidance on how to provide feedback on critical topics (e.g., classroom management, reading, scaffolding instruction) and at different points (e.g., feedback on lesson plans, in-the-moment coaching, post-lesson feedback).

Require cooperating teachers to complete training on effective adult mentoring practices or provide evidence of past mentoring ability and complete an assessment of mentoring skill.

Provide professional learning in which cooperating teachers and program supervisors norm together on effective teaching practices and providing feedback.

Consider a joint observation with both the cooperating teacher and program supervisor, followed by a conversation with the student teacher as a means of aligning expectations.

Provide guidance to principals on how to work with student teachers (e.g., inviting them to professional learning and other school events, observing, hiring).

Require training for cooperatin1g teachers and program supervisors on how to mentor adults.

Vet and streamline procurement of training providers.

Provide funding for training or host the training.

Require and provide training on use of observation instruments for all cooperating teachers and program supervisors and assess the accuracy and consistency of ratings using calibration exercises (e.g., a protocol involving collectively watching a video of a teacher teaching a lesson, individually scoring using the observation instrument, comparing scores, and discussing).

Provide teachers with leave time to conduct calibration activities.

Work with prep programs to provide class videosor other resources on which to base observationcalibration.

Provide training on observing student teachers and providing feedback using the state’s observation instrument and access to resources to support calibration exercises (e.g., instructional practice video libraries, online calibration platforms for applying observation rubrics).

Set clear expectations for program supervisors regarding:

• How many times to observe student teachersand with what frequency, how to provide feedback (e.g., in writing), and how to structure coaching conversations (e.g., including pre-observation conferences)
• How to build relationships with schools and districts (e.g., how often to meet with school administrators and on what topics)

Set clear expectations for program supervisors regarding how to build relationships with schools and the district and facilitate these connections (e.g., by providing specific topics on which to meet).

Invite program supervisors to attend district-wide professional development for teachers, especially related to teaching and learning (e.g., curriculum, intervention).

Set minimum criteria for the number of observations by program supervisors.