Building the university/public school partnership: A workshop for mentor teachers

Abstract

Strong teacher education programs acknowledge the importance of a partnership between teacher education and public school faculties and the important role mentor teachers play in the education of student teachers. Studies suggest that mentor teachers trained in supervision are more effective than those who are not. This article describes the development, implementation, and evaluation of a workshop for mentor teachers that reflects the collaborative effort of university and public school faculties. The particular focus of this workshop was on giving feedback to student teachers. Evaluation data suggest that mentor teachers felt the workshop provided helpful information.