Rachel: Mentor Teacher
Name: Rachel Larue
Age: 28
Academic background: Bachelor of Education with a Major in French and a minor in English Language Arts.
Teaching experience: Rachel has been teaching for five years at the secondary level. She has taught in both a junior high and a high school.
Other background info: Rachel was in French immersion throughout her childhood and has visited France on several occasions. Throughout her schooling she has spent time in French speaking places including a semester in France and a summer in Montreal where she was able to study the culture and language. .
Current Mentoring experience: Rachel is taking on a new role as a mentor teacher beginning with mentoring an IPT (first practicum) student teacher followed by an APT (second practicum) student teacher.
Rachel's Reflections
Reflection |
Timeline |
Summary |
| Reflection 1: Should I? | Before taking a mentor teacher. |
Rachel is thinking about taking a student teacher but is not sure what the possible benefits and challenges may be. |
| Reflection 2: Giving Advice | After taking an IPT Student Teacher | Rachel takes on an IPT Student Teacher and discovers some challenges when trying to offer support and guidance. |
| Reflection 3: Let's Try This Again | After Taking a APT Student Teacher | Rachel takes on an APT Student Teacher and experiences some successes. |
Read through rachel's reflections to find out more about some of the challenges he is facing when mentoring in the classroom. Click on any of the highlighted areas to find out more about that issue from Dr. B!
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Rachel’s principal believes having a Student Teacher would be a great opportunity; why might he think that? What could a Student Teacher bring to the school?
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Rachel is worried about being able to support her Student Teacher; how can she prepare for this role?
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What could Rachel learn from a Student Teacher?
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What positive experiences can Rachel create for her future Student Teacher in and out of the classroom?
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Rachel allows her first Student Teacher, Julian, to take over half of her classes after assessing his observation skills; how else could Rachel assess Julian’s readiness to teach before giving him that responsibility?
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Rachel observes that Julian is focusing more on rapport development than lesson content; why is this not recommended? How is it not beneficial for the students?
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Julian’s time management skills are not well developed; what does Rachel do to help him? Is there anything else she could do?
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Julian doesn’t seem to be listening to Rachel’s feedback and she is considering talking to his university facilitator; are there any other steps she could take before that one?
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After Rachel’s experience with Julian, how might her approach to her next Student Teacher be different?
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Rachel’s Student Teacher Beth does a good job of adapting her use of the TL for the students; how might she be doing this? How might it contribute to the class atmosphere?
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Beth uses a lot of authentic materials in the classroom; what might some examples of these authentic materials be? Why would they be interesting to the students?
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Rachel worries that Beth sacrifices her own style to meet Rachel’s feedback suggestions; how could Rachel encourage the development of Beth’s style?
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Rachel can see her own development as a Mentor Teacher, especially when she compares the rapport she has with Julian and Beth; how can a good rapport be built between Student and Mentor Teacher?