Skip over carousel to next section
  • Mentor Teachers Resources
    Mentor Teachers Resources
Attallah College of Educational Studies

»Mentor Teacher Resources

Chapman University I Attallah College of Educational Studies

Thank you for supporting and guiding a teacher candidate as a Chapman University mentor teacher! We know our teacher candidates will learn so much from you and you play a vital role to support credential candidates in Attallah College of Educational Studies Teacher Education (TE) programs. This page contains information about Chapman’s Credential Program, your role and responsibilities as a mentor teacher, and what you should expect from your teacher candidate. At the bottom of this page, you will find additional professional development materials and resources to facilitate effective mentoring and to better link Chapman coursework with clinical practice.

You will be emailed the “Teacher Education Handbook” which contains all information specific to our program. Please use the handbook as a guide throughout your time as a mentor.

At Chapman we offer an accelerated credential and Master’s program. Teacher candidates take coursework throughout their entire time in the program; during fieldwork and student teaching, teacher candidates have coursework. Teacher candidates, per CTC, need to complete and pass CalTPA Cycle 1 and Cycle 2 during student teaching. Thank you for allowing your teacher candidate to plan for and record for their TPAs.

Being a Mentor Teacher Requirements at Chapman:

  • Allow for teacher candidate to put into practice what is being learned in the credential program – allow for growth
    • Refer to “Teacher Education Handbook” page 46 for information of course work progression your teacher candidate has taken before Student Teaching.
  • Allow for teacher candidate to put into practice through observation, instruction, assessment and reflection the California Teaching Performance Expectations (TPEs 1 to 7)
  • Implement Co-Teaching Strategies where the teacher candidate plans with the mentor teacher. See Resources for Mentor Teacher
  • Complete the Required Calibration in Scoring Teacher Candidates Observation Training for Chapman University

Responsibilities of being a Mentor Teacher:

  • Attend Mentor Teacher Orientation and Training with Chapman’s Fieldwork Manager before the start of the experience
  • Attend Meet and Greet with teacher candidate and University Supervisor
  • Provide on-going mentoring and feedback to teacher candidate through co-planning/co-teaching, dialogue (listening, asking probing questions to facilitate reflection), and offering focused feedback
  • Encourage teacher candidate to implement practices from their coursework (including active literacy, mathematical, science, and engineering practices) to demonstrate competency in the Teacher Performance Expectations (TPEs) and California Content Standards in subject areas
  • Respond to correspondence from the teacher candidate’s University Supervisor regarding progress in meeting all the TPEs (1 to 7) and regarding any areas of concern. Permit teacher candidates to practice and implement practices, assessments and learning as described in the California TPEs
  • Allow teacher candidates to video record lessons for both University Supervisor observations and to complete the California’s Teaching Performance Assessment (CalTPAs). The CalTPAs requires that teacher candidates document their work with students in classrooms through annotated videos, sample of student work, and reflective writing

How to Ensure your Teacher Candidate Feels Welcome

Prior to your teacher candidate beginning in your classroom, you will receive an email from Chapman’s Fieldwork Manager. Our teacher candidates are eager to begin their time in your classroom and would love to hear from you too!

  • It would be ideal before day 1 that the teacher candidate knows what time to arrive at your school site to meet you and any important information for a successful start such as parking, office check-in, phone number to reach you if needed, etc.
  • Review safety information that pertains directly to your school
  • Introduce the teacher candidate to other teachers, office staff, school staff, and administrators
  • Tour the school – staff work area, staff lounge, adult restrooms, etc.
  • Provide a desk (preferably not a student-size desk) or designate a work area for the teacher candidate with supplies and copies of necessary materials
  • Provide a picture of the class or individual students with a class roster to help the teacher candidate learn names more quickly
  • Share daily schedule with teacher candidate
  • Discuss classroom management – class rules and expectations for student behavior as well as acceptable rewards and consequences. Encourage your teacher candidate to begin to use this classroom management with students
  • Share information on staff meetings, department/ grade-level planning, PLC meeting, parent conferences, school-wide activities, assemblies, field trips, etc. Your teacher candidate will benefit from these experiences!
  • Gestures of kindness, no matter how small, have a positive impact

Fieldwork:

Chapman utilizes three levels of fieldwork and evolves over the course of the program to increase responsibility as the teacher candidate moves closer to completion of the program and licensure: Course Assigned Fieldwork, Early Fieldwork, and Student Teaching. Fieldwork experience can be a wide variety of activities that range from observation of veteran teachers to beginning practice working with students in the classroom. Refer to “Teacher Education Handbook” page 23 for detailed information on Chapman’s three levels of fieldwork progression.

Student Teaching:

Prior to student teaching, all teacher candidates have completed Fieldwork hours and have been exposed to the classroom and working with students based on the cooperating teacher’s lesson plans. In the student teaching placement, we encourage the teacher candidate and the mentor teacher to establish a gradual release of responsibility to the teaching field.

Each week, the teacher candidate will take the lead in a subject area and continue to build by adding another subject area each week. The goal is for the teacher candidate to take the full lead of the teaching day for the last 5 weeks of the placement.

During student teaching, the teacher candidate and mentor teacher will co-plan each week. Please consider deciding upon a consistent day(s)/time to co-plan each week. Use this dedicated time to reflect on assessment data, use resources, share ideas and plan out the upcoming day(s)/week. Teacher candidates will then lesson plan to reflect what was co-planned. All lesson plans should be approved by the mentor teacher prior to instruction in front of students. Refer to “Teacher Education Handbook” page 84 and 133 for detailed information.

Lesson Plans

During student teaching, teacher candidate will lesson plan each week. These lesson plans are based on the co-planning collaboration between teacher candidate and mentor teacher. The expectation is that teacher candidates communicate these lesson plans at least 24 hours prior to teaching so that the mentor teacher can ensure that the plans match what was discussed during co-planning.

What to Expect from Teacher Candidates

During student teaching, teacher candidates are expected to be at the school site Monday thru Friday for the entire day that mirrors their mentor teacher’s contracted hours. As indicated in the “Teacher Education Handbook” page 86, professional dress is expected from our teacher candidates.

We take pride that our teacher candidates are in preparation to enter the professional field and have Professional Dispositions expectations:

  • Demonstrates effective oral communication skills
  • Demonstrates effective written communication skills
  • Demonstrates professionalism
  • Demonstrates a positive and enthusiastic attitude
  • Demonstrates preparedness in teaching and learning
  • Exhibits an appreciation of and value for cultural and academic diversity
  • Collaborates effectively with stakeholders
  • Demonstrates self-regulated learner behaviors and takes initiative
  • Exhibits the social and emotional intelligence to promote personal and educational goals

Evaluations of Teacher Candidates

Mentor Teachers and University Supervisors will complete assessments for their teacher candidate midway through the placement and at the end of student teaching on TPEs (1 to 7). The “Formative Assessment” will be used as feedback and guidance to identify areas for growth and is completed midway. Mentor Teachers should use observation notes, coaching conversations, and informal assessments to help candidates reflect and improve.

The “Summative Assessment” is used to document teacher candidate’s mastery of the TPEs. Therefore, a score must be selected for all TPEs and the “N/O (not observed)” option may not be selected. Candidates are expected to demonstrate they have met or exceeded all TPEs to pass student teaching.

You will also complete an evaluation on your teacher candidate’s professional dispositions.

Chapman Assessment Forms:

GEN ED Formative / Summative Assessment

Education Specialist Mild/Moderate Assessment

Education Specialist Extensive Support Needs Assessment

Resources for Mentor Teachers:

Co-Plan and Co-Teach Strategies

Please review the information provided in the “Teacher Education Handbook” page 84. The following videos are examples of strategies discussed in the handbook that could be used with your teacher candidate during weeks 1-11 before they assume full time teaching responsibilities:

UC and CSU Collaborative: Literacy & Dyslexia

You can enroll with the collaborative program hosted by Arraya Learning Center for free and take any of the following courses all aligned with California TPEs:

Mentoring

View: Mentoring Virginia

 

 

Contact Us

Intern Credential Process
credentials@chapman.edu

Questions?
teachereducation@chapman.edu