Supervising Preservice Teachers (Online Course) - How do we best manage the partnership between school and university?

Key Question - How do we best manage the partnership between school and university?

Understanding the range of expectations (5 min)

Investigate differences in expectations of placement partners.

Universities and schools have the same goal – the creation of confident and competent beginning teachers. Next year’s graduate teacher in your school will have been shaped by their university and professional placement experiences. To give them the best start possible, it is important that universities and schools work together effectively.

Whilst goals are shared, there can often be a gap in expectations between the school and university, which can lead to tension and challenging situations.

Competing demands and expectations

Schools should be aware that initial teacher education institutions (universities) and their professional practice staff have a challenging task, placing hundreds of students into schools which are often in short supply, preparing them for the myriad of settings, sectors and classrooms that they may enter, and ensuring that they meet the professional practice requirements of their tertiary course.

Equally, schools themselves, and in particular supervising teachers, have extremely busy schedules and do not often appreciate endless evaluation forms, university procedure documents, and preservice teachers who aren’t adequately prepared for their placement.

These competing demands and expectations can give rise to tension. So that the preservice teacher’s experience and overall professional development remains positive, this will need to be carefully managed.

Dealing with tensions that may arise (10 min)

Tensions and challenges between schools and universities may be unavoidable but there are several things you can do as the supervising teacher to minimise the impact on the professional experience placement.

Making connections - Supervising preservice teachers from a range of universities can be challenging, with variance in expectations, policies and evaluation requirements. Making meaningful connections with universities will help your school better manage the supervision of preservice students.

Some actions to consider include:
- Organising a visit to the university to meet liaison staff, and discuss school/university partnerships
- Notifying universities of the school’s capacity to supervise preservice teachers
- Sharing calendars with university liaison staff so that timing of placements can be made more efficiently
- Encouraging suitable staff members to nominate themselves as supervising teachers
- Identifying ways which the school and universities may partner in other work of mutual benefit (research opportunities, sporting carnivals, student field trips etc).

A shared understanding - A proactive approach and meaningful connections between schools and universities will allow for a shared understanding of priorities, expectations, and challenges. This understanding will help both parties deal with any tensions that surface during the professional practice experience.

Task: Consider what actions you could take before and during the professional experience placement to better understand and connect with the preservice teacher’s university.

References and recommended readings (5 min)

Clarke et al 2012, ‘The mentoring profile inventory: An online professional development resource for cooperating teachers’, Teaching Education, 23(2), p167-194.http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10476210.2011.625086

Darling-Hammond 2010, ‘Teacher education and the American future’, Journal of teacher education, 61(1-2), p35-47.

Ferrier-Kerr, J 2009, ‘Establishing professional relationships in practicum settings’, Teaching and Teacher Education, 25, p790-797.

Kiggins, J., & Cambourne, B. (2007). The knowledge building community: A partnership for progress in teacher education. In T. Townsend, & R. Bates, Globalisation, standards and professionalism in times of change. The Netherlands: Springer.

Lave, J., & Wenger, E. (1991). Situated learning. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Le Cornu, R 2009, ‘Building resilience in preservice teachers’, Teaching and Teacher Education, 25, p717-723.

Le Cornu, R 2010, ‘Changing roles, relationships and responsibilities in changing times, Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, 38 (3), 195-206. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/1359866X.2010.493298

Le Cornu, R 2012, ‘School Coordinators: Leaders of Learning in Professional Experience’, Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 37(3), p18-33. http://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte/vol37/iss3/3

Levine, T.H 2011, ‘Features and strategies of supervisor professional community as a means of improving the supervision of preservice teachers, Teaching and Teacher Education, 27(5), p930-941. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2011.03.004

Preskill, S & Brookfield, S 2009, Learning As A Way of Learning, Jossey-Bass, San Francisco.

Rossner, P & Commins, D 2012, ‘Defining ‘Enduring Partnerships’: Can a well-worn path be an effective, sustainable and mutually beneficial relationship?’, Queensland College of Teachers.

Walkington, J 2005, ‘Becoming a teacher: Encouraging development of teacher identity through reflective practice’, Asia Pacific Journal of teacher Education, 33 (1), p53-64.

Yip, H.-L. (2003). Mentoring student teacher case studies. Early Childhood Development and Care, 173 (1), 33-41.