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.

Supervising Preservice Teachers (Online Course) - What role do I play in the professional experience?

Key Question - What role do I play in the professional experience?

Who is involved in the professional experience placement? (5 min)

Consider the main partners and their perspectives of professional experience placements.

The diagram below displays the complex nature of relationships within a given professional experience placement. You can click on each section of the diagram to read more about the roles and involvement of each segment.

Diagram 1: Interactions across the professional experience placement

Initial Teacher Education Program (University) - Values a consistent and high quality placement experience for all their students, with fair and consistent judgements made of their students.

School - Values the learning opportunities a professional placement offers both the preservice and supervising teachers, but is mindful of any interruption to student learning and/or school operations.

Preservice Teacher - Values a positive and whole-school placement experience, with high quality support to help them develop their practice.

Supervising Teacher - Values a well-prepared and committed preservice teacher who communicates well, is open to feedback and willing to implement suggestions made.

Why should I take on a preservice teacher? (5 min)

As a mentor/supervisor teacher within a community of practice it is important to develop an understanding of your motivations and potential challenges. This will, in turn, help you to develop an understanding of your role in this process.

The Mentoring Profile Inventory provides timely and free feedback across eleven dimensions about how you conceive of and carry out your work as mentor/supervisor with a preservice teacher. The inventory takes approximately 15-20 minutes to complete.

Comment on the specific reasons as to why you would, or anyone should, take on a preservice teacher. Refer to the role you believe supervising teachers ought to play in the development of preservice teachers.

Ensuring an effective placement experience (15 min)

Effective partnerships between universities and schools that support successful professional experience programs for preservice teachers rely on positive communication systems, mutual understandings and a focus on learning and collaboration between all stakeholders. This requires:

Passionate committed academics that demonstrate an understanding of schools, teachers and preservice teachers, supported by administration staff and university leadership (Kiggins & Cambourne, 2007).

Meaningful and respectful relationships between university academics, school leaders, teachers and staff (Le Cornu, 2010).

An understanding of the policies, roles and responsibilities of all stakeholders pertinent for situational contexts (Orland-Barak & Hasin, 2010).

Effective communication between all stakeholders (Le Cornu, 2010, 2012).

Shared experiences between all stakeholders with a focus on learning within a community of practice (Lave & Wenger, 1991).

In school coordinators and volunteer mentor/supervisor teachers committed to preservice teachers, the teaching profession and professional development (Clarke et al, 2012; Yip 2003).

A view of collaborative practice that views the preservice teacher as a colleague-in-training (Jaipal, 2009).

Infrastructure and funds to support effective partnerships.

In this section, you will be presented with a range of perspectives regarding the professional experience placement. Specifically, you will see comments from the range of stakeholders involved in a given placement, be it the supervising teachers, preservice teachers or the initial teacher education provider/university.

Once you have read the comment, you will be asked to reflect on those aspects of the experience that were truly valued. Your role of course, when working with the preservice teacher, is to try and provide professional experiences that will support their development and give them opportunities to enhance their own capacity.

Once you have considered these perspectives, you will have the opportunity to share your thoughts about the challenges associated with realising these kinds of professional experiences in reality.

Supervising Preservice Teachers (Online Course) - What is the professional experience placement?

Module 1 - Effective partnerships (82 min)

Key Question - What is the professional experience placement?

Elements of successful professional experience programs (10 min)

Section 1 - Explore the elements and variety of professional experience placements.

Gaining practical professional experience is critical to the development of new teaching candidates. Traditionally, the learning experiences of the preservice teacher have been conducted in three strands, evident across most initial teacher education programs delivered nationally:

Content or subject specific training
Pedagogy
Professional experience

The professional experience placement is an opportunity for the prospective teacher to test, trial and develop their approach in an environment that is typically not otherwise available to them at their university.

“The practicum is where student teachers can demonstrate their capabilities in the classroom, and be assessed by experienced teachers as well as university staff.” (The Honourable Peter Garrett, Minister for School Education, Minister for Early Childhood and Youth, 2012).

“One thing that is clear from current studies of strong programs (ITE) is that learning to practice in practice, with expert guidance, is essential to becoming a great teacher of students with a wide range of needs.” (Darling-Hammond, 2010)

“Supported, authentic professional experience is categorised by strong collegial interactions and focus on learning and development and student outcomes is central to the preparation of teaching graduates (Le Cornu, 2012; House of Representatives, 2009).

Reflect on the time when you were a preservice teacher. Try to recall your feelings, emotions, and concerns. List any challenges or concerns you experienced when you were a preservice teacher.
How were these concerns addressed by the school, supervising teacher and university?

Your school (5 min)

What does your school have in place to support the professional experience program?

Types of professional experience (5 min)

It is important to consider the many types of professional experience placements that are applied through education institutions. As a guide, a preservice teacher may be involved in any one of the following professional placement types:

Practicum placement - Typically a series of short practical placements where the preservice teacher is paired with a supervising teacher/s and takes lessons under direct supervision

Internship - Often a placement where the preservice teacher delivers lessons independently, but with guidance from a supervising teacher where required

Clinical placement - Borrowing from the health profession, this format typically involves the direct training of clinical supervisors who provide support and guidance to a group of preservice teachers on their professional experience placements

Immersion program - Preservice teachers may be encouraged to support the whole school program over an extended period, with some time specifically allocated to classroom practice

This is absolutely not a complete list of professional experience types, there are many that you may encounter. It is also critical to note that the definition of placement types may vary from one institution to another.

In addition to considering the type of placement a preservice teacher may be on, it is also important to factor the stage at which they are undertaking the experience. A preservice teacher may be on a practicum placement at the beginning of their training or at the conclusion of their studies.

A supervising teacher should also be aware of the level at which their preservice teacher is training with them. For example, a preservice teacher may be an undergraduate or postgraduate student.

Initial teacher education programs must now seek common accreditation nationally. The details of all accredited initial teacher education providers and their programs can be found at the following link:

http://www.aitsl.edu.au/initial-teacher-education/accredited-programs-list

This may be helpful to you in understanding the program your preservice teacher is coming from and the type of training they are undertaking.

As you can see, there are a range of professional experience placement types. These placements will be further impacted by the unique inputs of each individual context.

What to expect (2 min)

Ultimately, what you can expect will be a function of the:

- Length of the placement
- Professional experience model employed
- Stage of the preservice teachers training/study
- Experience of the preservice teacher
- Experience of the supervising teacher
- School context, including support available to enhance the likelihood of a successful professional experience placement

Items 1, 2 and 3 have been covered in this module already, and Item 4 is addressed in the module Practice analysis, where you are encouraged to develop a common understanding with your preservice teacher. When taking on a preservice teacher, the supervising teacher is encouraged to consider Items 5 and 6 in relation to their own context.

Supervising Preservice Teachers (Online Course)

Course: Supervising Preservice Teachers
Facilitator: Australian Institute for Teaching & School Leadership
Venue: Online http://www.aitsl.edu.au/

Supervising Preservice Teachers is an interactive and self-directed online professional learning program aimed at enhancing teachers' knowledge, skills and confidence to effectively supervise preservice teachers.

The program is relevant to teachers who are supervising a preservice teacher or thinking about a supervisory role. It may also be useful for school leaders, school-based practicum coordinators, and those taking on other mentoring roles.
Key Features of the program

Content Focused On:
- Effective partnerships
- Practice analysis
- Making judgements
- Unpacking the Graduate Standards.
- Access high-quality, interactive, evidence-based content developed by experts.
- Study online according to your areas of interest and need.
- Access content through inquiry questions, multimedia resources and templates.
- Learn alongside colleagues from across Australia.
- Learning occurs through a ‘just in time’ inquiry model.

- Learning is acknowledged through certificates.

Module Overviews