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Table 6
Feedback
Mentoring practice
%*
Mean
SD
Observed teaching for feedback
92.7
4.54
0.73
Provided oral feedback
92.7
4.47
0.83
Provided evaluation on teaching
91.3
4.46
0.86
Articulated expectations
86.3
4.30
0.97
Provided written feedback
79.9
4.14
1.04
Reviewed lesson plans
71.2
3.84
1.03
Note,
%*, Percentage of mentees who either
agreed
or
strongly agreed
their mentor provided
that specific mentoring practice.
Conclusion
Mentoring is an essential component of the student teaching experience. The provision of
highly prepared and effective mentors contributes to the success of student teachers during this
high stakes period of professional development. Substantial evidence from this study supports
Hudson’s five mentoring factors as a valid and useful framework for measuring the impact of the
mentoring received by student teachers in the student teaching experience. The
five factors,
namely, personal attributes, system requirements, pedagogical knowledge, modeling, and
feedback, provide a framework for mentoring and may be used as a benchmark for mentoring
practices of those working with student teachers (Hudson, Skamp, & Brooks, 2005).
The five factors also serve to identify the specific responsibilities of mentor teachers and
should be used to articulate the goals and outcomes for their preparation for the role. Teacher
preparation programs that enlist the support of experienced classroom teachers as mentors to
student teachers must establish a set of expectations for the mentor/student teacher relationship,
and also continue to study the effectiveness and the impact of this relationship on the success of
the beginning teachers. Establishing the components of effective mentoring will not only verify
what has been done during the student teaching experience, it will also serve to expand
mentoring services to others who are developing effective student teaching experiences.
About the Authors
Dr. Lori Bird is Director of the Center for Mentoring & Induction
at Minnesota State University, Mankato. In addition to classroom
teaching and mentoring beginning teachers, she has experience
coordinating new teacher induction programs. She currently
serves as project lead for the Teacher Effectiveness Initiative at
Minnesota State University, Mankato.