Recommended Mentoring Model for Student Teaching
The purpose of the student teaching experience is to learn about teaching. The Teacher
Candidate should have ample opportunity to develop and practice the knowledge and skills
required in the Ohio Standards for the Teaching Professions and engage in reflective activities to
assess his/her teacher behaviors and their consequences. Therefore, the Beeghly College of
Education recommends cooperating teachers mentor our Teacher Candidates by incorporating a
co-teaching model during the student teaching experience. This approach will allow the Teacher
Candidate to have a gradual increase in responsibilities with consistent monitoring and feedback
from the cooperating teacher without the cooperating teacher giving up his/her classroom.
Sixteen Week Placements
Teacher candidates should not assume full responsibility for all classes during the first week!
A candidate is normally expected to observe and assist during the first two weeks, and begin coteaching in a support role during the third week.
Co-teaching involves a sharing of instructional duties between two teachers in the same
classroom with the same group of students. Roles are coordinated in a variety of ways. One
teacher may give instructions or demonstrate while the other circulates to provide assistance to
students. One may explain a concept while the other demonstrates. Or one might work with a
small group of students while the other supervises an activity with the rest of the class.
The Ohio Department of Education recommends co-teaching as “a component of a differentiated
support system for new teachers,” and suggests that it be included in the Ohio Resident Educator
program. The Co-teaching Model, published by ODE and available on the Y.S.U. student
teaching web page, provides more information about how co-teaching works.
Co-teaching may involve shifting of roles, with teachers alternating in taking the lead for
different topics, activities, or portions of a lesson. When Teacher Candidates begin co-teaching
in the third week of the student teaching experience, they do so in a support role. The
cooperating teacher takes the lead. Beginning in the fourth week, however, the teacher candidate
is expected to take the lead—at first, for just one class period per day, but gradually expanding to
more class periods in subsequent weeks as confidence grows and instructional skills are refined.
This transition to greater responsibility is summarized in the table below. The schedule can be
modified, based on the judgment of the cooperating teacher.
Between weeks 10 and 16, the Teacher Candidate should have the lead instructional role in a
minimum of four instructional areas. Throughout the period in which the teacher candidate has
the lead role, however, the cooperating teacher is encouraged to continue to play a support role.
The degree of support provided will depend on the proficiency of the Teacher Candidate and the
learning needs of the student. While student learning needs are paramount, cooperating teachers
should bear in mind that their intervention in a co-teaching support role benefits the candidate as
well; by modeling best practice and helping them make timely adjustments in their teaching
strategies.
It is not required or recommended that the cooperating teacher either leave the room or refrain
from assisting when the Teacher Candidate is in charge of the classroom.
Sixteen Week Co-Teaching Schedule
Week
1-2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10-16
Teacher Candidate Responsibility
Observe the classroom. Assist teacher in instruction and duties
Co-teaching in support instructional role (observe, assist, and/or differentiated)
Co-teaching in support instructional role and lead role in 1 instructional area
Co-teaching in support instructional role and continue lead role in 1 instructional area
Co-teaching in support instructional role and lead role in 2 instructional areas
Co-teaching in support instructional role and continue lead role in 2 instructional areas
Co-teaching in support instructional role and lead role in 3 instructional areas
Co-teaching in support instructional role and continue lead role in 3 instructional areas
Co-teaching in lead instructional role in minimum of 4 instructional areas
Eight Week Placements
Teacher Candidates should not assume full responsibility for all classes during the first week!
The student teaching experience should begin with the Teacher Candidate shadowing the
cooperating teacher in all activities and then shift to a co-teaching approach in a support role
during the third week. Within the co-teaching experience, the Teacher Candidate should
progressively move from a support instructional role to a lead instructional role towards the end
of the student teaching experience (see above).
It is not required or recommended that the cooperating teacher either leave the room or refrain
from assisting when the teacher candidate is in charge of the classroom.
Eight Week Co-Teaching Schedule
Week
1
2
3
4
5
6-8
Teacher Candidate Responsibility
Observe the classroom. Assist teacher in instruction and duties
Co-teaching in support instructional role (observe, assist, and/or differentiated)
Co-teaching in support instructional role and lead role in 1 instructional area
Co-teaching in support instructional role and lead role in 2 instructional areas
Co-teaching in support instructional role and lead role in 3 instructional areas
Co-teaching in lead instructional role in minimum of 4 instructional areas