The Supportive
Collaborative
Internship
Experience
A Phenomenological Study
of Salisbury University
Interns in the Field
Spring 2007
Conducted by Ron Siers, M.Ed. & Sara Elburn, M.S.
Analysis of the Data
The research question was stated as follows: How would you at your PDS
site describe your collaborative internship experience? What does your mentor do
to support you in your internship? E-mail responses were received and the
significant statements extracted from the email became the raw data for analysis.
As the significant statements were being extracted from the email responses, it
became apparent that it would be of value to make separate lists for elementary and
secondary interns because of the unique situation of each experience. In the final
step of analysis, however, the essential structure of a supportive and collaborative
internship experience was drawn from both groups. After extraction of all
significant statements from the email responses were complete duplicate statements
were eliminated. The remaining significant statements are presented in Table 1.1
and 2.1.
The same analytical process was carried out regarding the non-supportive
collaborative experience. The significant statements from the non-supportive
experience are listed in Tables 1.2 and 2.2.
Meanings were formulated from the significant statements. These
formulated meanings are presented in Tables 1.3, 1.4, 2.3 and 2.4. These meanings
were arrived at by reading, rereading, and reflecting upon the significant statements
in the original email responses to get the meaning of the respondent’s statement in
the original context.
The aggregate of formulated meanings were organized and truncated into
clusters of themes. These clusters represent themes that have emerged from and are
common to all of the subjects’ descriptions. These clusters are presented in Table
3.1. These clusters were referred back to the original descriptions in order to
validate them. Each description was examined to see if there was anything in the
original that was not accounted for in the cluster of themes, and whether the cluster
proposed something that was not in the original.
An exhaustive description of the phenomenon was produced by the
integration of the results of the analysis. The description of a supportive experience
is a statement of its essential structure. The exhaustive description of a supportive
collaborative internship experience is presented in Table 3.2.
An exhaustive description of a non-supportive collaborative internship
experience was produced by integration of the results of analysis of the nonsupportive data. The exhaustive description of a non-supportive collaborative
internship experience is presented in Table 3.3.
Table A
Significant Statements: Number of Responses
Early Childhood/Elementary Education
Collaborative
38
Not Collaborative
6
Secondary Education
Collaborative
32
Not Collaborative
10
Physical Education
Collaborative
8
Not Collaborative
1
Total Responses
Collaborative
78
Not Collaborative
17
Table 1.1
Early Childhood/Elementary Education
Significant Statements:
Supportive Collaborative Experience
Significant statements were extracted from each description, phrases and
sentences that directly pertain to the investigated phenomenon. Statements were
eliminated that contained the same or nearly the same statements.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Exposed me to long-term planning goals.
My teacher and I would plan collaboratively for every lesson.
Was not afraid to step in and co-teach with me during lessons.
Helped to generate and refine ideas for lessons.
Encouraged me to attend after school activities.
Offers suggestions for improvement and great positive feedback and
encouragement.
7. Allows me to take over the classroom as if it were on my own, yet still is
present and supportive.
8. Requires the students to have the same respect for me that they do for her.
9. When I planned on my own, my teachers would check over what I planned to
make sure that it would fill the allotted time frame and was appropriate.
10. Encouraged me to try any ideas I had for the classroom.
11. We reflect every day after school. This helps me decide where problems
were and then fix those problems.
12. My mentor teacher taught me what it meant to truly love your job and the
children you are working with.
13. She helps me organize and manage my time and lessons.
14. We work together to make sure objectives are met.
15. My mentor teacher was supportive and encouraging.
16. Provided little pieces of advice when I started going on job interviews.
17. When we were not in school she was only a phone call away.
18. Being THERE is the most important thing, and being able to communicate
with one another, which is what made my mentor extremely supportive.
19. Gives me ideas and shows me things that she has used in the past.
20. My mentors were open to everything and anything.
21. I felt that I could ask them questions at any time.
22. Writes comments on my lesson plans after I have taught them, and verbally
gives me feedback.
23. When I am teaching, my mentor will walk around the room and aid in
classroom management.
24. When it came to management of the class, he let me bring in my own ways of
getting the students to respect me, and their fellow classmates.
25. Offered me many materials to use in my lessons.
26. From tag and graze and small group instruction to two active voices in the
classroom, my mentors and I have done it all.
27. Not only was my mentor there to support me, but so were the other teachers
in the wing.
28. My mentor teacher and I discuss the upcoming lessons that I will be doing
and she helps me understand the material.
29. My mentor has offered me all of her resources.
30. We would talk about the next weeks’ lessons together, and tentatively plan a
week ahead.
31. We would chime in during lessons and would be able to use each other’s
strong points to better aid and explain concepts to students.
32. I truly wish that I could teach cooperatively for the rest of my career.
33. She knew when to jump in when I was having trouble during a lesson and
when to back off to let me handle a situation on my own.
34. I was very nervous, but with the collaboration of my mentor teacher, it
served as more of a support system.
35. There were a few times where there were questions I could not answer,
however with my mentor teacher co-teaching right beside me, I never felt the
pressure.
36. My mentor supports me by giving me good advice on improvements to my
attitude.
37. With the collaborative experience, I feel that I have a good network of people
to draw from when making decisions and planning lessons.
38. Both mentors took the time to discuss with me the students’ needs.
39. Lead me to new resources and different ideas and principles.
Table 1.2
Early Childhood/Elementary Education
Significant Statements:
Non- Supportive Collaborative Experience
Significant statements were extracted from each description, phrases and
sentences that directly pertain to the investigated phenomenon. Statements were
eliminated that contained the same or nearly the same statements.
1. Collaboration is limited to the teacher stepping in when they feel it is needed.
2. When it was my “turn” to teach, my mentor teacher would leave for the
entire time. If she did not leave, she would be on her phone or computer.
3. At times, I feel like she leaves me to do something on my own without giving
me advice and isn’t there to support me.
4. My experience is more about supporting her and less about me teaching.
5. She has no schedule and is reluctant to hand the class over to me.
Table 1.3
Formulated Meanings of Significant Statements:
Supportive Collaborative Experience
Meanings were formulated by spelling out the meaning of each significant
statement. The formulations discover and bring out those meanings hidden in the
various contexts of the phenomenon that are present in the original description.
(Creswell, 1998, p. 280)
1. The mentor teacher is supportive and encouraging toward the intern
throughout the experience.
2. The mentor teacher facilitates open communication in and outside of school.
The mentor teacher is willing to answer the intern’s questions.
3. The mentor teacher is open to the intern’s ideas, and allowed the intern to
try new things in the classroom.
4. The mentor teacher’s presence is consistent in the classroom.
5. The mentor teacher, and other teachers on the team, provide materials and
resources.
6. The mentor teacher plans lessons collaboratively with the intern. The
mentor teacher provides content clarification and time management
suggestions if needed. The pair works together to make sure that objectives
were met.
7. The mentor teacher and intern plan lessons well in advance.
8. The mentor teacher and intern co-teach in the classroom. The pair will
“chime in” during each other’s lessons. They use strategies such as tag,
graze, and small group instruction.
9. The mentor teacher allows the intern to assume the role of lead teacher,
while providing support when needed.
10. The mentor teacher and intern reflect on lessons often. The mentor teacher
offers suggestions and positive feedback.
11. The mentor teacher is encouraging and offers positive advice regarding
professional dispositions, interviewing for future positions, etc.
12. The mentor teacher acts as a role model for the intern, sharing a love for
teaching and students.
Table 1.4
Formulated Meanings of Significant Statements:
Non-Supportive Collaborative Experience
Meanings were formulated by spelling out the meaning of each significant
statement. The formulations discover and bring out those meanings hidden in the
various contexts of the phenomenon that are present in the original description.
(Creswell, 1998, p. 280)
1. The mentor teacher does not consistently co-teach with the intern.
2. The mentor teacher is not present, physically or mentally, in the classroom.
3. The mentor teacher does not offer feedback in planning and implementing
lessons.
4. The mentor teacher regards the intern to be in a supportive role, and is
reluctant to allow the intern to assume the lead role.
5. The mentor teacher is not organized in planning for the intern’s
responsibilities.
Table 2.1
Secondary Education Significant Statements:
Supportive Collaborative Experience
Significant statements were extracted from each description, phrases and
sentences that directly pertain to the investigated phenomenon. Statements were
eliminated that contained the same or nearly the same statements. (Creswell,
1998, p. 280.)
1. Helping with Materials
2. Overseeing preparation of lessons
3. Constructive Feedback
4. Guiding, Instructing and Support
5. Post-It Feedback from Mentor
6. Supportive Supervisor, Seminar Teacher, PDS Liaison
7. Advisement and Reassurance
8. Encouragement from others outside of the classroom
9. Planning lessons together
10. Debrief and Reflect after the Lesson
11. Allowing me to do things I want to do but still giving input and help along
the way
12. Paired with the same teacher I observed previously. We got to know each
other.
13. Allows me to try new ideas
14. We accomplished so much more because we worked as a team
15. Labs that a single teacher normally would not be able to do due to lack of
hands were able to be done.
16. Gave me complete control over grades, discipline, bathroom breaks etc.
17. Written feedback given about my discipline, lesson plans, techniques. This
really helped me.
18. Great benefit to work alongside an experienced mentor teacher.
19. Open discussion about ideas for a set of lessons
20. Support for Lesson Planning was gradually withdrawn to allow me to step
out more on my own.
21. Generally present for classroom management support.
22. Mentor was willing to try something new in the classroom.
23. Open discussion of how to handle classroom management issues
24. Presence in the classroom. Offered many resources, advice & collaboratively
taught with me.
25. Covered class when I needed to attend interviews.
26. He is always critiquing my skill
27. Provided me with a lot of methods & strategies I would want to use in my
classroom.
28. Mentor introduced me to other teachers and staff in the school which made
me feel as though I belonged and was not just a student intern.
29. When I was not comfortable with the content, he stepped right in and filled
in the missing pieces. Students benefited from having two of us in there.
30. Administration is supportive and often come in to observe my class.
31. Daily input given, constantly involved in the classroom.
32. Gave me the freedom to do what I wanted as if I were a real teacher, but
supported me as I fell & patted me on the back when I succeeded.
33. Answers any of my questions, helps me with standards & has become
someone I consider a friend.
34. Helped me out with anything I needed.
35. My mentor teachers became great professional friends of mine.
36. We discuss how I can make it or ways to add higher level thinking questions
into the process.
37. She helps with group activities and we co-teach.
38. Planned each day. I felt as if all my ideas were of value to her & we often
used them in our plans.
39. During our planning period we would start with a rough outline of the unit
and then each Thursday we would make our plans concrete.
40. She helped me “tweak” my lessons so our students would be successful.
41. She related information back to topics covered earlier in the year and she
helped me establish rapport with the students.
42. Showed me what other interns had done with previous units.
43. She makes sure I understand all pedagogical steps in instruction & planning.
44. She gives me the space I need while providing me with enough support to still
learn how to teach.
45. She has helped me with assessing students appropriately. I now know
exactly what to look for and the ways in which students must be fairly
assessed.
46. My mentor is very positive and provides verbal and written feedback for my
lessons.
47. Her motto is that 2 teachers in a classroom are a resource and should be
used.
48. She knew what was required of me.
49. She really cared about more than just the school day. It was nice to have a
mentor who had a life outside of school, and could manage her time. I
learned a lot from this.
50. He helps me plan in advance and is willing to work cooperatively with me.
He is very easy to work with.
51. She approved the lessons before I taught them and would add suggestions
and comments.
52. She would go over exactly what needed to be done for the upcoming days.
53. We bounce ideas off of each other when we discuss and collaborate on lesson
planning.
54. She always reassures and compliments me after each day.
55. I know we are supposed to be learning while we are here and that criticism is
what we need, but we also need to hear some positive things once in a while
also.
Physical Education Significant Statements
1. 2 Teachers can lean on each other. One can teach and one can handle
discipline. They can motivate each other. Team teaching made the learning
curve for me so much shorter.
2. My mentors used a level of progression which was helpful.
3. Gave suggestions to alter lessons during the day if he though something
would work better.
4. Gave me feedback about how the day went and suggests ideas to try for
future days.
5. Encouraged me to get into the fire and learn.
6. Offered positive feedback.
7. Gave me freedom to try out my own ideas with the classes.
8. Provided time each day to talk with me about the content of my lessons and
specific drills.
9. He was very encouraging and never put me down but instead gave me ways
to overcome my weaknesses.
10. He was sincere in helping me make it through my internship and wanted to
see me succeed in my teaching career.
11. The constructive feedback was great.
12. My mentors gave me great resources to use and great feedback after each
lesson I taught.
13. My mentor provides a variety of situations and opportunities to teach. My
observation with them in the fall helped me become more confident with the
feedback I have received.
Table 2.2
Secondary Education Significant Statements:
Non- Supportive Collaborative Experience
Significant statements were extracted from each description, phrases and
sentences that directly pertain to the investigated phenomenon. Statements were
eliminated that contained the same or nearly the same statements.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Mentor Teacher can make or break student interns
No support or guidance
Very Frustrating since my Mentor was not prepared for me at all
Absence of the mentor from the classroom and a lack of guidance
Random feedback notes provided
Resources provided days after a request is made
We did not discuss idea before presenting them. I felt less successful with 3
preps and 120 students.
8. Feel as though I am being judged by my mentor, the team & my students
with little constructive feedback or advice.
9. The delivery & planning of the lesson was solely put on me.
10. We never made a plan to have me float or work with a small group while the
mentor controlled the rest of the class.
11. Significant stress caused by being unsure of mentor expectations.
12. My mentor believed in the sink or swim method of internship which was very
frustrating when I wanted feedback.
13. The mentor teacher made the experience more stressful than needed.
14. Too much gossiping in the teacher’s lounge.
15. My mentor was very unorganized and spent too much time in school
worrying about her social life.
16. My mentor teacher never made me feel like I was doing a good job or that I
was progressing. She always made me feel like she could have done better,
which is completely discouraging.
17. PE – I asked questions about what I needed to do & my teachers would
inform me that it was all my responsibility. I received no help whatsoever.
(This Intern was removed from the intern experience).
Table 2.3
Formulated Meanings of Significant Statements:
Supportive Collaborative Experience
Meanings were formulated by spelling out the meaning of each significant
statement. The formulations discover and bring out those meanings hidden in the
various contexts of the phenomenon that are present in the original description.
(Creswell, 1998, p. 280)
1. The mentor teacher is very positive and encouraging toward the intern
throughout the experience.
2. The mentor teacher consistently provides constructive feedback about lesson
preparation, implementation and classroom management.
3. The mentor teacher willingly shares material and resources with the intern.
4. The mentor teacher is actively engaged in lesson preparation with the intern.
The mentor provides guidance and advice during the planning of lessons.
5. The mentor teacher values the ideas and opinions of the intern. The mentor
listens to the intern and allows the intern some personal autonomy and space
when making pedagogical decisions.
6. The mentor teacher and the intern become great teammates in the classroom.
Students benefit from having two teachers in the room (gym). Each is
concerned with helping the other be the best they could be.
7. The mentor teacher is consistently present in the classroom (gym) with the
intern. This presence enables the mentor to assist the intern with classroom
management issues.
8. The mentor teacher (and where appropriate the administration, PDS
Liaison, Seminar instructor) make the intern feel as if they belong in the
school. The intern feels a part of the faculty.
9. The mentor befriends the intern and establishes a personal relationship. The
two establish a professional and personal friendship for future support.
Table 2.4
Formulated Meanings of Significant Statements:
Non-Supportive Collaborative Experience
Meanings were formulated by spelling out the meaning of each significant
statement. The formulations discover and bring out those meanings hidden in the
various contexts of the phenomenon that are present in the original description.
(Creswell, 1998, p. 280)
1. The mentor teacher is unorganized and not prepared for the arrival of the
interns.
2. The mentor does not provide consistent and relevant constructive feedback
for the interns. The intern is not given guidance by the mentor teacher.
3. The interns experienced frustration and stress from a lack of presence in the
classroom (gym) by the mentor. The mentor believes in the sink or swim
method of internship.
4. The mentor teacher does not collaboratively plan lessons with the interns.
The interns feel less successful and more anxious.
5. The mentor teacher adds anxiety to the experience by making the intern feel
inferior or unsure of their progress. The mentor teacher can make or break
student interns.
Table 3.1
Clusters of Common Themes
Clusters of themes were organized from the aggregate formulated meanings. This
allowed for the emergence of themes common to all of the subjects’ descriptions.
These clusters of themes were referred back to the original descriptions in order to
validate them. This was done to see if there was anything in the original that was
not accounted for in the cluster of themes, and whether the cluster proposed
anything which was not in the original. (Creswell, 1998, p. 280)
Supportive
1. Mentor’s Existential Presence
A. The mentor’s physical and mental presence is consistently
available for the intern.
B. For the intern, the mentor’s presence is available not only when
calling for it but also when needing the mentor’s presence but not
overtly soliciting it.
C. The mentor is available for consultation outside of classroom
hours.
D. The mentor models an appropriate and enthusiastic approach to
teaching and learning.
E. The mentor and intern collaboratively plan lessons. The guidance
and advice that the mentor provides in advance is extremely
valuable for the intern.
F. The mentor and intern view each other as co-teachers. They are
effective teammates for the benefit of their students.
2. Mentor’s Caring Disposition
A. The mentor is positive and encouraging in each interpersonal
action.
B. The mentor recognizes the intern’s uniqueness by listening and
responding to him or her as a valued colleague. The mentor
teacher takes the time to introduce the intern to all relevant
stakeholders.
C. The mentor gives the intern the opportunity to carve out personal
space to experiment with personal teaching strategies.
D. The mentor willingly shares materials and resources with the
intern.
E. The mentor and intern reflect on the content and delivery of the
daily lesson. Classroom management practices are considered
during the reflective discussion.
Non-supportive
1. Mentor’s Presence
A. The mentor teacher is not physically or mentally present in the
classroom during instruction. The mentor believes in the sink or
swim method of internship which causes stress and frustration for the
intern.
B. The mentor does not collaboratively plan lessons with the intern.
C. The mentor does not view the internship as a co-teaching experience.
2. Noncaring Dispositions
A. The mentor views the internship experience as hierarchical. The
power struggle makes the intern feel inferior and unsure of their
progress.
B. The mentor teacher is unorganized and unprepared for the arrival
and the collaborative nature of the internship experience.
C. The mentor fails to provide consistent and timely constructive
feedback for the intern.
Table 3.2
Exhaustive Description of a Supportive Mentor:
Collaborative Internship Experience
An exhaustive description of the phenomenon resulted from the integration of the
above results. The exhaustive description of the phenomenon is as unequivocal a
statement of the essential structure of the phenomenon as possible. The descriptions
of the non-supportive interactions were analyzed using the same process as with the
supportive interactions. (Creswell, 1998, p. 280).
In a supportive collaborative internship experience, the mentor’s existential
presence is perceived by the intern as more than just a physical presence. There is
the aspect of the mentor giving of oneself to the intern. This giving of oneself may
be in response to the intern’s request, but it is more often a voluntary effort and is
unsolicited by the intern. The mentor’s willingness to give of oneself is primarily
perceived by the intern as an attitude and behavior of consultation and really
listening and responding to the unique concerns of the individual intern as a person
of value. The mentor’s ability to model enthusiasm and passion for teaching and
learning along with collaboratively planning lessons foster the intern’s teaching
efficacy. The mentor provides the intern with enough personal space to understand
their teaching self. The direct result of the mentor’s existential presence and caring
disposition is a co-teaching relationship where both members view each other as
teammates for the benefit of their students.
Table 3.3
Exhaustive Description of a Non-supportive
Mentor: Collaborative Internship Experience
The mentor’s presence with the intern is perceived by the intern as a minimal
presence, both physically and mentally. The mentor is viewed as being there only
because it is a job and not to assist the intern or answer his or her needs. Any
response by the mentor is done with a minimal amount of energy expenditure. The
intern perceives the mentor who does not collaboratively plan lessons or provide
consistent and timely constructive feedback as non-supportive interactions.
Therefore, an interaction that never happened is labeled as a non-supportive
interaction. The mentor is too busy and hurried to spend time with the intern and
therefore does not really listen to the intern’s individual concerns. The intern is
further devalued as a unique person because he or she is reprimanded, or viewed as
an inferior part of the faculty hierarchy. Because of the lack of support and
concern, the intern’s needs are not met, and the intern has negative feelings, such as,
frustration, anxiety, and anger.