From: Debbie Tully [mailto:dtully@whitworth.

edu]
a. What are the opportunities/experiences that have helped to move
you/us closer to actualizing these goals?

P - All the way in both of those goals, in fact most would say we wish we had them more
Were reaching more kids
Having another adult in the room creates an amazing buzz about learning
A- Two bodies in the classroom allows for more kiddos to get the help they need
We communicate really well
So we are able to discuss comfort levels regularly

A Co- teaching is huge, so good to have another person
Sharing of creative ideas
Gets right in there without much direction
Lots of open dialog had helps the candidate learn more quickly
The match has worked well
The interview gave a good sense
What she is learning matches with what has happened
She talks about class and learning with Angela. She is always asking questions, she is
proactive and applies other learnings to the classroom.
Good for them to see how we use the CCSS as the standards for literacy during the
pilots

M being in the classroom as much as she is, she sees lots of modeling; she is really
good so she is picking up. Good job with classroom management already.
At first the negotiations were slow because we were each waiting for the other to ask or
allow.
Is using the mentor' language and able to monitor and adjust with practice
2. Observed conferencing with students, and implementing the same

Focused observations followed by candidate attempt to mirror the activity

Good match, maturity level of candidate has been helpful
This is better than the typical Ed field experience
Can get to more kids, not faster, just better more efficiently
Helpful in the preparation, she is a good compliment to the mentor's skills
Helpful in the technology realm especially with the smart board

J - ST has taken higher readers so the teacher can work with struggling readers
There is also an intervention and resource teachers - gives more individual and small
group instruction
Very observant and takes suggestions well
Supervisor relationship has been good; he has been supportive and has addressed
issues that the teacher would have had to broach

N - It has been fabulous because I was very clear about my needs with a combo class.
I couldn't have move to the Common core without my co-teacher. The kids and I
wouldnt have progressed as quickly
I was really worried about the needs of the kiddos and meeting them with a novice
She talks positively about the growth and abilities of these students. She is absolutely
comfortable in it
Diving into common core was so helpful to our kids in the way it starts out pictorially and
moves to more developmentally. We have been surprised by the intuition.
The one-on-ones are so very effective in addressing the learning needs in a timely
manner
Good match - we have just meshed


b. What are the barriers that you are experiencing to actualizing these
goals or taking you away from the above central purpose?

P - The time, the schedule, to find time to sit and talk and plan (the CIA stuff
has helped us plan for the full year in math
Not enough planning with me on Monday mornings and the follow after a
Tuesday lesson. When they are here, the actual times that we have together, I
plan my week on Weds, Thurs and Friday
Could we take time out of the grade level time on Tuesdays afternoon to do
classroom planning with all the players who are involved? Coaches
interventionists, student teaching. With my grade level colleague, we have math
planned for the year but not to the depth that includes intervention and different
strategies

Angela - difficult that the WU students miss the Thursday team collaboration -grade
level with some grade band
be here with the GU students

A - Scheduling and making time is difficult, sometimes we meet on Friday afternoon or
Monday mornings (mentor is not a morning person)
missing 3 days of classroom experience each week interrupts the flow
some of the teachers have discussed the essential questions and the mentor was
unsure of the vocab used

M - We dont have a curriculum in SPS and so that is hard on the candidates - so
worried about what resources the young teachers have,
The lack of time together, for planning and then catching up after the first two days
The student misses the AHAs that happen on Weds - Friday. Going from the
Monday/Tuesday to the following week

N - With the combo class I don't have the same level of coaching/intervention support
and the ST can fill that gap two days a week
I think the candidates are surprised to see how much the students can learn.

c. What professional behaviors do you feel you need to develop and/or
practice to be successful in working with teacher candidates?

A - definitely, technology
I am spending more time with the standards; I want to do my best job for my candidate
so that she gets the ultimate experience

1. What support would you like to have to help you in your work mentoring teacher
candidates?
2. M- Anticipating that when we sit down to plan in Feb I will have had time to mull
over what we need. - Help with structuring the lesson planning etc. for the students,
without increasing the work load for the mentor. edTPA (how can we make the
teacher's thinking re lesson plans apparent)
3. J - The expectations were not as clear from the beg as to how they were to be
utilized, more problematic for newbie mentor
4. P - I would like to know specifics about what the candidates have already learned,
syllabi to peruse, build in time to meet and plan



What are areas of growth that you have observed in yourself or benefits to you from the
co-teaching well as areas in need of additional growth?

P - This process has required a great deal of introspection; its a good way to
collaborate, thinking through the things you need to do to collaborate successfully
refreshing collab skills
As the Candidate teaches more, I am trying to intervene and co-teach in a way that is
not corrective, that takes practice, it was really positive; I've had a lot of experience
doing this with interventionists, being a coach myself has helped
multiple people working toward the same goal is invigorating

A - Opening the wall last year allowed for collaboration and open honest conversations,
this has extended to the co-teaching

J - It is always nice to have an extra body in the room
How quickly can we get her up to speed in Feb? We need to help them transition from
friend to teacher and for this population
Co-teaching allowed the teacher opportunities to observe that aren't there when you are
up front
I try to model supporting of students while the other is teaching

Modeling and debriefing provides another person to verbalize with. It forces me
to do oral reflection regularly

N -helped me with the feeling that I need to do it myself
Everybody has different strengths and that is what I love: learning from mentor,
coaches, assistants, co-teachers


d. What suggestions do you have for the directors/faculty of teacher preparation
programs?

Paul - be open to make adjustments as we go along, maybe make the responsibilities of
the candidate and the co-teaching more clear in the beginning, the expectations weren't
as clear as they could be
If we want to accelerate and intervene we need that additional planning time. The
Tuesdays work well. It's a long day but that is important - Maybe even a Weds,
Thursday
On Tuesday all the players are there.

Angela- suggestion - video clips, opportunity to look at co-teaching
Candidate has been asking questions regarding the edTPA planning and Angie felt that
she will be informed later when it counts
Are there alternatives to bringing folks to campus - say have the training here. I don't
like to be gone? Can teachers partner with Gonzaga for an afternoon or evening event?

I think it is terrific but the lack of collaboration time on a daily basis because of the
schedule this fall has been problematic.
The schedule is problematic, but the first two days then no contact is tough.
Being here for the first 2 weeks of school was helpful. Jan term may be problematic
because of the problems these kids have with transitions - that is a lot transition for
these kiddos
We need MOUs that outline the expectations clearly

A- More info regarding the co-teaching, more discussion of the balance and pacing of
candidate responsibilities, Feb 4th? WU MITS will provide phase in/ phase out info,
edTPA, what the experience can look like
Looking backward - more assistance regarding the pacing, the expected supervisory
observations
EdTPA for WU is due during spring break
Is there a way we communicate with your expectations - email?

J - If students had been with me for a practica then it has been better - if this worked
well I let them know they welcome to come back
I probably wouldn't have taken a student teacher for my last year.

I am not bonding as well with the kids as I would without ST, I have had ST almost
every other year so, and I felt I did my time, so not ideal for a phasing out year.
ST is still at the stage of wanting to be friends. I have never had someone at the start
of the year so having two teachers has slowed the bonding process for the mentor.

Reinforcing to the MITs the choice to complete the accelerated program, professional
behaviors such as punctuality, showing up if you are able - unless really sick, don't do
homework during class

N - It would be helpful if we had some of those Tuesday after school times to co-plan,
debrief
The combo class is not in the same place as the other grades. Ahead with the younger
folks or having completed testing when others haven't. The pacing is different.
Doing a combo class without a co-teacher is crazy.
Would like to know more of what the candidates are doing in their coursework (an email
from the primary faculty regarding what they are learning each week and to share
resources, i.e. Cafe model)
This is so much more realistic, the candidates are getting really good information.
Provide clearer expectations about what the candidates can do from the very first day
and how to gradually up the responsibilities.

Want more touches with the university folks. What might this look like?