Mentoring Mild/Moderate Student Teachers “What do I do if there’s a problem?” Developed by Sally Spencer, Teacher Education Coordinator Department of Special Education California State University, Northridge

You are not alone!  From time to time, problems may arise during the student teaching experience  The Department of Special Education is here to support you in resolving any difficulties that might occur while you are mentoring one of our student teachers

Taking Steps  The following steps are designed to help the student teacher and the supervising teacher work through problems encountered during the semester  These are just guidelines: you are free to request a different type of support or resolution should you feel that it is warranted

Step One: Ask For Support  Act quickly: Contact the CSUN university supervisor at the first sign of a concern  If the concern is serious, ask the supervisor to speak to the Teacher Education Coordinator for additional support

Step Two: Make a Plan  With the support of the university supervisor, meet with the student to document all concerns  Create a plan to address the concerns, including any specific help to be provided by the university supervisor

Step Three: Set a Timeline  Decide on the amount of time needed to reevaluate progress on the concerns you documented  Don’t wait too long! It is inadvisable to allow the classroom environment to deteriorate while waiting to see if a student teacher will improve

Step Four: Evaluate Progress  With the support of the university supervisor, meet again to evaluate the student teacher’s progress  Document progress (or lack of it) and decide on next steps

Next Steps  If the problem is resolved, we thank you for your guidance and support for our student teacher!  If the problem persists, university personnel will take additional steps to resolve it in a timely manner

Keep in Mind…  It is critical that all concerns be thoroughly documented  The plan to remediate the problems should be in writing, and should be revisited quickly  You are not alone! We truly value your participation in our student teaching programs, and we are here to support you in any way needed

Your rights  Although our preference is to try to help a student teacher work through any problems that may arise, a supervising teacher always has the right to ask that a student teacher be removed from his or her classroom  If you feel that a problem is serious enough to merit immediate removal of the student, you should contact the university supervisor and/or the Teacher Education Coordinator to facilitate the process

Contact Information  Teacher Education Coordinator  Sally Spencer    Special Education Office:  Department Chair, Dr. Nancy Burstein  

Thank You!