This document summarizes a presentation about a collaborative model used between teacher candidates, mentor teachers, and university faculty. The model features triads of two teacher candidates placed with one cooperating teacher. This forms a professional learning community. Candidates have a main placement for a full year in one classroom and also do guest teaching in another classroom. Supervision includes expectations and feedback from the mentor teacher, site supervisor, and university supervisor. The model aims to support student learning through assignments connecting coursework to fieldwork, collaborative analysis of student work, and modified lesson study cycles. Benefits identified include consecutive field days supporting co-teaching and relationships built through early experience. Areas for improvement include better communicating assignment goals and viewing collaboration as co-

1. Engaging T
eacher C
andidates and Mentor
T
eachers in a
C
ollaborative Relationship
to Enhance T
eaching and Learning about
Student Understanding
Barbara Ruben, Nicole Miller Rigelman, Rudy Rudolph, Olivia Murray,
Christine Campanella, Matthew Epplin, and Martha Rodriguez
Portland State University
13th Annual Oregon Association of Teacher Educators Conference
March 5, 2010

2. Session Overview
• Partnership Instructional Triangle
• Features of the Model
• Learning in the Partnership
o Learning to Teach BOTG
o Supporting K-8 Student Learning
• Panel Discussion
• Questions

5. Features of the Model
• Working in partnership with schools, using primarily
a triad model (2 teacher candidates with each
cooperating teacher) for field placement.
o The triad forms a professional learning community
that learns from one another while offering
collaboration, support, and feedback.
o Multiple adults in the classroom focused on
student learning yields positive outcomes for
students.

6. Achieving experience at two authorization levels
through a full-year placement in one classroom and
guest teaching in another classroom.
Main Placement
4.5 days/week on
average
Guest T
eaching
0.5 day/week on
average
Fall Term
Field Experience
1.75 days/week on
average
0.25 day/week on
average
Winter Term
Part-time Student T
eaching
2.5 days/week on
average
0.5 day/week on
average
Spring Term
Full T
ime Student T
eaching
4 days/week on
average
1 day/week on
average
Early September (inservice days through
3rd week)
Field Experience

7. Features of the Model
• Supervision includes expectations for the mentor
teacher, a site supervisor, and a university supervisor
(3 person team support interns’ learning).
o Providing regular written feedback including
formal observation
o Collaborative planning
o Monthly mentoring meetings
o Forms and formal conference

11. Supporting K-8 Student Learning
Intern Learning
Mentor Learning
Faculty Learning
Assignments connecting
coursework and fieldwork
Analyzing “data” from
interns’ field-based
assignments that reveal
student thinking
Collecting “data” from
ongoing feedback,
discussions and reflections
from interns and mentors
Observing and planning with
a focus on student thinking
Using observation tools with
a focus on student thinking
Cohort and mentor/intern
collaborating through a focus
on using student thinking as
a guide to instruction
Mentor/Intern collaborating
through a focus on using
student thinking (analyzing
student work, planning with
others)
Engaging in modified lesson
study cycle
Engaging in modified lesson
study cycle
Collaborating through
modified lesson study cycle
(planning, predicting student
thinking, observing,
debriefing, considering next
steps).

13. Mentor Learning
• Monthly mentoring meetings
o Role as a mentor and mentoring strategies including
providing feedback to intern
o Strategies for involving the intern from the beginning
o “Structured” observations and debriefs
o Collaborative analysis of student work,
o Collaborative planning, teaching, debriefing…

15. Lessons learned so far…
• Consecutive days in the field positively influence the
opportunities to co-teach and co-plan.
• Establishing guest teaching during early September
experience can be important in building relationships.
• Providing specific yet flexible guidelines supports the
classrooms/schools with achieving expectations.
• Interns transitioned smoothly into student teaching we
think due to their deep involvement (including teaching)
in the classroom since the beginning of the year.

16. For next year…
• Take time to sit down with mentor teachers and
share the goals of the field-based assignments along
with examples of what interns might be doing so that
they can
o offer suggestions for tweaks to fit their setting
and/or
o see how the assignments fit or support their work
with students.

17. For next year…
• View collaboration as a co-inquiry where we cross
typical boundaries in the interest of learning across
the partnership.
o Faculty join triad for collaborative lesson study
(planning-observation-debrief cycles)
o Faculty “guest teach” in K-8 classrooms
o Mentor teachers “guest teach” in GTEP courses

18. Panel
Rudy Rudolph
Building Principal
Olivia Murray
University Supervisor
Matthew Epplin Intern - 3rd Grade Multiple Subjects, 6th
Grade Multiple Subjects
Christine
Campanella
Intern - 7th/8th Grade Mathematics, 4th
Grade Multiple Subjects
Martha
Rodriguez
Intern - 7th/8th Grade Mathematics, 3rd
Grade Multiple Subjects

19. T
alking Points
• What has it been like for teacher candidates to learn
in this collaborative model? What are advantages and
disadvantages?
• What are the responses from the school community
(teachers, students, parents)?
• Is there any advice that would give to a cohort
leader or program that might be thinking about
moving to the Triad Model?

20. Questions?
Barbara Ruben – rubenb@pdx.edu
Nicole Miller Rigelman – rigelman@pdx.edu