1. University Coordinator

The University Coordinator [UC], is in charge of making visits to your school to observe the Teacher Candidate (TC) teaching a lesson. The amount of visits varies each term/semester. We will work cooperatively with you to guide the candidate’s development and growth over the course of the semester. We are available at to talk with you, answer questions, and address any concerns that arise at any time during the semester. Contact information for direct communication with the UC will be provided to the mentor teacher each semester. This information will include the UC’s first and last name, e-mail address and daytime phone number.

University Coordinator Responsibilities

  • The UC will visit your school between Term 1 and Term 3.
  • The UC will work cooperatively with the mentor teacher to guide the candidate’s development and growth over the course of field practicum (Term 1 & 2) and student teaching (Term 3).
  • The UC will be available at to talk with the mentor teacher to answer questions and address any concerns that arise at any time during the semester.

2. Professional Development Opportunities

The ITE Secondary program will provide mentor teachers first notification of all Professional Development experiences made available by the department and by the College of Education (COE). Notification is provided via direct e-mails we will send. Professional Development experiences include but are not limited participation in grant funded workshops, COE PDE3 courses and invitations to university sponsored activities, lectures and speaker series.

3. Possible Discussion Topics for Mentor Teachers & Teacher Candidates

  • Where should the teacher candidate keep their things?
  • Where is his/her work space?
  • What time should the teacher candidate arrive at school?
  • What time should he/she leave? (Contractual time?)
  • How does the teacher candidate get into the school (if you are not there)? The classroom?
  • How can the teacher candidate contact the mentor teacher in the case of an emergency?
  • What are the school / class procedures during a fire drill, lock-down, earthquake, etc.?
  • What about when an emergency occurs during lunch or between classes?
  • What are the expectations for lesson plans?
  • What are your assessment/grading practices?
  • What are the overall procedures for your classroom? Such as
    • Policy for headings on paper, using pen/pencil/ computer, writing on front/back of paper, legibility, late work, missed work, no-name on work, etc.?
    • Policy for using restroom, cell phones, etc?
    • Policies or common practices for the following: dress code for students, attendance, tardies, cell phones, computer use, visitors, movement through the hall, lunch, open/closed campus, gum, food in classroom, gang signs, assemblies, etc.?
  • Should the teacher candidate come up with his/her own policy or adhere to mentor teacher’s policy?
  • Teacher candidates may never act as a substitute (unless they are certified by the HIDOE and being hired for the day and this is agreed on by all stakeholders); so, what should the student teacher do when the mentor teacher is gone and has a substitute in the class?
  • Are there any students with special needs, 504 plans, behavior disorders or concerns, medical issues? How should the teacher candidate handle those?
  • What is the dress code for teacher candidates?
  • What is the behavior plan of the class?
  • Are there specific materials, textbooks, etc., the mentor teacher expects the teacher candidate to use?
  • What resources are available to the teacher candidate —library, equipment, school personnel such as counselor(s), special education instructor(s), principal/assistant principal(s), etc.?
  • What is acceptable use of school / classroom technology?
  • Where and when will mentor teacher and teacher candidate plan to meet? To discuss performance and concerns?
  • What other critical issues should the teacher candidate know?

4. Possible Checklist for Mentor Teachers & Teacher Candidates

  • Exchange contact information and preferences.
  • Provide an orientation to the classroom and to the school.
  • Review the basic responsibilities of the teacher candidate and the mentor teacher – provided by the University Coordinator.
  • Review the university requirements and how they fit into the classroom activity.
  • Review lesson plan expectations (requirements, implementation, application,& how and when they will be checked).
  • Review daily routines, schedules, duties, etc.
  • Review possible feedback strategies.
  • Review appropriate dress code for the student teacher and talk about professionalism.
  • Review the management system for the classroom and the school. Talk about the teacher candidate’s and mentor teacher’s role in this process.
  • Review the substitute policy and the absence policy for teacher candidates.
  • Review all policies and procedures for both the district and school.
  • Set two short-range goals and two long-range goals.

5. Tips & Strategies

Here are two resources for you to consider:

  1. 10 things to know about mentoring student teachers

  2. Mentoring Teachers During Distance Learning

6. Documents and Forms

There are number of documents and forms used in relation to the various field experience teacher candidates engage in over the course of the participation in the ITE Secondary Teacher Preparation Program. Below is a list of the most often references documents and forms.