Abstract:

The present study investigated one master teacher's (MT) mentoring practice with three student teachers (ST) during coplanning meetings at a preschool. Using a single case study, the data collection lasts over one semester. The data sources include weekly video-recordings of mentor-ST coplanning meetings, observation, individual semi-structured one-hour interviews with each of four participants (one mentor; three STs), and the student teachers' daily reflective journal.

The findings affirm previous studies that coplanning affords rich learning opportunities for the PIs. More specifically, the mentor’s emotional and professional support, essential to the ST’s learning, created a secure space where the STs revealed their weaknesses/concerns and were willing to accept the challenges of learning from the MT. To sustain a growth-producing environment, the mentor strived to empower the ST in coplanning by encouraging their independent thinking while sensitively supporting their ideas. Meanwhile, the MT critically reflected on his communication styles to break MT-ST’s power imbalances and to bring in more of the ST’s voice. Such an MT’s consistent support helped the STs make changes in their ways of thinking and ultimately increased their sense of confidence and agency.

Discussions:
1) MT-ST relationship and communication are two critical foundations for TC’s learning to teach (La Paro et al., 2018). Similarly, the present study found two layers of learning foundations in Keith’s mentoring: the one layer was the emotionally secure foundation, which the mentor strived to establish through building personal relationships, allowing the STs' sense of security to embrace challenges from the mentor, freely express their concerns/questions and share their reflections. The other layer was an intellectually secure foundation, which the MT created by providing his expertise. . Based on these findings, the present study suggests that a quality mentoring practice may need to be considered holistically from both aspects of emotional/intellectual support and challenges.

2) The present study illustrates how one teacher’s intentional mentoring practice can change STs’ ways of thinking and reflecting. Keith (the mentor's pseudonym) intentionally created time and opportunities where the STs were able to practice in-depth observation and make meanings out of their observations. Also he continuously posed open-ended questions without imposing his ideas so the STs were able to explore uncertainties and seek new possibilities by using their knowledge and experiences (Smith, 2007); his non-judgmental questioning helped the STs pursue their differing ideas, sometimes forming a new local theory (Foong et al., 2018). These findings are consistent with Mena et al.’s (2017) study that when teachers use non-directive mentoring skills, such as questioning and listening, STs participate more actively and extrapolate principles from their experience and acquire “knowledge of a high level” (p. 57).

3) The present study found that Keith's educative mentoring was aligned with his philosophy and practice of early childhood teaching (Feiman-Nemser, 2001; Nilssen, 2010).These findings imply that a MT’s beliefs about teaching may influence the ways in which they mentor STs.

In sum, quality mentoring is dynamic and thoughtfully carried out. It requires comprehensive abilities and dispositions. Thus, it is imperative to provide supportive mentor training.

Keywords:

Mentoring, Reflection, Student Teaching, Empowering, Shared Decision-Making, Co-planning, Mentor-Student Teacher Relationship, Early Childhood Education.