TUTORING AND MENTORING AS A TOOL FOR DEVELOPING CARING DISPOSITIONS IN PRESERVICE TEACHERS

The goal of this study is to investigate preservice teachers experiences of tutoring and mentoring children as a way of developing their caring dispositions According to Bellm et al. (1997) mentoring programs offer new teachers a practical and supportive way to learn and grow on the job. Haskins (2007) stresses that mentors are sometimes seen as role models. Often, they support children who come from troubled family backgrounds, who do not do well at school or who are considered at risk. Mentors provide emotional guidance and a sense of continuity and stability, which may be lacking in the lives of their mentees.
Mentoring is not just beneficial for mentees, but also for mentors. Trepanier-Street et al (2007) explained the benefits of college students that mentored children yearlong as a part of Jumpstart program.
Research of Gip (1992) demonstrated that if you apply inquiry oriented perspective in teacher preparation program pre-service teachers progress better in developing their teaching abilities, knowledge and dispositions. In this research, pre-service teachers were asked to keep a journal monitoring their own progress during practicum.

Conceptual framework
How can caring be manifested? Vogt (2002) stresses that caring within teaching can be understood in a range of ways: caring as commitment, caring as relatedness, caring as physical care, caring as expressing affection, such as giving cuddle caring as parenting and caring as mothering.
In the “Reflective Practitioner” model developed by the university it is assumed that through the program the candidates are developing five proficiencies *.

Methodology
The Qualitative research approach is based on in-depth inquiry and direct quotations capturing people’s personal perspective and experiences (Patton, 1990).

Population
Fifty six mentors (52 Caucasian and 4 African –American) and 56 children-- majority of which are African– American and Latino. The children were chosen on the base of low academic scores or /and behavioral problems and classified as “At risk”.

Procedure
Students majoring in the Early Childhood program are required to mentor children. Before deciding if teaching is the right choice, students must test their one-on-one interaction with children by taking the mandatory Foundation to Early Childhood course. During this class, each student is assigned to weekly tutor children in the local Elementary school.

Data analysis
The conceptual framework’s dimensions of “Reflective Practitioner” guided us to analyze data.Mentors reflected on their skills as leaders, problem solvers and communicators. It also looked at their ability to apply content knowledge to teaching and learning; to use technology to improve teaching and learning; to work with divers populations; to demonstrate professional behavior and dispositions and engage in reflective practice to improve teaching and learning.

Discussion
The preservice teachers acknowledge earning from this experience.
The results demonstrated that pre-service teachers developed and deepened their caring skills through reflective practice on mentoring and tutoring young children.