10 things to know about mentoring student teachers

Learning to teach is hard. Student teachers are still learning the content, and most are struggling with both teaching equitably to all students and keeping pace with district curriculum guidelines. It is challenging for student teachers to integrate their own ideas about good teaching with those of their teacher education programs. How cooperating teachers mentor them has significant consequences for how their student teachers address the challenges they face. The author follows with 10 tips on how to mentor better -- including don't leave them alone, plan together, make time to talk, and connect student teachers to the larger political world of the school.