Mentor Teacher Professional Learning: Promising Practices, Activities, and Structures Within Teacher Residency Programs

Abstract

This chapter draws on 15+ years of experience designing and scaling over 175 teacher residency programs across 35 states, including in-depth insights from 14 programs that informed the development of a framework for mentor teacher professional learning. The authors examine the complex and multifaceted role of mentor teachers in residencies who serve as essential links between institutions of higher education and K-12 schools, helping new teachers navigate often unstated and/or misaligned expectations for teacher resident learning resulting from their preparation program. The knowledge and skills required for this work extend well beyond effective K-12 teaching, encompassing relationship-building for adult learning and navigating systems. Despite these mentoring skills being foundational to learning for preservice teachers, they often go unrecognized and undersupported, limiting the full potential of the teacher residency program. This chapter underscores the importance of developing a shared, cross-organizational vision for both new teacher residents and their mentor teachers, and presents four promising practices for the professional learning that mentor teachers need in order to consistently succeed. By prioritizing intentional support for mentor teachers focused on their critical position as “navigators,” teacher residencies can enhance their overall impact, ensuring a more effective and sustainable teacher development ecosystem.