Chapter 9: Engaging Mentor Teachers with Teacher Candidates During Methods Courses in Clinical Settings¹

The Methods sub-Research Action Cluster (sub-RAC) has focused its work on the two-fold problem in mathematics teacher education discussed in Chapter 8 of this book. The focus of Methods is to develop knowledge and understanding of critical components with teacher candidates that ultimately improve student outcomes when put into practice. Once this knowledge and understanding begins to take shape, the sub-RAC engages bidirectional learning between teacher candidate and their mentor teacher in a clinical school setting. To accomplish this endeavor to ultimately improve teacher candidate quality, mentoring, and student outcomes, this sub-RAC develops, tests, revises, and finalizes modules for secondary mathematics methods coursework. These modules offer opportunities to support teacher candidates with developing knowledge and skills needed to plan and implement lessons that (a) engage students in the Standards for Mathematical Practice (SMP) in the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSS-M; National Governors Association Center for Best Practices, Council of Chief State School Officers, 2010) through the use of the eight mathematics teaching practices (MTPs) (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics [NCTM], 2014) and (b) facilitate conversations and activities between mentor teachers and teacher candidates about the SMP and MTPs reflecting a bidirectional relationship of professional learning in preparing the next generation of mathematics teachers.