A plea for a mentoring framework that promotes dialogic professional learning in the ELT teacher education context

Year 2007, Volume: 3 Issue: 3, 43 - 64, 01.12.2007

Jeylan Wolyie Hussein

Abstract

The paper emerged out of my own and my colleagues’ growing discontent with the traditional, ill-organized and unproductive way of evaluating the one-month-teaching practice of student teachers of English Language Teaching (ELT) at Haramaya University. It advances the argument that student teacher evaluation systems should be restructured to represent the voices and experiences of the student teachers. Towards this end, I proposed a mentoring framework that potentially encourages student teachers to become critical practitioners. The model I propose emphasizes the professional agency of the student teacher. The paper holds the position that to transform their views of teaching and learning, student teachers as well as their trainers should be empowered to seek justice and emancipation from the traditional model of evaluation. Finally, it attempts to leave readers with the impression that if we prefer our zone of comfort at the expense of our student teachers’ growth, we must know that we are jeopardizing the fate of teacher education

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• APPENDIX A: HARAMAYA UNIVERSITY GUIDELINE FOR EVALUATING A
• STUDENT TEACHER IN PRACTICE TEACHING
• Assessment 1 to 5 is given. The highest is 5 and the lowest is 1. Indicate your assessment
• by circling one of the points against the student teacher’s competence given below. Also
• write down your additional comments in the columns provided.
• The keys to the points are going to be given as follows.
• =very satisfactory; 4=satisfactory; 3=Average; 2=Less satisfactory; 1=Unsatisfactory
• Name of the student teacher ____________________________ date ______________
• Grade and Section _________________________________ Subject ______________ 1
• Instructional Planning Points Comments 1.1 Are
• behavioral terms or action words?
• Does the lesson plan provide a
• range of teaching strategies, which
• are consistent with the objectives?
• Are home works and other activities
• integral parts of the lesson plan? Are
• logically arranged? in 1 2 3 4 5 1.2 1 2 3 4 5 1.3 1 2 3 4 5 1.4 contents sequentially and 1 2 3 4 5 2
• Teaching-learning process
• Does the student teacher arouse the
• interests of students towards the subject matter?
• Are the factual information of the
• subject matter presented accurately?
• Are examples, illustrations and
• demonstrations used to explain and
• 10 Does the student teacher use differe4nt classroom management techniques? 1 2 3 4 5
• 11 Is the student teacher able to influence students’ behaviors in his or her presentation of the subject matter? 1 2 3 4 5
• 12 Is the student teacher able to maintain student involvement in classroom tasks? 1 2 3 4 5
• 13 Does the student teacher use different teaching materials like real objects, specimen, modes, etc. while teaching? 1 2 3 4 5 3
• Assessment of teaching learning 3.1
• Is learning monitored and evaluated
• in order to improve teaching and learning?
• Does the student teacher interact
• with students to know about their learning behaviors?
• Are appropriate assessment tasks
• (such as oral questions, class work,
• homework, observation) used to
• monitor progress in learning?
• Total (out of 100 points) 1 2 3 4 5 3.2 1 2 3 4 5 3.3 1 2 3 4 5 3.4
• Evaluator’s Name _____________________________ Signature _______________