How to Make the Most of Your Student Teaching Part 2

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How to Make the Most of Your Student Teaching Part 2

Part 2: How to Deal with a Difficult Mentor Teacher

If your mentor is difficult or doesn’t give you useful feedback, here are some potential coping strategies recommended by MENC members Scott Iseminger, Tom Carter, Terry Annalora, and Christine Nowmos.

Talk to your professors.

Tell them what’s going on and ask for their advice. You might even have one of your professors come and observe the class. If your mentor teacher is making unprofessional comments, keep a detailed record of your interactions in case you need to go to a professor or supervisor for extra help.

Keep the teacher’s actions in perspective.

Your mentor teacher may be stressed or overwhelmed, and his/her comments may not be personal. Be as professional and upbeat as you can. This experience can be good practice for dealing with difficult students, parents, and administrators. Think of how you might manage stress in a positive way when you have your own classroom.

Talk to the mentor teacher.

“Ask for specific advice on something you know you’re having trouble with,” suggests Christine Nowmos. If you still don’t get a helpful response, Tom Carter, veteran teacher and choral coach, recommends approaching that person in a respectful but firm manner with statements like “I'm feeling a little lost here, so I would love it if you could give me more direct feedback.”

Keep a journal.

If you don’t like the way this person conducts the classroom, record what isn’t working. “The description provides you, the prospective teacher, with a memory prompt for application (or avoidance) of similar techniques during your own teaching,” says Norma McClellan, coordinator of music education at Missouri State University. See the October NewsLink for more ideas about keeping a student teaching journal.

For more help and support, visit MENC’s online forums.

Read Part 1: Three Ways to Prepare for Student Teaching

Terry Annalora is director of choral music at the Custer County District High School in Miles City, MT.

Christine Nowmos is the general/vocal music teacher of grades Pre-K through 4 at Mary S. Shoemaker School in Woodstown, NJ.

Tom Carter is a choral coach in Los Gatos, CA, and has written a book on the topic entitled Choral CHARISMA: Singing with Expression.

Scott Iseminger teaches at Krejci Academy in Naperville, IL, and is director and accompanist for a professional children's choir organization.