Cultivating outstanding physics teacher mentorship

Physics mentor teachers wield tremendous influence over the learning trajectories of preservice physics teachers. As the primary example of what effective high school physics teaching looks like in practice, mentors model how to design and implement physics instruction that can inspire an increasingly diverse group of learners to understand and appreciate physics. Although university-based teacher education relies heavily on mentor teachers, physics mentors teachers are often selected solely based on their willingness, location, or availability, and are often given little support in performing their vital roles. In our work at Trinity University, we have learned that outstanding physics teacher mentors are not simply discovered; they are cultivated through sustained school-university partnerships and intentional support from university faculty. This chapter describes critical practices in physics teacher mentoring and how these practices are systematically supported in the Trinity teacher education program. While not all teacher education programs should look like Trinity’s, the mentorship practices and support systems we describe

hold promise for fostering outstanding physics teacher mentorship in a wide range of teacher education contexts.