Cooperating Teacher/Student Teacher Dynamics: Building the Foundation for Career-Long Professional Learning (NEA Workshop)
Workshop 3 is a Half Day Workshop on Sunday, February 16, 2020 from 1:00pm-4:00pm, $50-.

This workshop is part of a NEA/ATE initiative to address the needs of the school-based mentor/cooperating teacher as well as the university adjunct supervisor who supervise and mentor teacher candidates in school contexts.

The activities provided in the workshop will:

1. provide models and practices to develop key mentoring skills, develop knowledge of mentoring and andragogy, and build trusting relationships with teacher candidates;
2. sensitize participants in applying a cultural lens as part of an observation framework; and
3. utilize mentor professional growth as a foundational element of overall transformation of schools through teacher leadership and a culture for great teaching and learning.

Participants will be given a certificate of completion for the content of their professional development workshop and pathways to complete/earn micro-credentials with NEA in preparing for a student teacher and engaging in reflective practices as a cooperating teacher.

Presenter: Blake West, Ed.D., Senior Policy Analyst, NEA Center for Great Public Schools - Teacher Quality, Washington, DC.

Blake West has been an educator for over 40 years, teaching mathematics, computer science, and helping teachers integrate 21st century skills into teaching. Dr. West has publications in the areas of computer science, teaching with technology and the development of leaders in our schools. From 2006-2012, he was President of Kansas National Education Association where he led the development of their Teacher Leadership Academy and fostered collaboration as chair of Kansas Learning First Alliance.

Blake returned to teaching in his Kansas classroom in 2012 until summer of 2015 when he extended his teacher leadership as Senior Policy Analyst in the National Education Association’s Center for Great Public Schools.