The creation and development of positive learning and work environments contributes to the longevity of teachers in the field of education and to providing supportive and welcoming classrooms and schools for teachers and students.
Professional Disposition Rubric
In the collaboration section of the rubric, students, mentors and University Supervisors tended to score a ‘3’ (the highest rating) for these sections in all classes. Despite the fact that all students score very well on this measure, we have found that on-site mentors award students higher scores, even when the scores of university faculty and students’ own self-assessment is lower. The University Supervisor and student self-assessment scores align nearly 100% of the time. The generous scoring from mentors may partially reflect gratitude for the unpaid assistance of MAE students instead of a pure reflection of students’ actual professional dispositions. However, mentors spend far more classroom time with students in the classroom than university faculty and the MAE Program is inclined to yield to mentors’ judgment on this issue.
MAE Completer Survey and Focus Groups
The completers from 2017-2018 who participated in the survey reported that they felt the least prepared in the areas of classroom management, culturally responsive teaching, and establishing and maintaining a positive learning environment to support diverse student populations. However, when the participants were questioned further during the focus groups, participants reported they could meet the challenges of teaching diverse students as a result of the various clinical experiences with mentor support prior to teaching full time.
One hundred percent of the 2018-2019 completers reported being prepared or thoroughly prepared on the following items:
- Establish and maintain effective working relationships with colleagues to collaborate,
- respectfully accept constructive criticism from supervising administrators, and
- demonstrate strong rapport with students from diverse backgrounds.
Other areas of strength in which ninety-one percent of participants (11 of the 12) reported being prepared or thoroughly prepared are as follows:
- Classroom management to serve current student populations
- Culturally responsive teaching
- Establishing and maintaining a positive learning environment to support diverse learners
- Collaborating effectively with mentors and colleagues, maintaining focus on student success
- Addressing problems professionally with adequate resources and supports
In a follow-up study of survey participants, focus group participants expressed strong professional collaboration skills with the ability to network support among colleagues to problem solve ways to meet diverse student needs.
MEES
Successful performance on the MEES demonstrates that candidates create a positive classroom environment. All Truman MAE completers have not only passed the MEES assessment but the mean scores for every standard have consistently far exceeded both the minimum and higher target scores. Truman intern candidates’ scores on Standard 5 of the MEES assessment, which assesses intern candidates’ understanding of individual and/or group motivation and behavior to create a learning environment that encourages active engagement in learning, positive social interaction, and self-motivation, demonstrates that they can create and develop positive learning and work environments.
First-Year Teacher Survey Questionnaire
Truman completers create and develop positive learning environments for their students and work collaboratively with colleagues to create and develop positive work environments that support student learning. In Standard 5, the category of Positive Classroom Environment on the survey, 97% of 2020-2021 completers agreed (25%) or strongly agreed (72%) that they were prepared to foster positive student relationships. In Standard 9, Professional Collaboration, 98% of 2020-2021 completers agreed (39%) or strongly agreed (59%) that they were prepared to collaborate with colleagues to support student learning. (Please consult the summary document of the last six years of data from this questionnaire for additional evidence of support from prior years.)
Principal of First-Year Teachers Survey Questionnaire
Principals of 2020-2021 first-year teachers offer further support that Truman completers create and develop positive learning and work environments, with 89% agreeing (33%) or strongly agreeing (56%) that they were prepared to foster positive student relationships and 88% agreeing (46%) or strongly agreeing (42%) that Truman completers were prepared to collaborate with colleagues to support student learning. (Please consult the summary document of the last six years of data from this questionnaire for additional evidence of support from prior years.)