Placement support

Professional Experience Mentor Teachers (MT) support students to enhance their teaching and learning by facilitating the connections between the knowledge and related skills Pre-Service Teachers (PSTs) learn in academic classes to enable them to apply to classroom practice.

University Mentors (UM) act as the conduit between PSTs, FedUni and the MT in the placement education setting. A key role of the UMs is to assist the PST to identify their professional learning needs and set their learning goals. The UMs share their knowledge of effective teaching practice, so that PSTs can develop the necessary skills, confidence and competence in a supported program. They also facilitate PST understandings of the complexities of teaching and learning.

Both MTs and UMs are expected to play a crucial role in the early recognition of a PST needing additional support or being considered ‘at risk’ of failing a professional placement, and the implementation of a Student at Risk (StAR) program to support these PSTs.

• Student at Risk (StAR) Process (pdf, 169kb)