TENSIONS IN THE MENTOR TEACHER-STUDENT TEACHER RELATIONSHIP - CREATING PRODUCTIVE SITES FOR LEARNING WITHIN A HIGH-SCHOOL ENGLISH TEACHER-EDUCATION PROGRAM

This payer identifies two of the most divisive patterns of tension wit hin the mentor teacher-student teacher relationship philosophical diff erences and tolerance for uncertainty-within an experimental high scho ol English teacher education program based on collaborative inquiry an d teacher research. Five differences in principles and processes in th e experimental program emerged which support more effective ways of de aling with mentor teacher-student teacher tensions: (1) mentor teacher ownership of the program, (2) year-long student teacher experiences, (3) same university teacher educators across the year, (4) content are a research, and (5) respect for school context. Using a case study app roach, the author discusses how viewing these tensions as sites of inq uiry have helped to shape the teacher education program and exploited tensions as productive learning opportunities rather than merely failu res or insults. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.