ABSTRACT
Mentor teachers are individuals who take on the responsibility of guiding and supporting preservice teachers as they develop practical knowledge for teaching. The training model for teacher education has failed in educating teachers in the same ways that the "banking" model for classroom teaching has failed to meet student needs. Freire proposed that dialogue, which requires humility, hope, faith, love, and critical thinking, is a pathway to more powerful approaches for nurturing teacher growth and promoting a professional identity that can thrive in the face of adversity or challenges. This chapter discusses mentoring and coaching at the elementary level on the work of mentor teachers working in the role of cooperating teachers in a university-based teacher education program. The chapter presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book draws from the voices of the teachers who have worked over five years of exploring the CARE model within this teacher preparation program.
