Service-Learning Information
For Mentor Teachers
Service-learning is an active teaching and learning pedagogy that combines meaningful service with
academic instruction. Students will be actively participating with your classroom and students in ways
that make a meaningful contribution. As a result, students discover new learning and have course
material come alive through active learning. Service-learning provides knowledge, skills and insight
into the “reality” of teaching while bridging theory into practice. It also informs and/or reaffirms the
career choices of CGCC’s future teachers while bringing an “extra set of hands” into the classroom for
you and your students to enhance learning.
As a mentor you are an integral part of their learning and future career as teacher. Thank you for
sharing your time and classroom to make a difference in the future of teaching! Please contact us with
any questions or concerns throughout the semester. We are here to support you!
Contacts at CGCC:
Carrie Braaten,
Jennifer Peterson,
[email protected]
[email protected]
Service-Learning
Placement Coordinator,
Early Childhood and
Teacher Education
Program
480.732.7039
Faculty,
Coordinator,
Early Childhood
Education Program
480.857.5535
Sharon Fagan,
Faculty,
Coordinator,
Teacher Education
Program
480.732.7124
[email protected]
Terri McClelland,
Advisor,
Early Childhood and
Teacher Education
Program
480.732.7317
[email protected]
Expectations For:
CGCC Students:
Mentor Teachers:
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Provide meaningful service while putting
your course competencies into action.
Be actively engaged - safely and
appropriately - during your service time.
Be respectful of and observe all district and
classroom guidelines.
Seek guidance and accept feedback from
your mentor and instructor.
Create a consistent schedule with your
mentor and try to be as flexible as possible.
Keep scheduled visits, and minimize
absences.
Dress like a role model and act
appropriately.
Maintain a positive, enthusiastic, and
cooperative attitude as reflected in the
“Dispositions of a Future Teacher.”
Document your time and experience on the
Confirmation and Time Card.
How
can I help my
CGCC servicelearner get
involved?
Ask
him/her
to..
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• Negotiate a schedule of visits that works for
you and your class, but try to be as flexible
as possible.
• Make students feel welcome in your
classroom by introducing them to the class
and
involving them in activities.
• As time permits, talk to our students about
teaching to provide background, rationale,
and explanation of what you do.
• Help them to see the classroom from a
teacher’s perspective.
• Be familiar with the signed “Confirmation and
Agreement of Conduct” and retain a copy.
• Expect high standards of behavior and
commitment.
• Understand that CGCC students in the
classroom are seeking a positive experience
and guidance.
• Supervise the student at all times in the
classroom.
• Verify visits, activities and time by initialing
the time card.
• Watch for positive traits you can identify on
the evaluation card.
• Communicate with Carrie Braaten or other
CGCC faculty regarding any comments,
questions, or concerns.
Supervise rotations/centers
Help individual students (absent,
accelerated, ELL, special needs)
Give spelling tests
Assist with math facts
Read aloud, help with AR
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Go over test answers
Assist with peer editing
Design bulletin boards
Work with the whole class
Work with small groups
Foundation Education Courses
Introduction to Education - (EDU221) 30hrs
Service opportunities may be varied; learning focuses on the multiple roles and responsibilities of
teachers, curriculum, educational issues, and a variety of school environments.
Introduction to the Exceptional Learner - (EDU222) 30hrs
Students are required to perform service-learning that provides interaction with special needs
students. Learning is focused on increased understanding of, and implications for, teaching
students with a variety of special needs.
Introduction to Serving English Language Learners - (EDU220) 20hrs
Students are required to perform service-learning in K-12 classrooms where they work with
students learning English and practice effective SEI strategies while teaching ELL students.
Cultural Diversity in Education - (EDU230) 20hrs
Students are required to perform service-learning in culturally diverse schools and classrooms.
The learning focus is on understanding diversity in its broadest definition, differentiation of
instruction, and the infusion of cultural diversity into the curriculum.
Children’s Literature - (EDU291) 20hrs
Students are required to perform service-learning in literature-rich classrooms where they can be
active with students and literacy issues (reading, literature studies, language arts, etc.) Students
are required to perform interactive read-alouds and design and deliver two literature lessons.
The Developing Child: Prenatal to Age 8 - (EED205) 20hrs
Students are required to perform service-learning in classroom where they will witness the
process of physical, social, emotional, cognitive, language, and literacy development of typical
and atypical young children.
Early Learning: Health, Safety, Nutrition & Fitness - (EED215) 20hrs
Observe health issues, safety procedures, nutritional needs and issues related to physical fitness
in the early childhood setting.
Guidance, Management and the Environment - (EED212) - 20hrs
Students are actively involved with service-learning in environments where teachers and
caregivers demonstrate how they provide guidance, management, and how the environment
impacts the lives of young children.
Early Learning: Play and the Arts - (ECH128) 20hrs
The course examines theory, research and practices relating to play and the creative arts in early
childhood. Service-Learners are actively involved in early childhood classrooms to experience
competencies first hand.
Chandler-Gilbert
Community College:
Believes in the importance of
service-learning and wants it to be
incorporated into courses across the
college due to its positive impact on the
community, effective pedagogy, and
development of civic responsibility in its
faculty and students.
Mentor Teachers:
Mentors in community schools
model what great teaching
looks like through their daily
teaching while having an “extra
hand” in the classroom.
CGCC Early
Childhood and
Teacher Education
Instructors:
Dedicated to bringing
the best teaching and
learning methods, current
research and opportunities
to their students including
service-learning where
students bring meaningful
experiences back to the
classroom.
Service-Learning:
Active teaching and
learning pedagogy that
combines meaningful
service with academic
instruction. The only
pedogogy to include all
elements of effective
pedogogy and is one of
the seven high impact
practices. (AAC&U)
CGCC Service-Learning
Placement Coordinator:
Arranges and supports
placements with community
schools for service-learning.
CGCC Students:
Gain valuable authentic
experience in the classroom
that enables them to learn
best practices both in the
CGCC classroom and first
hand in the community
classroom so they can then
make decisions about their
future teaching career.
Service:
Students actively participate
in a community classroom
to provide an “extra hand” in
the classroom to benefit the
education of students while
helping the teacher in teacher
meaningful ways.
Learning:
Bringing the learning from
the CGCC classroom,
books, instructors,
research, and best
practice alive in a
community classroom.