Session Outline (60 minutes)
Opening and Framing (10 minutes)
Introduce the challenge of teacher preparedness in rural schools and the purpose of the BRIDGE Framework.
Engagement: live poll to surface participants’ current mentorship challenges, followed by a quick peer-to-peer reflection.
Overview of the BRIDGE Framework (15 minutes)
Present the five components: Shared Vision, Course Alignment, Relationship Building, Gradual Release, and Coaching Cycles with Reflection, along with mentor supports.
Provide concrete examples and templates from our work (vision statements, course-to-practice maps, reflection prompts, mentor training tools).
Engagement: brief table discussions on where participants see alignment or gaps in their own systems.
Hands-On Design Process (20 minutes)
Small groups mirror the design process behind BRIDGE.
Guided activities include drafting a shared vision statement, mapping coursework to practice, and brainstorming mentor supports and reflection strategies.
Engagement: group collaboration, facilitator coaching, and peer-to-peer interaction.
Gallery Walk and Feedback (10 minutes)
Each group posts their draft action plan on chart paper or a shared template.
Participants circulate to review each other’s work, offering written or verbal feedback.
Facilitators provide targeted suggestions during the walk.
Closing Reflection (5 minutes)
Groups share one “next step” or key takeaway.
Engagement: volunteers share aloud; session closes by reinforcing BRIDGE as the connection between coursework and classroom practice.
Attendees will leave with a draft action plan that adapts the BRIDGE Framework’s core components to their own setting. We will provide examples and templates to guide their work, and participants will share drafts through a gallery walk for peer and facilitator feedback. Participants will leave with a working draft and, more importantly, a clear process they can continue with colleagues beyond the session.
National Institute for Excellence in Teaching. (2022). Strengthening new teacher mentoring to improve retention and impact. https://www.niet.org/assets/ResearchAndPolicyResources/strengthening-new-teacher-mentoring.pdf
Azano, A. P., & Stewart, T. T. (2016). Confronting challenges at the intersection of rurality, place, and teacher preparation: Improving efforts in teacher education to staff rural schools. Global Education Review, 3(1), 108–128.
Goodnough, K., MacDonald, R., Falkenberg, T., & Murphy, E. (2017). Making sense of divides and disconnects in a preservice teacher education program. in education, 23(1), 109–129.
Ambrosetti, A., & Dekkers, J. (2010). The interconnectedness of the roles of mentors and mentees in pre-service teacher education mentoring relationships. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 35(6), 42–55. https://doi.org/10.14221/ajte.2010v35n6.3
Rahman, M. M., & Pandian, A. (2021). Challenges of mentoring pre-service teachers during teaching practicum: Evidence from an EFL teacher education program. International Journal of Academic Research in Education, 7(2), 41–57. https://doi.org/10.17985/ijare.973590
LoCasale-Crouch, J., Davis, E., Wiens, P., & Ponder, B. (2018). New teacher induction: Supporting beginning teachers through high-quality mentoring. Phi Delta Kappan, 100(3), 24–29. https://kappanonline.org/new-teacher-induction-supporting-beginning-teachers-locasale-crouch/
Keesey, S., Schaefer, A., Loy, M., & Allen, C. J. (2018). Developing growth mindset and GRIT in preservice teachers. Kentucky Teacher Education Journal, 5(1), Article 3.* https://encompass.eku.edu/ktej/vol5/iss1/3
National Center for Education Statistics. (2024b). Characteristics of public school teachers in rural areas. U.S. Department of Education. https://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch
National Center for Education Statistics. (2024a). NAEP reading assessment results: Grade 4, rural schools. U.S. Department of Education. https://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/reading
Schwartz, S. (2024, November 18). How this teacher prep program and district aligned on the science of reading. Education Week. https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/how-this-teacher-prep-program-and-district-aligned-on-the-science-of-reading/2024/11
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