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administrators did not provide new teachers enough time to implement what they
learned after professional development. They found 37.1% of new teachers received
released time for programs supporting beginning teachers, and 10.7% received
a reduced teaching load. Removing extra duties and committees from the new
teacher’s schedule would ensure they had time to work with their mentor teacher
and to collaborate with job-alike teachers. Such alignment of professional learning
to classroom practice, for example, allowed participants in Reitman and Karge’s
(2019) study to implement strategies into their teaching. Dr. Taralynn S. Hartsell
is Associate Professor in
Methodology Leadership, Technology,
Design and Workforce
Development at Valdosta
The study employed a qualitative case study method. The case study approach State University.
allows for an in-depth analysis of one or “multiple bounded systems (cases) over time,
through detailed, in-depth data collection involving multiple sources of information tshartsell@valdosta .edu
(e.g., focus groups, interviews, and documents)” (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016, p. 40).
I used Axelrod and Cohen’s (2000) “Harnessing Complexity” model to explore
the intern as teacher model for an in-depth study. Traditionally, researchers have
studied mentoring through the lens of the mentor or mentee (Janssen et al., 2016).
However, Jones and Corner (2012) advocated studying the mentoring relationship
as a complex adaptive system (CAS), i.e., one in which many factors are in play
and shift as they interact. This study viewed the intern as teacher model as a CAS.
It considered the factors of variation, selection, interaction, and criteria of success
within a CAS framework to determine what constitutes success for interns in the
intern as teacher model.
Variation refers to the agents in a system; therefore, various decisions were made
regarding the intern as teacher model. To explore variation, I needed to understand
the agents within the system (i.e., mentor teachers, interns, individuals within a
K–12 setting, and other unknown individuals) who can interact within their school
or school district with other individuals within the system. Seeking to understand
the context of the intern as teacher model at the district level, I asked participants
to describe their role, the number of interns who completed an internship, and the
partners they worked with for internships. These questions highlighted the variation
across districts and introduced the individuals in the model with whom they
interacted. Key questions to understand the model included gaining insight into their
program implementation goals, processes they undertook, and decisions.
Selection in a CAS is a complex term to describe how one can harness complexity.
Selection in a CAS has two approaches: “selecting at the level of entire agents and
selecting at the level of strategies” (Axelrod & Cohen, 2000, p. 118). There are also
decisions about selecting the factors to use; therefore, selection requires consideration
because of the variation in factors within the individual system. Selection will build
upon variety and interaction when decisions occur regarding which mentor teachers
to use, hiring interns, and the processes implemented by the districts to make the
model successful.
The term interactions allowed for an understanding of with whom participants
interacted daily and how they chose with whom they interacted and why. I needed
to determine the methods (i.e., strategies) used in the classroom, school, or district
and the resources within a given location used by the participants. I also needed
to understand the ideas, rules of thumb, routines, norms, tools, and resources that
agents relied upon as they acted. The concept of variation arose within consideration

Promoting Professional and Personal Growth of Educators and Excellence in Education 9