This presentation examines how the use of a descriptive observation tool mediates mentor teachers' post-lesson conversations with a preservice teacher. Our main interest was to investigate the effects of the use of evidence-informed records in combination with a dialogic approach. We used a qualitative research design to investigate how mentor teachers and teacher educators used the tool, and what effects the tool had on their dispositions towards feedback. The provision of feedback plays an essential role in the clinical model of teaching and encourages the pre-service teacher (PST) to develop as a reflective professional during field experience. In this project, feedback was facilitated through the use of a descriptive lesson observation tool that mentor teachers complete during the lesson and used as a basis for a post-lesson conversation with the PST. By introducing a third observer, a three way professional dialogue was facilitated between the PST delivering the lesson, a peer and the mentor teacher. We called this the Collaborative Approach to Observation (CATO). The additional observer in the lesson enabled a deeper post-lesson conversation through a round table discussion. We found that the presence of both the mentor and peer, during the lesson observation, provided multiple perspectives of the lesson, resulting in much richer post-lesson professional dialogue, and provided opportunities for professional growth for all three participants.

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