Your First Days

Be prompt and go immediately to your workstation.  Your cooperating teacher has been encouraged to help you get acquainted and oriented.  The teacher has also been asked to provide a table or desk, and a shelf or file drawer for you to use.  Make do with what is provided.  Some rooms or buildings will have ample accommodations for you and some will have less. Whether you are first half or second half, cooperating teachers have been asked to let you observe for a day or two.  Observation does not mean that you just sit.  It may mean you listen, observe, and make notes of students who have special needs, learn names of students, work on a bulletin board, check spelling, math, or some objective tests, check out audio visual equipment, review text books, etc.  If you are in the first half you will need to be given some time to study the curriculum and plan and gradually team teach, or assist, before you assume responsibility for a small part of the day.  If you are in your second half of your Block IV you should be teaching 60% of the time by the beginning of the third week and thereafter.  Circumstances may cause this to vary somewhat.

Your University supervisor will visit during the first week.  He/she will visit with you and the teacher to get acquainted and answer any question you or the teacher may have.

Since a teacher's role includes assignments in addition to teaching, you should inquire to what extent your supervisor will expect you to be present during such extra duties as playground observation, lunch supervision, study hall supervision, extra-curricular sponsorship, teachers' meetings, etc.  Certainly, any of these duties which involve the students in your academic classes would further your understanding of them and would be profitable to you in your relationship with them.  It is desirable to be positive and eager in establishing your position concerning extra duties, rather than waiting to be told.  Ask, and your supervisor will be grateful and understanding, as well as appreciative of your professionalism.

Schools are respectfully cautioned that you should not be exploited in these duties.  Further, try to avoid being put in the position of carrying out duties without supervision or the assistance of your supervising teacher.  You should not be expected to sponsor or chaperone groups on your own.  It should be unnecessary to add that you should exercise complete discretion regarding any personal relationships with students during informal extra-curricular activities.  Teacher candidates may not escort or be escorted by pupils from the schools in which they are student teaching; such conduct might be cause for termination from the assignment or the program.

Student teaching requires considerable time for planning and preparing, particularly as the semester progresses and more teaching responsibilities are given to you.  We have asked that each teacher candidate receive some time for planning as a part of the schedule.  Use your school planning time carefully and wisely, since it affords you an opportunity to discuss your plans with your supervisor and others.  Planning should and almost certainly will involve working at night away from the school.  It would be a rare teacher candidate who could successfully teach the entire period without spending a significant amount of time after school hours and on weekends in preparing for the tasks immediately at hand.  Shirking these duties will almost certainly jeopardize your standing with your supervisor and your pupils, since they will be immediately conscious of your shortcomings.  Over-plan and then learn what not to cover, rather than under-plan and wonder what to do for the next thirty minutes!

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General Information

Attendace

You must attend the University orientation sessions held the first day of classes and student teaching seminars as announced.  From that point on you should follow the calendar of the district in which you have been placed.  Days missed must be made up.  Questions arising about absences will be worked out by you, the University supervisor, and the cooperating teacher.  When necessary the Director of Field Experience may be called on to resolve attendance problems.  You are expected to report daily to your assigned location, or to notify your supervising teacher in advance if you cannot be present because of an emergency.  Some schools require teachers to sign in and out; find out if you are also expected to follow this practice.  The first day, find out the time you are expected to arrive each morning, and the earliest time when you may leave the building.  You will be expected to spend the entire period of time in the student teaching setting; inability to do so may lead to cancellation of the assignment.  Times of inclement weather and emergency school closings may necessitate substitution of another activity or temporary placement in another school or other appropriate make up activity.  Supervisors are to notify the Field Experience Office when an individual teacher candidate may not be able to meet the required days.

Terminating Assignments

Schools reserve the right to refuse assignment of any student and the right to terminate a student's placement for cause.  An informal hearing including consultation with the Director of Field Experiences, the University supervisor, the teacher candidate, and a representative of the school will precede termination.  Causes for termination may include inappropriate language, dress, or behavior, breaches of school district policy, illegal activity on the part of the teacher candidate, inability to perform duties required of a teacher candidate, etc.

After termination, a hearing will be held, if requested in writing by the student, to determine the appropriateness of placement in another district.  The University reserves the right to delay future enrollment in student teaching until such time that the grounds for termination are no longer relevant.  If placement poses a threat to the orderly educational process of a school it may be denied.  A teacher candidate who leaves an assignment before the ending date without consultation and approval of the Director of Field Experiences will be dropped from that half pending an appeal process.

Further policy procedures have been adopted and approved by the University that impact the removal of teacher candidates from their assignments.

Work Progress Report

This form is included in the appendix and a copy will be made available to you. It is very important that you list days missed on this form. It must be kept up-to-date.  You are asked to enter the amount of time you spend observing, participating, teaching, etc. each week of student teaching.  You are asked to count to the nearest half hour the amount of time in each of the 6 activities listed on the page.  For example, although the students are in class about 6 hours, you will arrive before that and may use some time at lunch and after school for planning and you may help with bus duty or attend a school function after school.  This could give you a total of more than forty hours per week.  No certain amount over the minimum is required, but forms that show the minimum will be rare for those who have a successful teaching experience.  The form explains what activities should be included in the various categories of observing, teaching, etc.

Teacher candidates should keep a reflective journal for each experience with entries at least once a week.  Items in the journal may include lessons which went especially well and what you think made it happen, lessons which did not go well, and how you can improve them; how discipline problems were handled, and other items of reflection on your experience.  Other items which you may want to address:  I'm going to improve my teaching performance by ...   The most important learning experience this week was ...   What would you change in your plans if you taught the same lesson again?

Holding a Job/Taking Additional Classes
Since student teaching is a full time job, you are discouraged from working at a job and/or taking additional classes while doing student teaching.  Those who attempt to do so should understand that they may be asked to discontinue those activities if it interferes with their student teaching performance.  In extreme cases they may be asked to drop student teaching.

Grading

The basis for evaluation of the first half of student teaching is quality and consistency of demonstration of the teaching competencies as reflected in the formative and summative performance assessments, and satisfactory completion of course assignment seminars and readings (e.g. unit plans, lesson plans, etc.).  The following marking system may be used as a guideline for the first half of Block IV:  (Please refer to the evaluation form in the appendix.)

1. A "D" indicates that a number of areas are below expectations on the criteria of the MOSTEP student teaching evaluation model.  This grade would be reflected by markings at the Not Yet Meets and/or Insufficient Evidence on the summative evaluation form. This grade may reflect lack of effort and preparation, obvious lack of knowledge of subject matter and teaching skill, excessive absences, or unprofessional behavior.  This grade may also reflect that the teacher candidate did not make any effort to meet the criteria on the portfolio that were specifically monitored by the teacher candidate supervisors in the Block IV field. The experience must be repeated since all professional education grades must be "C" or above for graduation.
2. A "C" indicates that most criteria are in the Meets column with few in the Not Meets column and none in the Insufficient Evidence column.  If circumstances warrant a grade different than "C", when most criteria are acceptable, then notation on the summative form should indicate reasons for the grade adjustment. Factors such as professional conduct, effort, attendance, knowledge of subject matter and teaching skill, and cooperating teacher recommendation may be considered.  A grade of "C" means that the experience is acceptable and does not have to be repeated to get credit for student teaching.
3. A grade of "B" indicates expected level of competence. This grade would be reflected if one summative rating is in the Not Yet Meets column, but all other ratings are in the Meets column.  The over-all grade is not determined solely by ratings when circumstances and notations warrant a different grade. Factors considered in those circumstances may include rapport with students, classroom control, preparation, and professional behavior, knowledge of subject matter and teaching skills, attendance, creativity, and recommendations of the cooperating teacher.  The "B" should be viewed as a good grade.
4. An "A" grade represents a superior level of competence in all areas and is viewed in consideration of all ratings and recommendations as representing an exceptional student teaching performance.  It should be supported by ratings and comments.  A student need not be perfect to receive an "A", but an "A" should represent top performance and notable effectiveness. All areas should be rated in the Meets column on the summative evaluation form.

Overall, grades are not determined solely by ratings on the formative/summative evaluations.  In unusual circumstances, and when notations on the evaluation forms justify it, a grade may be given which is slightly different from that which a majority of a particular number of ratings might suggest.  However, comments in regard to knowledge, skill, effort, and performance should justify a higher or lower grade than what the ratings imply.

Grading for the second half is based on quality and consistency in demonstrating competencies of the MOSTEP Model on the accelerated schedule of Part II, and improvement on those competencies specified in the summative evaluation of Part I of student teaching.  The performance necessary for achieving a rating of Meets on the summative evaluation should be of greater quality and consistency on the second student teaching experience.  Further, areas of weakness on the summative evaluation of the first half should show improvement, and greater competency on the other criteria should be demonstrated.  A level of competence which warrants an "A" on the first half may not warrant an "A" in the second half if a level of competence is not sufficiently demonstrated on the accelerated schedule expected in Part II of student teaching.

Teacher Work Sample

You will be responsible for completing a teacher work sample to fulfill requirements for Missouri Standards for Teacher Education Preparation (MoStep) during your student teaching experience as part of your grade.  You should have completed several of the indicators prior to student teaching.  However, you will want to continue to show professional growth by updating and polishing the existing data.  The indicators you will be accountable for during your student teaching experience will be determined by your department and listed on your course syllabus.

Dress and Appearance

In matters of dress in the classroom, all teacher candidates are expected to abide by the guidelines and standards set by the school system and specific school to which they have been assigned.  Each teacher candidate has an obligation to inform herself/himself at the beginning of the student teaching period concerning these guidelines and standards and to observe them throughout the student teaching assignment. Teacher candidates are to be well groomed and professionally dressed.

Substituting

Generally, teacher candidates should not be used as a substitute for an absent teacher.  Students certainly should not argue with school officials, who after all are often faced with emergencies necessitating temporary assistance. Nevertheless, a student who is asked to substitute could respectfully point out the University policy in this regard, while perhaps suggesting the use of the cooperating teacher as a substitute, with the teacher candidate remaining in the room where he/she is known and at ease with the students.  Teacher candidates may, with administrative approval, fill in for their cooperating teachers for absences of brief (a day or two) duration, only if another teacher in the building is designated by the principal as someone to contact in time of need.  The teacher candidate, the cooperating teacher, and the designated teacher should all be aware of this.

Suggestions and Teaching Hints

The following suggestions may be of some help in planning for teaching, as well as in establishing the important aspect of communication so necessary for a successful student teaching experience.

1. Find out local school policies and adhere to them strictly.  Ask for a student and a teacher's handbook.
2. Discuss appropriate dress with your supervising teacher. A teacher candidate is expected to abide by regulations of the cooperating system as previously noted.
3. Make full use of your free period or planning time.  Leaving work to be done at night may cause it not to get done.  The teacher's workroom is often an attractive place, but its main attraction, companionship, may distract you from the best use of planning time.
4. Ask to be allowed to see the records of the pupils with whom you are working; at least, ask for information on students who appear to be having difficulty or about whom more information may be helpful in assisting them in learning.  Be aware of the confidential nature of much of this information; a school is within its rights in refusing you permission.  Should you be granted the opportunity, be extremely careful to maintain confidentiality of the records you use.
5. After working out your schedule with your cooperating teacher, adhere to it precisely.  Be on time.  Keep all appointments.  If you have a schedule that is split between two or more teachers, careful adherence to it is all the more important.  It would be desirable for all parties to have a copy of your schedule for reference, in such a case.
6. Prepare lessons carefully, in accordance with outlines suggested by your supervisors.  Teacher candidates should over plan to give them confidence in proceeding should the initially desired outcomes not materialize.  Your University coordinator should ask for a copy of your plan before observing your teaching.
7. Be sure you have assembled all necessary materials for your lesson prior to teaching the lesson.  Be careful to preview all audio-visual material to be used; it is a good idea to introduce this material and then follow with discussion concerning it.
8. It may be to your advantage, or at least a boost to your self-confidence to practice in advance writing on the chalkboard.  If you have not had experience in so doing, your early trials may be just that!
9. Occasionally, your cooperating teacher may ask you to begin your student teaching experiences by preparing materials for them for advance presentations, or by grading papers.  You should look upon these efforts as opportunities for you to become acquainted with procedures and techniques that will help you when you are responsible for your own lessons.
10. You are surely aware that your supervising teacher is responsible for the teaching of his/her own class.  Remember, the class continues with the cooperating teacher after you leave.
11. Discipline - You will be expected to follow the disciplinary philosophy and methods of the school district where you are placed and your cooperating teacher; be cautious about putting into effect ideas of your own in correcting misbehavior unless you have discussed them with your supervisor.  Be extremely careful not to imply to students that the rules are not yours, and that your supervising teacher is responsible for making you impose them on the class--that is unethical.  No matter what the policy of the school district, corporal punishment is not to be administered by a teacher candidate. Good classroom control requires the exercise of authority that some students will construe as "mean", but in the final analysis it is appreciated. Different personalities gain control by different means, but for all an attitude of confidence is important.  When you go into a class, you must be sure that you have the last word and that you are in charge.  If you doubt who is in charge, the students will clear that up immediately.  Good preparation is important to maintain good order.  Enthusiastic presentations tend to maintain student interest and improve classroom discipline.  Advance planning for transition from one activity to another can help prevent some discipline problems.  Likewise, knowing and planning for situations when and where misbehavior may occur is helpful.  Some of these situations include days before holidays, last period before lunch, changes in normal routines, etc.
12. Study the methods of your supervising teacher and share experiences on a mutual basis.  Your ideas and theories may be different; don't be critical--you'll have an opportunity to try yours out when you begin teaching with your own class.
13. Never speak disparagingly of the school or of any of the school personnel or pupils.  Offer any criticism or complaints tactfully and in private to your cooperating teacher, your University supervisor, or to the Director of Field Experiences.
14. Do not make contact with parents of students you have in class unless it has been cleared by your cooperating teacher and principal.  When you have chance meetings with parents remember to be ethical and careful in commenting on their son or daughter or the classroom.  Keep comments positive, but don't be drawn into a situation of contradicting your cooperating teacher.  You will benefit from sitting in on parent conferences when arranged by your cooperating teacher.  Be sure to observe confidentiality in regard to student records and behavior.
15. If you have problems in student teaching, do not hesitate to seek help from all your supervisors, starting with your cooperating teacher.  Seek help, for there are many to provide it without penalty.
    

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The Cooperating Teacher

Supervising teachers undoubtedly have the most immediate impact upon each individual student; it is often said that we teach as we were taught--we also teach in the way we observe others teaching and as they direct us to teach.  And so teacher candidates will be working closely with supervising teachers, following, at least at first, their plans and expectations, and, through observations and participation, making decisions and drawing conclusions about ways in which they can use the methods and ideas of their teachers as they start to teach in earnest.

Cooperating teachers expect professional growth on the part of their teacher candidates and have a right to expect certain beginning competencies.  They do not expect to find a finished, polished product, for they plan to play an important role in the process to that end themselves.  They are willing to allow students to make mistakes, fully understanding that mistakes can be corrected and that both teacher candidates and class members will learn through that process.  They are willing to allow students to gradually assume responsibility for teaching their classes and activities, even though in many cases they would find it much easier to do so themselves.  They are willing to assist students in every way possible, by sharing thoughts about teaching, by providing materials and ideas, by recommending ways and places to obtain information and assistance needed.  They are aware of their responsibility to supervise actively, which means observing the teaching of their assigned students and analyzing their teaching behaviors.  They accept their responsibility to evaluate fairly and in a balanced way the strengths and weaknesses of their teacher candidates, since they are important parts of the teacher education team which leads our students to professional status.  They accept and encourage student teaching as one of the major screening processes for the profession that they have made their life work.

The quality of your student teaching experience will be closely related to the relationship that you establish with your cooperating teacher.  You should be open to their suggestions and feel free to ask questions.  Try not to be critical of your cooperating teacher nor should you necessarily try to do everything exactly as they do.  Discussion of shortcomings of cooperating teachers should, when necessary, be shared only with your supervisor, and should be handled with professional confidentiality.  You should, however, remember that you are a guest in the school and that your cooperating teacher is in charge and expects you to operate within the general guidelines that he/she establishes.  These guidelines should be consistent with the agreement with the University for accepting teacher candidates.  If you feel that this is not the case you should discuss it with your University supervisor.

When seeking help and suggestions from your cooperating teacher remember that the more specific you can be, the better will be the help you receive.  For example, if you simply ask, "How did I do?"  You may receive only general statements such as, "Fine, you're doing well, etc."

If you ask, "Do you think I explained regrouping clearly?" or "How do you get Johnny to pay attention?" or "Was that test too difficult?"  You may receive more valuable information.  Remember that no one has all the answers, but a good experienced teacher will have some possibilities.

Supervisors have noted that teacher candidates tend to overreact to suggestions or criticism by over correcting or going too far in the opposite direction if criticized for the handling of a particular situation.  The wise teacher candidate will keep the lines of communications open with the cooperating teacher.

Teacher candidates often ask whether supervising teachers will remain in the rooms all of the time they are teaching.  Most schools permit solitary teaching on the part of the teacher candidate, particularly if the students have a substitute teaching permit for the school district with which they are student teaching. This permit attests to competency and allows the school district to vouch for the classroom role of the teacher candidate to parents and other interested patrons of the district.

Cooperating teachers, of course, are responsible for the students that are assigned to their classes.  It can be understood that some teachers, whether the school has a firm policy on the matter or not, are reluctant to leave their students for a significant time.  Still, most supervisors recognize the need for teacher candidates to teach on their own, to see how students react to them, without the cooperating teacher always being in the classroom.  Teacher candidates should expect that cooperating teachers will be observing from time to time so that they can later relate their views of the strengths and weaknesses of teacher candidates to assist them in improving.

Occasionally, teacher candidates will state that they were left entirely in charge of a class or classes almost from the beginning; in these circumstances supervising teachers apparently proceed on the premise that the only way to learn to teach is for one to teach completely without help.  If students should find themselves in this situation, it would be to their ultimate advantage to call it to the attention of their University supervisors as soon as possible.

Just as University supervisors will talk with their students following teaching observations, students may expect conferences with their cooperating teachers following observation.  These conferences need not always be formal in nature.  A cup of coffee and a brief discussion, a word or two in the hall before the next class, a time of relaxation in the workroom after school--any time that teaching can be mentioned and evaluated, however informally, may serve as the kind of session that will provide support and give confidence to continue.  Formal conferences should follow each formal evaluation.

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The University Supervisor

An important person in the life of a teacher candidate will be the University supervisor.  The University looks upon extensive supervision as a vital and important part of the student teaching experience, and provides at least two such persons, the University staff member and the experienced public school teacher, for each teacher candidate.

The University supervisor is expected to visit a minimum of four times during the 8 week student teaching period, although more visits may be scheduled if difficulties arise.  The five visits are spread out over the entire period.

University supervisors act as contacts between teacher candidates and campus, and can be extremely helpful, not just to assist with teaching problems, but as confidants when difficulties of a more personal nature occur.  They are the people to whom teacher candidates should feel free to turn if they have a problem or concern. They should be informed about problems that might impact your performance, so they will have a better understanding of the situation and can help you to resolve it before it becomes a major concern.

University supervisors serve as a liaison between campus and school.  They are skilled in supervision; that is their primary role in student teaching.   They observe teaching and provide feedback that should assist teacher candidates in knowing their strengths and weaknesses.  They may very well discuss these observations in terms of notes made or analyses performed using teaching behavior schedules, such as analyzing the degree of classroom interaction between teacher candidate and class.  They will discuss these observations in a conference following the teaching period, and will find time to discuss progress with cooperating teachers.  At times, they will request three-way conferences, for purposes of clarification or just to make sure that all are in agreement concerning expressed needs for growth or improvement.  They join with cooperating teachers in evaluating performance and have the responsibility of assigning grades based on their observations and input from cooperating teachers.

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