As You Begin

By this time you are ready for student teaching. You have met the criteria for admission to student teaching. You have a reasonably adequate background of general and professional education. You have participated in various kinds of experiences with children and/or youth. And, most importantly, you feel a kind of confidence that you have chosen the profession that is for you.

The purpose of student teaching is to test that confidence and bring it to maturity through actual teaching experience. You may discover weaknesses you didn't know you had. But much more, you will discover strengths that will help you cope with those weaknesses.

Through student teaching you will acquire further competence for teaching by applying principles of reflective teaching. Reflective teaching involves translating professional know-how into informed practice and continuously evaluating your effectiveness as a classroom teacher.

The best thing about student teaching is that it gives you a chance to test your skill under the supervision of an experienced teacher.  Make the most of this opportunity!

Prior to the start of Opening School Experience and each placement, send an email to your cooperating teacher as a way of introduction and to find out your teacher’s expectations for your first day.

Perhaps you have already visited the school to which you are assigned. If not, Opening School Experience and the Cooperating Teachers' Dinner will provide you with an opportunity to get acquainted with your supervising teacher(s). This teacher is legally responsible for the pupils and you will not assume more authority than they are willing to delegate to you.

Student teachers are required to participate in Opening School Experience preceding the start of the school year. Fall and spring student teachers are placed in the classroom of their first student teaching placement to experience a teacher's responsibilities in opening the classroom and school year. Opening School Experience is scheduled to begin 1-2 weeks prior to the beginning of EMU’s fall semester depending on your first placement school division's academic calendar.

Your university consultant carries direct responsibility for supervising you as a student teacher. Your university consultant for each placement will visit you in the classroom five or more times if you are working with a non-clinical faculty teacher or two or more times if working with a clinical faculty teacher, and will also conduct individual conferences with you. Those seeking 6-12 or PreK-12 licensure should expect visits from faculty members in the teacher education program and a content specialist.

You are a student teacher; a "co-teacher." That means that you do not try to make the classroom revolve around you, but it also means that you do not turn into a "wallflower" and fail to be actively involved in the situation. Even though you will spend large amounts of time in observation, especially the first week, use these times for active observation of the dynamics of the classroom and not just for sitting. If observing becomes boring to you, it's probably your fault. It may even mean that you have not yet developed the desired insights to be a successful teacher.

Spend your observation hours noting the supervising teacher's methods and trying to understand why they are used. Study both the group and individual behavior of pupils. See how quickly you can learn pupils' names by making your own seating chart.  Develop an awareness of the classroom routines and courtesies expected of pupils.

Remember that you are now a professional person. Dress like a teacher, act like a teacher, and try to think like a teacher. Use professional titles with your new colleagues; never use the first name of another teacher or student teacher when addressing pupils.

Participation and Teaching

It may be that you will be invited to participate in a variety of classroom activities as soon as student teaching begins. As you engage in these activities, the pupils will be sizing you up. This is, therefore, your chance to "sell" yourself to the group. Willingness to tackle any of these jobs when called upon by the classroom teacher is an indication of your readiness for the next phase of student teaching: definite responsibility for a class.

After you have shown yourself capable of limited participation, your cooperating teacher will give you various teaching assignments. It may be a single lesson after one or two days in the school, and you will be asked to do responsible teaching after one or two weeks. Although this varies, you should be teaching full time by the beginning of the third week.

Your responsibilities during student teaching will include some of the following:

• Teach and plan lessons for the entire day.
• Create units within the content area.
• Use a class textbook as a curriculum guide.
• Participate in field trips.
• Develop a teacher’s organizational systems.
• Manage paperwork for meetings, grade keeping and taking, etc.
• Develop sub plans.
• Grade daily assignments.
• Monitor assessments.
• Collect, collate, and report student achievement.
• Maintain a grade book.
• Complete report cards.
• Participate in bus and lunchroom duty
• Provide after-school tutoring.
• Attend faculty meetings, parent-teacher conferences, student case meetings, etc.
• Should there be an “other activities as assigned by your teacher” item? Not sure how this should be worded, but maybe it would be helpful to note that there may be other things not mentioned on this list that they need to do.
• Other activities as assigned by your teacher

To meet college credit and state licensure requirements, student teachers are expected to teach or participate in supervised student teaching classroom experiences with approximately 20 clock hours per week in primary or co-teaching responsibilities over the course of the semester. The main objective, of course, is quality and variety of experiences rather than the number of hours accumulated. You will keep record of the hours spent. Typically student teachers average 35-40 clock hours per week of student teaching in all activities and may accumulate a total of 400-500 or more hours in their two placements.

Lesson Planning

It is mandatory that you write a lesson plan for each class period that you teach following the template of your licensure program. This plan should be shared and cleared with your supervising teacher before you teach the lesson. When you begin teaching, lesson plans need to contain much detail. As you experience success in teaching, they may become less detailed after several weeks. Lesson plans should be organized into folders on Google Drive and shared with the Cooperating Teacher and University Consultant.
A good lesson plan includes:

• Lesson Topic & Date

• Standards – SOLs / Professional Standards

• Lesson Objectives

• Assessments

• Materials/Resources

• Differentiation of Instruction

• Set Induction or Anticipatory Set

• Lesson Body (guided practice and/or independent practice)

• Teacher Questions

• Closure

• Reflection

Following each lesson taught, or at the end of the day, you should evaluate the plan, the procedures used, and the achievements in pupil learning. Make notes of strengths and weaknesses for future reference. It is expected that you will have primary and co-teaching responsibilities for at least 25-30 days of each placement.

Important Details

1. The state of Virginia requires that you have a Tuberculosis test before you teach in the public schools. It is imperative that you take care of this before you begin student teaching. Please note that this test is effective only for 12 months.
2. You will be required to complete a background/criminal check prior to student teaching at the request of the school division. The student will be responsible for arranging and paying for the background check prior to the first day of Opening School Experience.
3. You are not to be absent from your assignment for any reason whatsoever except for a personal illness or death in the immediate family. In case of such an emergency, notify your University Consultant and your Cooperating Teacher as early as possible. If you are teaching out-of-state, you need to notify your supervising teacher only. In no case may you ask your supervising teacher for permission to be absent for any reason whatsoever. Such requests must be cleared directly with the Director of Clinical Partnerships. Refer to the "Student Teaching and Absences" policy.
4. In case of inclement weather, you are responsible for monitoring school cancellations or delays. This information can be found on school division websites or whsv.com.
5. You are expected to be at the cooperating school the same hours as the regular teachers. Frequently, this is one-half hour before and one-half hour after school. Some days you may need to stay longer in order to have time for conferences with your supervising teacher. You are not to give your supervising teacher the impression that you must rush back to the EMU campus (or elsewhere) because of personal duties. In fact, you should be involved in very few campus activities during student teaching.
6. If you are asked to do substitute teaching for your supervising teacher or another teacher in the school, you may do so if you feel sufficiently confident. You may count this in your student teaching record, provided you receive no pay for your work.  However, for your own legal protection, make sure that a designated certified teacher has been assigned to you.
7. Sometimes student teachers and supervising teachers experience some difficulty in communicating. If this occurs, confide in your University Consultant early, so that the situation can be improved.
8. You are required to provide your own transportation to your student teaching placements.

As you Leave

It is important that you communicate clearly to your cooperating teacher how much you appreciate his/her efforts on your behalf. Of course, your words will carry the ring of sincerity only if you have exhibited cooperation and diligence each day. You would do well to stop by the principal's office before leaving and express your appreciation to him/her also. Perhaps you will want to visit this school later in the year as you have opportunity, but remember that such visits must be cleared through the principal's office.

Reflective Teaching Seminar

Along with student teaching, you will enroll in a one-semester hour course ED 411 Reflective Teaching Seminar which is offered on a pass/fail basis. These seminars are required and your participation in the professional growth activities will be considered in your final evaluations for student teaching. Missed sessions will require make-up assignments. The dates will be announced in your syllabus and at the Cooperating Teachers Dinner. The purpose of the seminars is to focus on the improvement of teaching through reflective teaching. Please do not ask to be excused from these seminars unless your reason involves an emergency.