3.0 The Student Teacher

3.1 Purposes of Early Field Experiences and Student Teaching

Teacher education at North Carolina State University is designed to develop highly effective future teachers. Early field experiences and student teaching provide an important transition between university-based preparation and full responsibility in the classroom. The study of the principles of teaching requires field experiences for candidates  to integrate knowledge with practice; develop their abilities to organize and communicate mastery of content in their field of study; analyze their own abilities and desires to function effectively as teachers; and recognize the need for continued study and growth.

All field experiences, including student teaching, are cooperative endeavors that require effective planning and coordination by both the preparing institution and the cooperating schools. The development of highly effective future teachers is enhanced by the collaboration between cooperating teachers and student teachers.  One of their mutual goals is to work together to achieve teaching proficiency in the student teacher, while maintaining effective classroom instruction for students. The first loyalty of everyone involved must be to the students in the classroom. We believe:

·That student teachers should assume responsibilities gradually through stages of observation, cooperative planning, and part-time teaching duties until a full teaching load is attained;

·That the field experience should not be limited to classroom activities but rather should include non-instructional opportunities to become acquainted with the total program of the school and its relationship to the community it serves;

·That it is necessary for cooperating teachers to take an active part in the student teaching experience, providing guidance and feedback; and

·That student teachers can make a meaningful contribution to the teaching-learning experiences in the school program.

The dynamics of the three-way partnership among student teacher, cooperating teacher, and university supervisor ultimately promote the growth of each of the partners as professionals. Immediately, the partnership affects the learning of the students in the classroom. The intellect, energy, and skills are multiplied three-fold as the student teacher, cooperating teacher, and university supervisor work together to actualize their goals as professional educators.

NOTE: Student teaching requires a minimum of ten (10) consecutive weeks of full-time attendance in the assigned placement. Each program reserves the right to adjust the schedule to suit its unique needs. Observation periods are built into the schedule as well as on-campus seminar meetings. Each student teacher is obligated to adhere to the schedule established by his or her specific program.

3.2 Placement of Student Teachers

tudent teachers are placed in public schools throughout the state of  North Carolina. Each program coordinator submits his or her placement requests to the Office of Professional Education (OPE) during the period of pre-registration in the semester before the placement is desired.   As requests are submitted, the Office of Professional Education contacts the Local Education Agency (LEA) to obtain the necessary approvals.  As requests are confirmed by the LEA, the OPE notifies each of the program coordinators who in-turn will contact their respective student teachers. When an LEA cannot honor a request, they may offer an alternate classroom cooperating teacher and/or school to the Director. In these cases, the program coordinators are consulted and may accept or recommend an alternate in the same LEA or a different LEA. The process is followed until all student teachers are placed in situations mutually agreeable to the LEA and to the University.

The Wake County Public School System (WCPSS), our largest partnering school system, has a more formalized set of internal procedures for handling field experience requests than many other LEA’s. Because Wake County has a large number of schools, they accept a greater number of students for field experiences for as many as twelve different colleges and universities.   The OPE in-turn has developed a set of formalized procedures for placing students in their field experiences that works collaboratively with WCPSS and other LEA’s.

WCPSS has instituted a process by which principals and assistant principals identify classroom teachers who are available to work with students during any given semester.  Classroom teachers can express their interest in hosting NC State University students to the Office of Professional Education and their Assistant Principals.  The OPE works directly with the principals and assistant principals to coordinate the field experience placements. Because of the large numbers of candidates placed each semester (150 or more), the OPE is in daily contact with LEA’s in the days and weeks leading up to the beginning of a new semester. Confirmed placements may not be completed until just before students go out to the schools.  There are several reasons for this: reassignment of cooperating teachers to different schools, assignment of other duties to teachers who normally work with student teachers, efforts to minimize the number of student teachers any one public school student might have in a given semester, and last minute requests from universities.   University faculty and supervisors, the OPE, LEA’s, cooperating teachers and administrators work hard to find the very best placements for NCSU candidates who are becoming teachers. Please do not be frustrated by the time it takes to accomplish this task. Your placement may not be confirmed until the week of your first visit.

After a student teacher has been placed with a cooperating teacher, transfer of that student teacher will not occur except in rare cases.   Occasionally student teachers who have begun their fieldwork are not successful. Cooperating teachers and/or their principals should contact the University supervisor immediately when concerns arise. If it becomes necessary to remove a student teacher from a particular placement, the University supervisor should make that request no later than the end of the fourth week of the fulltime student teaching experience.

The University supervisor should make the recommendation in writing to the Director of Professional Education and should suggest one of the following options:

1. Immediate reassignment to another school in the same LEA;

2. Immediate reassignment to another LEA;

3. Withdrawal from student teaching with the intention to student teach again in a subsequent semester after appropriate remediation; or

4. Removal from student teaching with no permission to student teach again at NC State.  Consequently, the student will not be recommended for licensure.

Reasons for considering removal or withdrawal of a student teacher include, but are not limited to the following: content deficiency; pedagogical deficiency; insubordination; failure to complete work in a timely manner; unprofessional conduct (habitual tardiness, excess absences, inappropriate attire, and breach of confidentiality); inappropriate interaction with students, parents, or school staff; inability to accept constructive criticism and implement change. It should be noted that constructive criticism should not be confused with personality differences; illuminating inadequate performance should be documented and conveyed in objective terms, and the student teacher and cooperating teacher should work together toward viable solutions.  (See Section 7.4 Handling Serious Problems)

 NC State University candidates, faculty, and supervisors are the guests of the LEA.  We appreciate their invitations and we must represent NCSU in such a way that others from our University will be invited in other semesters.

 

3.3   Expectations of All NC State University Student Teachers

Since full responsibility for the instruction of public school students remains with classroom teachers, expectations of student teachers should be made clear during an early conference between the cooperating teacher and the student teacher. 

NC State University expects all student teachers to adhere to the following guidelines:


3.3.1 Professional Expectations

  • Demonstrate a sincere, cooperative effort as co-worker, sharing in the instructional process.
  • Place school duties ahead of personal wishes and accept responsibilities and assigned duties willingly.
  • Exhibit interest, enthusiasm, and resourcefulness.
  • Learn and adhere to local school policies (both written and unwritten) and standards for teachers, i.e., attire, faculty and PTA meeting attendance.
  • Dress appropriately. Do not wear flip-flops, blue jeans, shoulder or midriff-baring tops, T-shirts, or shorts; if an event warrants casual attire, consult your cooperating teacher.
  • Become familiar with and support school rules and policies pertaining to students.
  • Report to school daily and on time; contact your cooperating teacher immediately in the event of a delay or an absence. DO NOT plan vacations during your student teaching semester. Follow your program’s attendance guidelines. 
  • Safeguard all personal and confidential information and use it for professional purposes only.
  • Take an active part in selected non-instructional activities and duties, e.g., sports, dances, bus and cafeteria duty.
  • Demonstrate a respect for the rights of students, teachers, administrators, and members of the community.
  • Refrain from making unfavorable remarks publicly about the university program, the cooperating school, or the community. Constructive criticism should be directed to the person involved or to a person in a responsible position, in an appropriate manner.

 

3.3.2 Teaching Expectations

Prior to Observation

·Arrange your out-of-school personal schedule to allow full-time teaching.  The student teaching experience is usually more time-consuming than the student teacher expects. Student teachers are expected to follow the schedule and breaks associated with the school in which they are placed, not necessarily the NCSU holiday schedule. Due to the time requirements necessary to successfully complete the student teaching experience it is expected that students will not schedule campus courses before 4 p.m. or engage in employment on school days without the prior agreement of your university supervisor.

  • Arrange transportation and allow for travel time.
  • Locate the school and its parking areas for student teachers. Ask for and take a guided tour of the campus.
  • Prepare an autobiographical sketch or resume for your cooperating teacher.
  • Ask about the dress code for teachers and follow it. In the absence of a dress code, follow the example of other teachers. If you are still unsure of the appropriate attire it is best to use casual business attire or dress appropriately for the grade level and daily activities.
  • Develop a general understanding of the student body, their family life, and their community.

During the Observation and the First Days in the School

  • Meet with the principal (or designee) and the cooperating teacher. Meet other school personnel: in your subject area or grade, department heads, librarians, counselors, and assistant principals.
  • Read the school's faculty handbook and student handbook.
  • Locate the desk, table, or other facility that has been provided for your personal use. Determine where your personal effects should be kept.
  • Obtain class seating charts, class lists, and the school's daily schedule.  Learn students' names and faces during the first days.
  • Help with housekeeping routines, such as opening blinds and seeing that cabinets, bookshelves, desks, and floors are in order. Assist with monitoring duties and out of class responsibilities assigned to your cooperating teacher.
  • Examine permanent record folders of students with whom you work for pertinent information and keep this information confidential. Be aware of students with special needs.
  • Assist with clerical duties such as reporting attendance, collecting money, and recording student grades. Learn where, when, and how to secure duplicated materials.
  • Learn the grading system of your cooperating teacher and of your particular school, as well as the reporting system of the school district.
  • Become familiar with school and classroom policies and procedures concerning discipline, fire drill, and weather-related procedures.
  • Become acquainted with what is expected of students in class and for homework and the quality of work expected from each individual.
  • Learn the procedure for getting students to and from special classes.
  • Establish rapport with students that leads to appropriate classroom behavior.
  • Assist individual students with their seatwork and special projects. Assist small groups in guided practice activities and in locating materials in the media center.
  • Obtain pictures, books, records, and films that the teacher has selected and become familiar with the procedure for gathering audiovisual materials.  Learn to use and care for technological equipment.
  • Obtain copies of course syllabi and teacher's copies of textbooks for the classes you will be working with and become familiar with the material already covered.

During Full-time Student Teaching Weeks

  • Be punctual and reliable. Show initiative and willingness to try new ways of doing things. Maintain a sense of humor, but at all times remember that the roles of teacher and student differ.
  • Seek direction in determining the major units to be taught. Carefully observe the cooperating teacher's demonstration lessons and analyze them with the teacher.
  • Seek the university supervisor's and cooperating teacher's help in making lesson plans. Ask for suggestions for resource materials and people when needed.
  • Plan each lesson carefully, in detail, with specific instructional objectives.
  • Turn in lesson plans to the cooperating teacher before a lesson is taught.
  • Follow each teaching experience with a brief self-evaluation. Help evaluate students' work.
  • Prepare instructional materials to allow for individual differences.
  • Visit other classrooms in the school. Make arrangements in advance through your cooperating teacher and/or your principal.
  • Attend team meetings, faculty meetings, PTA meetings, parent conferences, and other professional meetings that your cooperating teacher attends.
  • Accept full responsibility for the classes toward the end of your student teaching experience.

Obtain from your cooperating teacher and other teachers some suggestions for beginning and ending a school year.

 

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http://ced.ncsu.edu/teachered/studteachhandbook/studteacher.htm
last updated 8/11/09
Page maintained by the Learning Technologies

Contact: Michael J. Maher [michael_maher@ncsu.edu]
Director of Professional Education
204 Poe Hall

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