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Education Department, Weidensall Hall Room 106300 N. Washington Street, Campus Box 396

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania 17325-1400 / 717.337.6550ht tp ://www.get ty sburg.edu/academics/educat ion

MANUAL FOR STUDENT TEACHINGAND THE EDUCATION SEMESTER

Revised August, 2012

Gettysburg College

Gettysburg College EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

300 N. Washington Street, Campus Box 396 Gettysburg, Pennsylvania 17325-1400

http:/ /www.gettysburg.edu/academics/education

MANUAL FOR STUDENT TEACHING A N D T H E E D U C A T I O N S E M E S T E R

2012-13 Edition

Jack Ryan, Ph.D., Acting Chair Professor of English and Vice Provost of the College

Pennsylvania Hall [email protected]

Dave Powell , Ph.D. Assistant Professor 101 Weidensall , tel . 6552 [email protected]

Carol Rinke, Ph.D. Assistant Professor 102 Weidensall , tel . 6555 [email protected]

Divonna Stebick, Ph.D. Assistant Professor 103 Weidensall , tel . 6554 [email protected]

Kaoru Miyazawa, Ed.D. Assistant Professor 105 Weidensall , tel . 6553 [email protected]

Mr. William Foreman Director of Field Experiences 111 Weidensall , tel . 6557 [email protected]

Mr. Edward Ruggles Field Supervisor 111 Weidensall , tel . 6557 [email protected]

Mrs. Kathy Ambrose

Administrative Assistant 106 Weidensall , tel . 6550 [email protected]

T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Organization of the Education Semester & General Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Responsibil i t ies of the Student Teacher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Cooperating Teacher Guidelines & Responsibil i t ies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

College Supervisors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Evaluation of Student Teacher Effectiveness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

FORMS & ADDENDA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Field Experience Cooperating Teacher Feedback Form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . TBD

Field Experience Self-‐‑Assessment Form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . TBD

G E T T Y S B U R G C O L L E G E EDUCATION DEPARTMENT M a n u a l f o r S t u d e n t T e a c h i n g , p. 3

Introduction

The culminat ing experience of any teacher educat ion program is s tudent teaching: a r igorous internship in a school set t ing that a l lows prospect ive teachers , under the guidance of an accomplished mentors , to transi t ion into the teaching profess ion. At Gettysburg College, we typical ly refer to the internship semester not s imply as “Student Teaching” but as the Educat ion Semester because the actual s tudent teaching internship is only one part of your whole experience that semester . While s tudent teaching does take up much of your t ime during the Educat ion Semester , we also ask a l l candidates for cert i f icat ion to return to campus for a seminar , Educat ion 405, which is designed to help students br idge theory and pract ice in a re laxed, col legia l , but s t i l l intense set t ing. This port ion of the Teacher Educat ion Handbook i s intended to provide students , cooperat ing school personnel , and col lege supervisors with an overview of the Educat ion Semester and to answer any prel iminary quest ions that may ar ise as a result of part ic ipat ion in the s tudent teaching experience offered at Gettysburg College . Teacher educat ion is a complex col laborat ion between the col lege and the school , and the s tudent teaching internship i tse l f represents an important s tep toward a successful career in educat ion. We rely on local school personnel—especial ly cooperat ing teachers—to provide crucia l learning experiences for our prospect ive teachers . In our view, cooperat ing teachers are members of the Educat ion Department faculty throughout the course of the Educat ion Semester . As a faculty , we very much value the t ime and effort put into the internship by coops and we always look forward to the feedback cooperat ing teachers provide. A third crucia l component of each student’s Educat ion Semester experience is the supervis ion and evaluat ion of teaching provided by our Col lege Supervisors . While department faculty are located on campus and provide addit ional support for teaching from here , cooperat ing teachers are s i tuated within the school and offer expert ise in addressing chal lenges with regard to s tudents , curr iculum, and the specif ic teaching context . Supervisors serve as a l ia ison between the school and the Col lege, support ing student teachers as they develop their ski l ls in the c lassrooms. This team of cooperat ing teachers , supervisors , and department faculty work to maintain ongoing communicat ion throughout the Educat ion Semester to share successes , identi fy needs, and support the s tudent teacher in the best way possible .


Organization of the Education Semester & General Guidelines

The Educat ion Semester can be completed during the senior year at Gettysburg College or during a ninth semester fo l lowing graduation at a reduced cost . S tudent teaching is a ful l -‐‑ t ime endeavor ; as such, s tudents may not enrol l in academic courses other than Educat ion 405 (one unit of academic credit ) and Educat ion 476 ( three units of academic credit ) during the Educat ion Semester . I t is recommended that s tudent teachers e l iminate any addit ional extra-‐‑curr icular and/or work responsibi l i t ies during this t ime. The two courses taken during the Educat ion Semester are :

Education 476. Educat ion 476 is evaluated on a Sat is factory/Unsat isfactory (S/U) basis ; Educat ion 405 is graded. Student teachers are ass igned to a cooperat ing teacher the semester prior to s tudent teaching by the Director of F ie ld Experiences . Student teachers have one student teaching assignment ; those seeking cert i f icat ion in music educat ion, or seeking dual cert i f icat ion have both e lementary and secondary experiences . Student teachers are required to vis i t the c lassroom of their cooperat ing teachers before the s tudent teaching semester begins .

Education 405. Educat ion 405 has two primary purposes . F irst , i t of fers s tudent teachers a space to share successes and pose problems that ar ise in the c lassroom. Second, i t supports s tudent teachers as they design and implement an act ion research pro ject in their c lassroom focused on enhancing student learning. This course is intended to help students integrate theory with pract ice , work col laborat ively with other profess ionals , and develop ref lect ive ski l ls which wil l serve them as they improve their pract ice over t ime.

S tudent teachers part ic ipate in a ful l school day in the c lassroom of the cooperat ing teacher as wel l as in-‐‑service days for their part icular distr ic t based on the s tudent teaching calendar . Student teachers wil l gradual ly assume responsibi l i ty in the c lassroom and complete a minimum of two weeks of full -‐‑ t ime teaching . Throughout the semester , each student teacher wil l be vis i ted by a col lege supervisor who wil l of fer support and evaluate the s tudent teacher’s pract ice . S tudent teachers return to campus to at tend Educat ion 405, a seminar designed for sharing successes and chal lenges as wel l as inquir ing into s tudent learning in their c lassrooms. Each student is expected, in Educat ion 405, to document his or her impact on student learning throughout the s tudent teaching internship. Assumption of Responsibil it ies All s tudent teachers wil l gradual ly assume responsibi l i ty for a l l the cooperat ing teacher’s c lasses and duties ; a two-‐‑week ful l -‐‑ t ime load is the required minimum. All teaching and planning for this two-‐‑week period must be done by the s tudent teacher . Addit ional guidel ines for transi t ioning to ful l assumption of teaching responsibi l i t ies is included in the next sect ion, “Responsibi l i t ies of the Student Teacher .”


Attendance In case of i l lness , the cooperat ing teacher and col lege supervisor must be not i f ied before the beginning of the school day. Supervisors must be not i f ied between 8 :30 and 9 :00 a .m. by cal l ing the Educat ion Off ice at 717 .337.6557. Absences in excess of two days must be made up at the end of the s tudent teaching sess ion. Students wil l adhere to the calendar of the school distr ic t in which they are s tudent teaching, not the col lege calendar .

All s tudent teachers are required to at tend workshops scheduled by the school distr ic t unless at tendance is deemed inappropriate by the school pr incipal or cooperat ing teacher . Student teachers wil l a t tend al l re levant department or grade-‐‑ level meet ings during student teaching. Student teachers should contact the Educat ion Department i f meet ings confl ic t with Educat ion 405. Ninth Semester Option Gettysburg College s tudents who would l ike to obtain a Pennsylvania Teaching Cert i f icate , but are unable to do so within four years because of a crowded course schedule of requirements , may be able to take advantage of the Educat ion Department’s Ninth Semester option. This option, which is l imited to the f irs t semester fo l lowing a s tudent ’s graduation from the Col lege, includes the capstone courses necessary to complete cert i f icat ion requirements . Tuit ion charges for s tudents taking advantage of the Ninth Semester opt ion is about one-‐‑third of the annual tui t ion rate (not including technology fees , Praxis exam fees , State Cert i f icat ion fees , meals , and housing) . To exercise the Ninth Semester option, s tudents must meet the fol lowing condit ions :

1. Completion of the Application for Admission to the Education Semester . The applicat ion must be submitted to the Educat ion Department by October 15 of the year preceding the Ninth Semester .

2. Acceptance into the Teacher Education Program by the Teacher Education Committee . S tudents must meet a l l publ ished requirements , including minimum GPA, as publ ished in the Col lege catalogue and descr ibed in this Handbook .

3. Successful completion of a major at Gettysburg College , completed in the semester before the Education Semester . The Ninth Semester must be contiguous to undergraduate s tudies at Gettysburg Col lege and must be pre-‐‑planned as such. The cost /option for Ninth Semester is separate from Special Student Status ; i t is to be used for the Educat ion Semester only . The Ninth Semester plan should in no way be misconstrued as graduate work, a l though some students may have a lready completed requirements for the Bachelor ’s Degree .

4. Housing secured by the student . S tudents are responsible for f inding and funding their own housing and meals during the Ninth Semester . I t is therefore recommended that a l l s tudents interested in the Ninth Semester plan secure their own housing well in advance of actual enrol lment in the s tudent teaching semester . Campus housing may be an option depending on avai labi l i ty .


5. Advice from Education Department faculty . Al l s tudents interested in the Ninth Semester opt ion should make an appointment with an Educat ion Department faculty member as soon as possible to discuss part iculars and plan accordingly .

For addit ional detai ls , or i f you have quest ions, contact your Educat ion Advisor or drop by the Educat ion Department off ice in Weidensal l 106 . You can also contact the off ice by dial ing 337.6550. Use of Student Teachers as Substitute Teachers According to PDE, “A subst i tute teacher must hold a val id Pennsylvania cert i f icate to teach in Pennsylvania publ ic schools . S ince s tudent teachers normally do not hold a val id cert i f icate , their ass ignment as subst i tute teacher violates the school code. Those teacher educators involved with student teachers should advise s tudent teachers to avoid subst i tute teacher ass ignments , as they may f ind themselves in legal jeopardy.” While s tudent teachers may st i l l be permitted to teach when the cooperat ing teacher is absent , a qual i f ied subst i tute teacher must remain in the c lassroom with the teacher at a l l t imes .


Responsibilities of the Student Teacher

Student teaching is , in many ways, an enormous responsibi l i ty , but i t is a lso an exci t ing and aff irmative experience that provides teacher candidates with an opportunity to understand the r igors and expectat ions of c lassroom teaching before enter ing the profess ion on a ful l -‐‑ t ime basis . Internships may be required in many profess ions but rarely are they as careful ly managed and supported as the s tudent teaching internship is in a place l ike Gettysburg College. Our goal as a department is to ensure that every student teacher has an experience that is worthwhile , chal lenging, useful , and, above al l , supported appropriate ly to ensure that everyone involved in the experience—including student teachers , cooperat ing teachers , Col lege faculty , and especial ly s tudents—emerges with new insights into the teaching and learning process . What does i t mean to be a s tudent teacher? In the s implest sense s tudent teachers are interns , or s tudents of teaching—people in an apprenticeship s i tuat ion charged with learning how to teach from an expert . Yet we understand teaching to be much more complex than that : i t i s not something that can s imply be learned by watching others or by imitat ing their pract ice . Indeed, the most successful s tudent teachers are those that push the l imits of the s tudent teaching experience and chal lenge themselves to develop a sharpened sense of not only what is possible in teaching but what should be done to ensure that s tudents have an outstanding learning experience when they come to school . In order to accomplish this , s tudent teachers must be knowledgeable about the school curr iculum and the culture of the schools they teach in , but a lso f lexible enough to adapt to changing s i tuat ions and environments . Student teachers should be careful , del iberate , and responsible as they approach their work, but a lso wil l ing to s tep outs ide of their—and their s tudents ’—comfort zones in order to provide learning experiences that transcend tradit ional pract ices . They should, in short , expect that the only constant in any teaching experience is change—that growth and adaptat ion mark the transi t ion to “educated” from “uneducated,” and that the most important role the teacher plays is to help students learn how to become better people . Academic achievement certa inly matters a great deal to the ef fect ive teacher , but only as a port ion of what is learned in school . Of greater value is the development of the ful l potent ia l of each student to part ic ipate in the larger socia l and cultural l i fe of our society . While there is no s ingle group of specif ic duties that wil l be applicable to every student teacher , a l l s tudent teachers should be prepared to engage in the fol lowing duties over the course of the Educat ion Semester :

§ Observe and ref lect on the c lassroom act ivi t ies of the supervis ing teacher . § Prepare seat ing charts and learn pupils ’ names at the ear l iest possible date . § Observe the react ions of s tudents toward various learning s i tuat ions . § Prepare dai ly lesson plans in advance of teaching with the approval of the

cooperat ing teacher . § Prepare and review appropriate long-‐‑range plans and object ives . § Prepare ef fect ive and varied ass ignments for s tudents to complete .


§ Perform routine c ler ical tasks such as the duplicat ion of mater ia ls , a t tendance records, e tc .

§ Perform routine tasks that wil l develop effect ive c lassroom management ski l ls .

§ Have access to avai lable mater ia ls of instruct ion, including audiovisual mater ia ls such as maps, g lobes , l ibrary a ids , technology, e tc .

§ Prepare appropriate and varied assessment pract ices . § Design and supervise small group and individual ized learning experiences . § Assist with the school ’s extracurr icular act ivi t ies program. § Arrange for frequent conferencing with the supervis ing teacher . § Perform miscel laneous profess ional duties ass igned by the supervis ing

teacher or school pr incipal , within reason. § Seek every opportunity for experimentat ion, creat ivi ty , and original i ty in

teaching ass ignments . § Gradually assume responsibi l i ty for planning and teaching the ent ire c lass .

Student teachers should be ass igned certa in c lassroom responsibi l i t ies on the very f irs t day of the s tudent teaching experience . The f irs t responsibi l i t ies may be routine tasks such as checking the rol l , correct ing tests , checking homework papers , e tc .—act ivi t ies that g ive way to helping learners on an individual or small group basis . I f , in the judgment of the supervis ing teacher , the s tudent teacher appears ready to assume teaching responsibi l i t ies by the beginning of the second week, this is an appropriate t ime to give the s tudent teacher ful l responsibi l i ty for a c lass . The pre-‐‑teaching experiences that are necessary prior to assuming the responsibi l i t ies for the ent ire c lassroom wil l vary with (1) the experience that the s tudent teacher has previously had in direct ing the act ivi t ies of s tudents ; (2) the degree of competence the s tudent teacher has exhibited in handling other matters ; and (3) the nature of the subject matter being taught . Transitioning to Full Responsibil ity Cooperat ing teachers should plan for a gradual assumption of a l l c lassroom responsibi l i t ies by the s tudent teacher . The l is t of experiences g iven below wil l serve as suggest ions re lat ive to act ivi t ies in which student teacher may engage, part icular ly as readiness experiences for teaching. Student teachers may also engage in act ivi t ies that wil l help them to get to know the academic abi l i t ies of the s tudents in their c lassroom. This may involve data col lect ion act ivi t ies such as s tudent interviews, anecdotal notes , and analysis of s tudent work. This data gathering is most product ive when conducted in consultat ion with the cooperat ing teacher , who may provide addit ional insights on the student(s) .

When the cooperat ing teacher feels that the s tudent is ready for ful l teaching responsibi l i t ies , an ini t ia l instruct ional plan should be submitted at least 24 hours before the f irs t day of teaching. This plan should provide an opportunity for ass is t ing the s tudent teacher as s /he develops a sense of the mater ia l to be taught , the methods that should be used to teach i t , and the problems s/he may encounter while teaching. I t is not necessary for s tudent teachers to submit instruct ional plans for every lesson taught af ter this in i t ia l plan is submitted.


Cooperat ing teachers are asked to remain in the c lassroom when the s tudent teacher is beginning to direct c lassroom act ivi t ies , but to gradual ly a l low the s tudent teacher to have a more autonomous teaching experience . When a s tudent teacher has indicated growth in his or her abi l i ty and competence to direct the learning act ivi t ies of one subject , s /he should assume the responsibi l i ty of teaching a second subject or c lass . However , the rate at which increased responsibi l i t ies are given to the s tudent teacher should be specif ica l ly re lated to the growth and potent ia l ref lected by previous performance. It is essential that the student teacher be given complete responsibil i ty for the class without the presence of the supervising teacher as s /he progresses . This is necessary to inst i l l confidence in the s tudent teacher while a lso developing c lassroom management ski l ls . I t is a lso essent ia l that the cooperat ing teacher provide the s tudent teacher with frequent half day and whole day teaching experiences . There is no experience comparable to several consecutive days of ful l -‐‑t ime teaching to give the s tudent teacher the opportunity to learn how to manage the c lass and to plan for the next day’s learning. Remember a lso that a minimum of two weeks of ful l -‐‑ t ime responsibi l i ty for the c lassroom is required. Addit ional ful l t ime responsibi l i ty is h ighly recommended. The Teacher Education Portfolio and Other Responsibil it ies At the conclusion of the Educat ion Semester a l l candidates for cert i f icat ion are expected to submit competed Teacher Educat ion program portfol ios to the Educat ion Department . These portfol ios are organized around Five Principles of Effect ive Instruct ion approved by the Educat ion Department , and each candidate is expected to produce ten art i facts to document his or growth and development as a teacher . Many of these art i facts may be produced or augmented during the Educat ion Semester . The Educat ion Department s trongly encourages s tudent teachers and cooperat ing teachers to work together on this important pro ject so as to ensure that our col lect ive impact on the s tudent teacher is properly documented and evaluated. The Teacher Educat ion Portfol io is to be submitted as a requirement associated with Educat ion 476. Fai lure to submit a complete portfol io may result in an unsat is factory grade in Educat ion 476, which may delay the issuance of a teaching cert i f icate or prevent one from being issued al together . S tudent teachers are a lso asked to part ic ipate in Exit Interviews at the conclusion of the Educat ion Semester and to provide program and student teaching placement evaluat ions as wel l . These act ivi t ies help ensure the continuous improvement of the Teacher Educat ion Programs offered at Gettysburg College and enable the faculty to continue in i ts e f forts to provide the very best preparat ion experience possible .


Cooperating Teacher Guidelines & Responsibilities

In order for a s tudent teacher from Gettysburg College to be considered for placement in a part icular c lassroom, certa in guidel ines must be met . The cr i ter ia for se lect ion of cooperat ing teachers are in compliance with Chapter 354 Standards establ ished by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and enforced by the Pennsylvania Department of Educat ion (PDE). Chapter 354 specif ies certa in basel ine cr i ter ia for cooperat ing mentor teachers . Cooperat ing teachers must be tra ined by the preparat ion program faculty and have the fol lowing:

• Appropriate profess ional educator cert i f icat ion; • At least three years of sat is factory , cert i f icated teaching experience ; and • At least one year of cert i f icated teaching experience in the school where the

s tudent teacher is placed.

In addit ion to these cr i ter ia , Gettysburg College specif ies addit ional qual i f icat ions for cooperat ing teachers to ensure that each student teacher is placed with an effect ive mentor . In addit ion to the cr i ter ia descr ibed above, the specif ic cr i ter ia for Gettysburg College cooperat ing teachers include:

• The recommendation of the distr ic t superintendent , or other designated administrator , and the principal of the school bui lding in which student teaching wil l occur ;

• The recommendation of the chair of the Educat ion Department at Gettysburg College; and

• Acceptance of the posi t ion by the cooperat ing teacher . Each cooperat ing teacher must volunteer to serve in this capaci ty . No teacher should be pressured to accept a s tudent teacher under any c ircumstances .

Teachers interested in serving as cooperat ing teachers may contact the chair of the Educat ion Department to express interest , but these guidel ines shal l be enforced before a s tudent teacher is placed with a part icular cooperat ing teacher . Key Responsibil it ies of the Cooperating Teacher Orientation. All cooperat ing teachers are expected to at tend a mandatory or ientat ion sess ion in each semester that s /he wil l serve as a cooperat ing teacher . The or ientat ion sess ion is designed to introduce new cooperat ing teachers to the culture of the Educat ion Department at the Col lege, to welcome returning coops back to the department , and to bui ld a sense of community connect ing the Educat ion Department to local school ent i t ies . The or ientat ion a lso provides the department with an opportunity to share changes in PDE regulat ions or guidel ines or in the department’s curr iculum with cooperat ing teachers , and i t provides cooperat ing teachers with an opportunity to ask quest ions about the Teacher Educat ion Program and the Educat ion Semester . Typical ly a socia l hour fo l lows the or ientat ion, which gives coops an opportunity to spend t ime with s tudent teachers and department faculty in a re laxed set t ing.


Conferencing. The col lege supervisor and cooperat ing teacher must confer on a regular basis concerning the observat ion and evaluat ion of the s tudent teacher . At the end of the s tudent teaching ass ignment , or at any other t ime, as needed, a three-‐‑way conference wil l be held with the s tudent teacher , cooperat ing teacher , and col lege supervisor regarding at ta inment of a l l required competencies . Cooperat ing teachers are a lso encouraged to at tend other campus act ivi t ies re lated to s tudent teaching. Each Educat ion Semester concludes with capstone presentat ions , in which student teachers showcase their progress toward profess ional teaching and highl ight ways in which they have supported student learning. Cooperat ing teachers are welcome to jo in the department at th is important event and strongly encouraged to at tend. Evaluation. The cooperat ing teacher is expected to evaluate the s tudent teacher’s progress at least once a week during the Educat ion Semester .

• Major competency reviews should be completed during the fourth , e ighth, and f inal week of s tudent teaching.

• A conference with the student teacher must be held after each evaluation. This is an opportunity to discuss improvement , or lack of i t , in the teaching ski l l of candidates and a chance for s tudent teachers to c lar i fy expectat ions .

• Major review sheets (completed during the 4 t h and 8 th weeks of s tudent teaching, then again at the end of the Educat ion Semester) must be submitted to the Educat ion Department at the end of the s tudent teaching experience . More information on these reviews is avai lable in the sect ion “Evaluat ion of Student Teacher Effect iveness ,” located in this handbook.

o I t is recommended that the s tudent teacher and cooperat ing teacher each complete evaluat ion forms independently s that areas of dif ference can form the basis of discussion about the s tudent teacher’s progress .

o I t is a lso recommended that cooperat ing teachers keep a notebook of suggest ions made and issues discussed. Documentat ion of progress is thus assured and records are easi ly referenced.

The cooperat ing teacher wil l complete a s tudent teacher recommendation form and submit i t to the Educat ion Department at the complet ion of the s tudent teaching experience . The col lege supervisor , in concert with the cooperat ing teacher , wil l ass ign a sat is factory (S) or an unsat is factory (U) grade for s tudent teaching. At the conclusion of the Educat ion Semester , cooperat ing teachers and administrators are encouraged to provide feedback about the teacher cert i f icat ion program. These forms are shared with cooperat ing teachers by the col lege supervisor as the semester concludes . Suggestions for the Cooperating Teacher The most successful cooperat ing teachers are those that chal lenge student teachers to do the best work they can do, but a lso provide help and support for s tudent teachers as wel l . Anyone who has ever completed student teaching knows that i t can be an extraordinari ly s tressful experience , and, l ike any stressful experience , a balance between expert ise and nurturance is required to make i t f rui t ful . The Educat ion Department expects cooperat ing teachers to provide student teachers with this balance of chal lenge and support . With that in mind, we recommend the fo l lowing pract ices to cooperat ing teachers .


• Encourage exploration and provide regular constructive feedback . Each student teacher should be encoraged to develop his or her own style and personal i ty as a teacher , to try new ideas and methods on a dai ly basis . The cooperat ing teacher must a l low the student teacher to work with students in his or her own unique way and not s imply expect the s tudent teacher to imitate the cooperat ing teacher’s s tyle . While we recognize and value the expert ise of cooperat ing teachers , research shows that at t i tudes and pract ices developed during student teaching inf luence future performance, and that s tudent teachers who are given an opportunity to develop their ski l ls go on to become more ef fect ive teachers .

• Schedule t ime regularly to explore concerns, questions, and procedures . Every student teacher begins the experience with lots of quest ions , and many of the day-‐‑to-‐‑day habits and expectat ions of teaching s imply cannot be learned unti l ful l -‐‑ t ime work in a school begins . Each school set t ing has i ts own culture and student teachers must learn to adjust to i t in a very short amount of t ime. Please take the t ime to ta lk about expectat ions and procedures regular ly—daily , even—to ensure that your s tudent teacher feels welcome in your school and can contr ibute in the ful lest way to the school ’s mission.

• Be patient with your student teacher , and always focus on his or her growth. As every good teacher knows, not a l l learners learn at the same pace or in the same way. Some student teachers are prepared to undertake the responsibi l i t ies of c lassroom teaching long before the Educat ion Semester begins , while others s truggle throughout the ent ire internship only to rapidly pul l th ings together at the end. We encourage a l l s tudent teachers and cooperat ing teachers to think of s tudent teaching as a learning experience—one in which certa in assumptions about teaching wil l be cal led into quest ion, where ideas and act ivi t ies that seemed to work with one group of s tudents fa i l miserably with another , and where success may not be measured as easi ly as we would l ike for i t to be . Most of a l l , t ry to remember that s tudent teaching is the beginning o f a process , as wel l as the end of one—it serves as the end of the induct ion experience but as only the s tart of a s tudent teacher’s journey into ef fect ive profess ional pract ice .

• Model the disposit ions you want your student teacher to display. Remember, as a cooperat ing teacher , that you are the embodiment of the teaching profess ion to the s tudent teacher you work with . In a certa in sense , s tudent teaching pul ls back the curtain on school ing to reveal the inner workings of the school . S tudent teachers are deeply affected by this . I t i s not uncommon for cooperat ing teachers to undermine the goals of a teacher educat ion program by speaking negat ively about s tudents , col leagues , or administrators , or about the teacher educat ion program i tse l f ; i t i s a lso not uncommon for cooperat ing teachers to send a message, intended or not , that certa in things are s imply “not possible” in teaching. While some of these insights may be warranted, we want to encourage cooperat ing teachers to promote posi t ive approaches to teaching and learning that further creat ive and powerful v is ions of teaching. This is not to suggest that teaching


should be sugarcoated or that chal lenges should not be discussed. I t is s imply to suggest that s tudent teaching serves as a cr i t ica l induct ion into the profess ion, one that can, and often does , have a last ing impact on the s tudent teacher’s commitment to , and understanding of , teaching. We bel ieve that ef fect ive teachers are empathet ic , authentical ly interested in s tudent learning, are respectful of their col leagues and of s tudents , and bel ieve in their own abi l i ty to teach effect ively . When these disposit ions are shared by student teacher and coop al ike , wonderful things can occur .

• Be flexible , respectful , and understanding of the student teacher’s t ime and effort . Pursuant to the previous point , i t can be useful to remember that s tudent teachers are not employed by the school distr ic t ; indeed, they are paying tuit ion to the Col lege as they complete the process of learning to teach. Addit ional ly , while many teacher educat ion programs require a seminar to be taken on campus during the s tudent teaching experience , ours is somewhat more r igorous than most . While we want to be sure that s tudent teachers are held to the highest possible s tandards, we a lso hope to encourage cooperat ing teachers to be understanding of the great many demands placed on these s tudents . The explosion of cal ls for accountabi l i ty in educat ion over the past several years is only now beginning to be fe l t in teacher educat ion, and i t promises to radical ly a l ter the way student teaching internships work. One l ikely outcome is that s tudent teachers wil l be expected to do even more to prove their commitment to teaching. Smoothing that transi t ion is very important to a l l of us in the Educat ion Department at Gettysburg.

• Be mindful of relationships. The student teaching experience involves mult iple people with varied roles to play in the educat ion of the s tudent teacher . At a minimum, at least four individuals are involved in the s tudent teaching experience , leading to a web of dif ferent re lat ionships : the cooperat ing teacher , the col lege supervisor , the faculty member teaching the s tudent teaching seminar , and the s tudent teacher himself or hersel f . Ideal ly the re lat ionship between each individual is one of honesty and trust , but one that chal lenges each person as wel l . We encourage cooperat ing teachers to view their re lat ionships with student teachers and representat ives of the Col lege as true partnerships marked by give-‐‑and-‐‑take and by mutual respect . At the same t ime, only the cooperat ing teacher has the opportunity to work one-‐‑on-‐‑one with a s ingle teacher . Sometimes the bond between cooperat ing teacher and student teacher is a s trong one, sometimes i t isn’ t . In any case , cooperat ing teachers are encouraged to remember the student part of the s tudent teacher’s t i t le—to recal l that the f irs t order of business is to teach, and that fr iendship, while extremely important , is secondary. Again, s tr ik ing a balance between expert ise and nurturance is crucia l to establ ishing the r ight k ind of profess ional re lat ionship.

• Communicate! Final ly , the importance of ef fect ive communicat ion cannot be overstated. Be sure to ask your s tudent teacher frequently i f s /he has any quest ions about accepted rules , procedures , and pract ices , and never assume that a s tudent teacher knows something about the workings of a school unless you have imparted


that information personal ly . I t is easy to forget , a f ter working in a school for a number of years , that not a l l schools operate in the same way. Likewise , we strongly encourage cooperat ing teachers to maintain c lose contact with the col lege supervisor and/or with other members of the faculty of the Educat ion Department , especial ly the instructors of Educat ion 405 and Educat ion 476. Regular personal contact not only helps prevent potent ia l problems from fester ing but can also provide valuable posi t ive feedback about the growth and maturat ion of the s tudent teacher .

In the end, no student teaching experience is a truly successful one without the help of an ef fect ive cooperat ing teacher . Any quest ions or concerns about the expectat ions for cooperat ing teachers should be directed to the col lege supervisor , the Director of F ie ld Experiences , or the chair of the Educat ion Department as soon as possible . The Educat ion Department can always be reached by phone at 717 .337.6550.


College Supervisors

Supervis ion and evaluat ion of s tudent teachers is shared by the cooperat ing teacher and the col lege supervisor . The col lege supervisor wil l v is i t each student teacher ass igned to him/her a minimum of s ix t imes during the Educat ion Semester to develop direct knowledge of the s tudent ’s teaching and to a id in determining e l ig ibi l i ty for the teaching cert i f icate and awarding an S/U grade for the s tudent teaching semester . Observat ion vis i ts to a s tudent teacher’s c lassroom ordinari ly wil l cover one complete c lass period. Fol lowing each observat ion vis i t a conference wil l be held with the s tudent teacher . During the vis i t , as convenient , the supervisor wil l a lso confer with the cooperat ing teacher . An observat ion form wil l be completed by the col lege supervisor at the conclusion of each vis i t , with one copy provided to the s tudent teacher , another copy to the cooperat ing teacher , and a third copy held by the col lege supervisor and f i led with the Educat ion Department . A writ ten evaluat ion of the s tudent teacher’s work during the observat ion vis i t wil l a lso be writ ten by the col lege supervisor and placed in the s tudent teacher’s placement f i le . The qual i ty of supervis ion received in s tudent teacher is v i ta l to the s tudent teacher’s success . Communicat ion with supervisors on a regular basis wil l help to ensure that success .


Evaluation of Student Teacher Effectiveness

Student teachers are expected to meet several expectat ions during the Educat ion Semester . Satisfactory Completion of Teacher Competencies Prior to the issuance of a teaching cert i f icate at the conclusion of the Educat ion Semester , the s tudent teacher shal l display sat is factory performance on al l appropriate PDE-‐‑approved teacher competencies . A minimum of three competency evaluat ions shal l be done by the cooperat ing teacher and reviewed with the s tudent teacher . The f irs t two evaluat ions occur during the 4 t h and 8 th weeks of ful l -‐‑ t ime student teaching and the f inal review of competencies takes place at the end of the s tudent teaching internship. The procedure for evaluat ing competencies during student teaching is as fo l lows:

• The Student Teacher se l f -‐‑evaluates his or her performance using competency l is t .

• The Cooperat ing Teacher evaluates s tudent teacher using another copy of the competency l is t .

• The Cooperat ing Teacher and Student Teacher compare evaluat ions and discuss performance rat ing.

• Results of the col laborat ive evaluat ion are recorded and shared with the Col lege Supervisor .

• Final evaluat ions are conducted in the same manner and copies are submitted to the cooperat ing teacher , s tudent teacher , and the supervisor .

Periodic Formal & Informal Evaluation PDE Form 430 must be completed by the Col lege Supervisor three t imes during the s tudent teaching experience . Each candidate for cert i f icat ion must achieve at least a sat is factory overal l rat ing consist ing of 4 points or higher in order to be recommended for an Instruct ional I cert i f icate in Pennsylvania . An evaluat ion form wil l be completed at the end of each week of s tudent teaching by the Cooperat ing Teacher . This evaluat ion wil l be the basis for a conference between the Student Teacher and Cooperat ing Teacher to discuss the s tudent ’s progress and to provide specif ic feedback. The Student Teacher , the Cooperat ing Teacher , and the College Supervisor should each receive a copy of this evaluat ion, which is to be submitted to the Educat ion Department at the conclusion of the semester . There is no l imit on the number of t imes a Student Teacher may be observed, but one form must be completed each week to indicate the number of hours of observat ion completed by the Student Teacher , the number of hours taught by the Student Teacher , and the ending date of the week. This information is necessary for cert i f icat ion records. The total number of hours taught wil l be submitted to the Educat ion Department at the end of the Educat ion Semester . For the record, “hours taught” includes any t ime the Student Teacher has spent working with students .


Final Evaluation Final evaluat ion of the s tudent teacher wil l be in writ ing, ut i l iz ing the fo l lowing three forms:

• Evaluat ion of Teacher Competencies . The competency-‐‑based form is the basis for determining the issuance of a Pennsylvania Department of Educat ion cert i f icate . In order to receive cert i f icat ion, the s tudent teacher must achieve a sat is factory rat ing in a l l competencies .

• Recommendation Form. A recommendation form is completed for each student teacher at the end of the experience by both the cooperat ing teacher and the col lege supervisor . Copies are forwarded to prospect ive employers upon request .

• Form PDE 430, completed by the Col lege Supervisor . The Col lege Supervisor is charged with awarding a f inal grade for Student Teaching: S (Sat is factory) or U (Unsat isfactory) . The instructor of record for Educat ion 476 a lso must enter a grade of S or U for that course . Other considerations Should a s tudent teacher not prove prof ic ient , i t may be necessary to l imit h is /her teaching act ivi t ies and prolong the observat ion period. I f a s tudent teacher reveals a degree of incompetence , as judged by the Cooperat ing Teacher , the Col lege Supervisor should be not i f ied immediately . The student teaching period may be prolonged i f competence is not demonstrated by the end of the regular s tudent teaching period. The student teaching period may be terminated i f suff ic ient progress is not demonstrated during the f irs t s ix weeks of the s tudent teaching ass ignment . Such a decis ion wil l be determined by the col lege supervisor in conjunct ion with the chair of the Educat ion Department , the Cooperat ing Teacher , and the Student Teacher .

I t is recommended that Cooperat ing Teachers keep a notebook of observat ions and recommendations made. These notes may then be used as a basis for conferences with the s tudent teacher and for complet ing the evaluat ion form.

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