Practicum in Spanish Teaching
Spanish 380 – Fall 2015
Brigham Young University
INSTRUCTOR: Professor Andrea A. Nielsen
CONTACT INFO: 3005F JKB
801.422.8326 (Office)
801.899.9293 (Cell)
andrea_nielsen@byu.edu
CLASS TIME: Tuesday from 3:00 - 3:50 p.m.
CLASS LOCATION: JFSB B161
OFFICE HOURS: 2:00 - 2:50 pm on Tuesdays (Please make an appointment)
COURSE DESCRIPTION
The purpose of the 30-hour practicum is to give you, a prospective student teacher, an
opportunity to gain hands-on experience in implementing meaningful, engaging instruction, and
assessment in a secondary Spanish classroom. In preparation for student teaching, you will
collaborate with a mentor teacher to observe, plan, and teach lessons. Although observing and
assisting your mentor embraces important parts of your professional development, a minimum of
20 hours of the 30-hour practicum should be dedicated to actively teaching students.
PLACEMENTS
After you submit your application for student teaching and the application is approved, you will
be assigned to a practicum/student teaching placement. We encourage you to exercise
professionalism with respect to your placement responsibilities, regardless of where, or with
whom they may be. Every effort is made to place practicum students in the opposite type of
school ie high school/middle school as where they will be doing their student teaching.
Consequently, you must take both Spanish 378 and Spanish 380 the semester immediately prior
to ScEd 476R/496R (student teaching/internship)—NO EXCEPTIONS. These courses are only
offered during Fall & Winter semesters, so please plan accordingly.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
(Note: The hotlinked items in this section will take you to a variety of relevant online resources.)
As a result of active participation in this course, you should be able to:
o Craft meaningful, standards-based, developmentally appropriate language learning
experiences in Spanish using various techniques for creatively engaging students in critical
thinking and problem-solving (INTASC Standards: 1 – Learner Development, 4 – Content
Knowledge, 5 – Application of Content, 7 – Planning for Instruction, 8 – Instructional
Strategies)
Spanish 380 ♦ 2015 ♦ Andrea A. Nielsen M.ED. with support from Cherice Montgomery♦ andrea_nielsen@byu.edu ♦ 1
Practicum in Spanish Teaching
Spanish 380 – Fall 2015
Brigham Young University
o Cultivate learning environments that actively engage diverse learners (INTASC Standards:
2 – Learning Differences, 3 – Learning Environments, 8 – Instructional Strategies)
o Use informal assessments to evaluate students’ understanding (INTASC Standard: 6 Assessment)
o Engage in professional dialogue and reflection with your mentor teacher to improve your
own professional practice (INTASC Standards: 9 – Professional Learning & Ethical
Practice, 10 – Leadership & Collaboration)
The grading scale for this course is: A, B, C, D, E, I. In order to pass the course, teacher
candidates must fulfill the requirements outlined below.
EXPECTATIONS FOR PROFESSIONAL PERFORMANCE
Completing Professional Paperwork

Field Experience Demographics (FED) – Use this worksheet to gather the information
you need to complete the form on Mylink (Due September 15 , 2014)

Praxis II – Sign up for the Praxis II in Spanish (5195) (Must be completed prior to
this class)
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OPI – Sign up for the OPI in Spanish (Must be completed prior to this class)

Student Teaching Placement Request Form & Application – Complete both of these
no later than Septemeber 15th. Note that you’ll need to gather a lot of information and
schedule appointments to meet with several advisors in order to complete the Student
Teaching Application so do not procrastinate!
Cultivating Professional Habits of Mind & Behavior

Attendance - Attendance will be computed by dividing the number of class periods
possible by the number of class periods you attended.

Professional Evaluation - You, your mentor teacher, and I will each complete a
professional evaluation of your performance in the following areas: (Due December 8,
2015 at the latest)
o Preparation – Initiate contact with your mentor teacher, set up appointments,
communicate re: BYU assignments, and collaborate in planning your practicum
Spanish 380 ♦ 2015 ♦ Andrea A. Nielsen M.ED. with support from Cherice Montgomery♦ andrea_nielsen@byu.edu ♦ 2
Practicum in Spanish Teaching
Spanish 380 – Fall 2015
Brigham Young University
o Punctuality – Arrive promptly at all scheduled field placements and stay for the
agreed upon time
o Professionalism – Follow through on mentors’ requests/suggestions and display
professional communication, decorum, dress, and grooming consistent with the
BYU Honor Code
o Preservation of Privacy – Reflect on and discuss what you have observed
respectfully, maintaining confidentiality regarding those involved
o Planning - Prepare lessons of high quality, share plans with your mentor,
incorporate feedback; engage with students; use Spanish regularly
Developing & Demonstrating Professional Knowledge

Daily Assignments – These assignments will prepare you to be more successful as a
student teacher and may include commenting in class discussions, or completing reading
or viewing guides related to classroom management, exploring online resources,
experimenting with online tools, or writing lesson plans and implementing them.

Focused Observations – These are designed to guide your attention to important issues
as you observe in your field placement. Please choose TWO to complete. (1st
Observation Due September 29, 2015, 2nd Observation Due November 17, 2015)

Lesson Plan & Materials for Professor Nielsen’s Observation Visit – Prepare a lesson
plan and accompanying materials and give them to Professor Nielsen when she comes to
observe you teaching in your practicum placement. (Due by November 19, 2015)

Practicum Placement - Fulfill a 30-hour practicum placement in your assigned
secondary school, including a minimum of 15 hours devoted to actively teaching
students. You will document this portion of your work by turning in a field report on
Tuesday of each week until you complete your 30-hours.
PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT & EXPECTATIONS
HONOR CODE STANDARDS
In keeping with the principles of the BYU Honor Code, students are expected to be honest in all
of their academic work. Academic honesty means, most fundamentally, that any work you
present as your own must in fact be your own work and not that of another. Violations of this
Spanish 380 ♦ 2015 ♦ Andrea A. Nielsen M.ED. with support from Cherice Montgomery♦ andrea_nielsen@byu.edu ♦ 3
Practicum in Spanish Teaching
Spanish 380 – Fall 2015
Brigham Young University
principle may result in a failing grade in the course and additional disciplinary action by the
university.
Students are also expected to adhere to the Dress and Grooming Standards. Adherence
demonstrates respect for yourself and others and ensures an effective learning and working
environment. It is the university’s expectation, and my own expectation in class, that each
student will abide by all Honor Code standards. Please call the Honor Code Office at 422-2847
if you have questions about those standards.
PREVENTING SEXUAL DISCRIMINATION OR HARASSMENT
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 prohibits sex discrimination against any
participant in an educational program or activity that receives federal funds. The act is intended
to eliminate sex discrimination in education and pertains to admissions, academic and athletic
programs, and university-sponsored activities. Title IX also prohibits sexual harassment of
students by university employees, other students, and visitors to campus. If you encounter
sexual harassment or gender-based discrimination, please talk to your professor; contact the
Equal Employment Office at 801-422-5895 or 1-888-238-1062 (24-hours), or
http://www.ethicspoint.com; or contact the Honor Code Office at 801-422-2847.
STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
If you have a disability that may affect your performance in this course, you should get in touch
with the office of Services for Students with Disabilities (1520 WSC). This office can evaluate
your disability and assist the professor in arranging for reasonable accommodations.
PROBLEM SOLVING
One of the purposes of Spanish 380 is to challenge your assumptions, beliefs, and interpretations,
recognizing that these will often differ because we draw from different life experiences. We are
responsible for creating a supportive environment that allows us to take the risks required to do
so. If you encounter a problem with the course instructor or a colleague, you are encouraged to
address it directly with that person in a professional manner. If you are unable to resolve it, then
please contact me, Dr. Larson or Dr. Sherman for assistance.
Spanish 380 ♦ 2015 ♦ Andrea A. Nielsen M.ED. with support from Cherice Montgomery♦ andrea_nielsen@byu.edu ♦ 4
Practicum in Spanish Teaching
Spanish 380 – Fall 2015
Brigham Young University
Date
Topic - This schedule is subject to change in order to address emergent
Assignments
needs and/or health concerns.
Sept. 1
Discuss the syllabus
Observation Requirements
Student Teaching Application
Field Reports
Focus Observations
Teacher/Mentor Evaluations
Autobiography
Complete Course Information Sheet online
Complete Photo Permission Sheet
Complete fingerprinting
Complete the Technology Skills Assessment
Pass the Praxis II Spanish Content
Knowledge Test (5195)
Pass the OPI (Advanced Low/Mid)
Log into mylink and report problems
Sept. 8
Autobiography
Answer questions about the Student Teaching
Application
Complete placement request form
Draft of student teaching application
autobiography due Sept. 11 – Posted on the
Wiki
Sign up for Bienvenida
Sept. 15
Review and complete application
Backward by design and overview of TWS
Contextual Factors
Review and Approve Student Teaching
Application if not already done
Student Teaching Application Due
September 15th Student teaching application
due to MCKB by 5 p.m.
Professor Nielsen will be the LAST to sign
your application.
FED due by Midnight
Sept. 22
Sept. 29
Unit Overview
Unit at a Glance
Unit Objectives and National Standards
Assessment Plan
Assessment Adaptations
Contextual Factors Assignment Due
Field Report Due
1st Focused Observation Due
Unit Overview Assignment Due
Design for Instructions/ Lesson Plans Student Lessons
Oct. 6
Oct. 13
Student Lessons
Assessment Assignment Due
Field Report Due
Lesson plan due at the time you teach
Spanish 380 ♦ 2015 ♦ Andrea A. Nielsen M.ED. with support from Cherice Montgomery♦ andrea_nielsen@byu.edu ♦ 5
Practicum in Spanish Teaching
Spanish 380 – Fall 2015
Brigham Young University
Oct. 20
Oct. 27
Student Lessons
Student Lessons
Nov. 3
Nov. 10
Student Lessons
Instructional decision making
Report of Student Learning
Nov. 17
Reflection and Evaluation
Nov. 24
Friday Schedule – No Class
Dec. 1
Dec. 8
Class Cancelled
Student Teaching Overview
Dec. 17
Final Exam
7:00-9:00 pm
Field Report Due
Field Report Due
Design for Instructions/Lesson Plans
Assignment Due
2nd Focused Observation Due
Instructional Decision Making Assignment
Due
Report of Student Learning Assignment Due
Field Report Due
Reflection and Self Evaluation Assignment
Due
Mentor Evaluations Due
Goal: To give you contextualized, hands-on opportunities to explore and apply some of the concepts introduced in
the frame.
The following page contains a list of important dates for student teachers.
BYU Academic Calendar for 2014
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September 1, 2015
First Day of classes at BYU
September 7, 2015
Labor Day – No school
September 15, 2015
Student teaching application due and FED
November 21-23, 2015 ACTFL Foreign Language Fair – San Diego, CA
http://www.actfl.org/convention-expo
November 24, 2015
No class – Friday instruction
November 25-27, 2015 BYU Thanksgiving Holiday
December 4, 2015
Mentor Teacher CPAS, PDS submitted to Mylink
December 10, 2015
Last day of classes
December 17, 2015
Final Exam 7:00 – 10:00pm
Spanish 380 ♦ 2015 ♦ Andrea A. Nielsen M.ED. with support from Cherice Montgomery♦ andrea_nielsen@byu.edu ♦ 6