UW‐StoutSchoolofEducation
UndergraduateStudentTeaching
Fall
IntegrationGuide
2008
SPRING 2011 (Revised March 29, 2012)
UW-Stout School of Education
Undergraduate Student Teaching Integration Guide
I.
Introduction ............................................................................................................... 2
II.
Preparing for the Student Teacher .......................................................................... 2
1. Initial Meeting .................................................................................................... 2
2. Preparing Classroom Students .............................................................................. 2
III.
Phase I: Orientation and Observation
Orientation .................................................................................................................. 3
1. Teaching Responsibilities ................................................................................... 3
2. School Policies and Procedures ............................................................................ 3
3. Classroom Policies and Procedures ...................................................................... 3
4. Instructional Resources......................................................................................... 3
5. Community and Student Needs ............................................................................ 3
Observation ................................................................................................................. 4
IV.
Phase II: Teaching Part Time under Close Supervision ..............................4
V.
Phase III: Teaching Part-time/Full-time ................................................................. 4
VI.
Phase IV: Transition and Expanded Observation Time ....................................... 5
VII. Tips
1. Anxiety Issues....................................................................................................... 5
2. Classroom Management and Discipline ............................................................... 6
3. Intervention ........................................................................................................... 6
4. Rescue Plan........................................................................................................... 6
VIII. References .................................................................................................................. 6
IX.
Resources
1. Integration Plan At-A-Glance ............................................................................... 7
I.
Introduction
The UW-Stout School of Education (SOE) Student Teaching Integration Guide serves as a source of
practical information for the student teacher and cooperating teacher. This guide provides an outline for the
transition of responsibilities of the student teacher from observer to instructor. Suggestions and tips have
been provided as a means of reference to assist in the success of the student teaching experience for both
the cooperating teacher and student teacher. Some student teaching placements span nine weeks while other
placements occur over the course of an entire semester.
Please read this guidebook carefully prior to the start of the student teaching experience and contact
the program director and university supervisor with any questions or concerns. You can also contact
the Coordinator of Field Experiences at ofe@uwstout.edu.
II.
Preparing for the Student teacher
Prior to the start of the placement, the student teacher should initiate contact with the cooperating teacher
and schedule a time to meet. During this initial meeting, the student teacher delivers the cooperating
teacher’s folder of information from the Office of Field Experiences.
1. Initial Meeting
At the initial meeting with the cooperating teacher, the following should take place:
 Exchange phone numbers, email and home addresses
 Confirm with the cooperating teacher the first day to report to school - DO NOT ASSUME
THAT THE DATES ON THE PLACEMENT SHEET ARE ACCURATE.
 Determine whether to meet again prior to the start of the student teaching placement
 Pick-up any supporting materials to be used (teacher edition of textbooks, workbooks,
planning overviews, CD-ROMs, websites, etc.)
 Determine what parts of the curriculum, courses, subjects, or units the student teacher will be
responsible for teaching
 Request copies of the student handbook and teacher handbook to review prior to the start of
student teaching placement
 Determine where the student teacher’s workspace will be located in the classroom. This
location should provide adequate space for the student teacher’s materials.
2. Preparing Classroom Students
The cooperating teacher should prepare the classroom students for the arrival of the student teacher.
The first few days of the placement are extremely important in establishing a positive tone. It is
imperative that the cooperating teacher take steps that will help the student teacher feel welcome.




Tell classroom students about the impending arrival of the student teacher
Briefly describe the student teacher’s duties
Discuss expectations of the class during the student teacher’s placement
Encourage the classroom students to create a way to introduce themselves to the student
teacher
 Share some interesting facts about the student teacher with the class
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III. Phase I: Orientation and Observation
Orientation
Orientation to the school community is critical to the student teacher’s comfort, confidence, and ultimate
success during this culminating experience. The student teacher and cooperating teacher share
responsibility in the acclimation and introduction process. Consistent and positive communication between
the cooperating teacher and student teacher is vital throughout the entire student teaching placement.
Effective communication during the orientation and observation phase will establish a solid foundation for
the student teacher’s success during this experience. The cooperating teacher should review the following
information with the student teacher:
1. Teaching Responsibilities
 Introduction to faculty, staff, and administrators
 Parent nights, open houses, faculty meetings, department meetings, committee meetings
 Duties (bus, hallway supervision, lunch supervision, playground supervision)
 Computer accounts, lunch accounts, parking pass information
 Tour school building – become familiar with physical features of the building and location of
resources
2. School Policies and Procedures
 Review student handbook
o Discipline policies
o Attendance policies
o Writing passes (hall, restroom, library)
 Review teacher handbook
o Classroom policies regarding discipline
o Attendance policies
o Grading policies
o Passes
o Emergency procedures (i.e. fire drills, tornado drills, school shutdown procedures)
o School nurse procedures
o Universal precautions
3. Classroom Policies and Procedures
 Classroom rules and management plan (discipline referral procedures)
 Taking attendance
 Recording absent and tardy students
 Writing passes (hall, restroom, library)
4. Instructional Resources
 Media center, computer labs and technology coordinators
 Computer use expectations
 District and school websites
 State standards for the course or grade level
 Appropriate instructional materials
 Lesson plan and student assessment expectations
 Community resources to enhance instruction
5. Community and Student Needs
 General socioeconomic and cultural background of student population
 After school student activities and opportunities for student teacher involvement
 Parent involvement in the school, expectations to communicate and work with parents
 Allergies or specific health/participation restrictions of any students
 Responsibilities to special need students in classroom
 Student reading levels and available support
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Observation
During this period, the student teacher observes the activities of the cooperating teacher and engages in
activities that will familiarize him/her with the students, materials, and routine duties of the classroom. This
is the time for the cooperating teacher to reflect on practices and to communicate important issues regarding
the expectations of the student teacher. The student teacher should:
 Note the classroom students (seating charts, roll-taking, collecting and grading papers)
 Observe classroom student behaviors in and out of the classroom and during various activities
 Review the textbooks, teaching methods, teaching manuals and resource units
 Learn the total responsibilities of the cooperating teacher
 Discover your organization and management techniques
 Assist with supervisory duties (playground, lunchroom, bus area, hall area)
 Help students on an individual basis when necessary
 Plan and conduct small group work
 Prepare materials for regular classroom use (charts, graphs, bulletin boards, and duplicated work)
 Work with cooperating teacher in planning lessons and activities
 Notice the professional and extra-curricular activities of the school
 Schedule university supervisor visits
IV. Phase II – Teaching Part Time under Close Supervision
During this phase of the student teaching experience, the student teacher assumes responsibility for two or
more classes or subject areas. Additional classes or subjects are added under the close supervision of the
cooperating teacher. There will be individual differences in the skill level, depth of knowledge, personality,
and background of each student teacher. When to assign initial teaching responsibilities and the pace at
which to add teaching responsibilities will vary with each individual student teacher. A student teacher’s
prior experience in working with classroom students can vary and may affect the pace at which teaching
responsibilities are assigned.
A cooperating teacher must also consider the following areas of observation when assigning initial and
adding additional teacher responsibilities:
 Planning and organizational skills
 Skill at implementing plans
 Relationship and rapport with classroom students
 Level of confidence and independence
 General comfort level in handling the multiple pressures and responsibilities of the student teaching
experience
The cooperating teacher must rely on their professional judgment in deciding when to assign initial and
added teaching responsibilities. If the cooperating teacher has reservations about assigning teaching duties
to the student teacher, the university supervisor should be consulted.
V. Phase III – Teaching Part-time/Full-time
This phase of the student teaching experience is essential towards growth and development as a teacher.
This phase provides the student teacher the opportunity for full immersion into the classroom teaching
experience. The student teacher conducts classroom instruction over an extended period of time. The
amount of time the student teacher “solo” teaches depends upon several factors and is at the discretion of
the cooperating teacher. It is recommended that the student teacher’s initial teaching assignment correspond
with the content area in which they are most secure and competent. It is important that the student teacher
gradually assumes a major portion of the planning responsibilities. In guiding the planning sessions, the
cooperating teacher should:
 Promote the development of creative ideas to enrich instruction
 Encourage the development of a variety of learning experiences
 Assist in the development of unit plans, tests and other materials
 Support the student teacher in developing a clearer understanding between physical, social,
emotional growth - student behavior – and motivation to learn in their classroom students
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VI. Phase IV - Transition and Expanded Observation Time
While the student teacher is teaching full-time, a plan should be developed for gradually returning all
teaching duties back to the cooperating teacher. Because the student teacher began instruction in the areas
they felt most comfortable, these areas should be phased out first. This provides additional time for the
student teacher to hone their teaching skills in the more challenging areas. It is imperative to acknowledge
the bonds that may have formed between the student teacher and the classroom students. The cooperating
teachers should be aware of any distress the classroom students may experience due to the student teacher’s
departure.
 As the student teacher relinquishes teaching duties, they will retain other duties which were
assigned during the Orientation and Observation phase.
 Assist the student teacher in scheduling final university supervisor visits
 Prepare the classroom students for the student teacher’s exit
 Involve the classroom students in planning a celebration for the student teacher’s last day
 Return instructional materials, keys, parking pass, grade book, and any other items provided by the
cooperating teacher
VII. Tips
Anxiety Issues
It is normal for the student teacher to experience some level of anxiety during the new and unfamiliar
situation of student teaching. This is especially relevant for student teachers who are now in a situation
which involves them being evaluated and monitored. For that matter, cooperating teachers are also
experiencing various levels of anxiety as well. Moderate anxiety can be advantageous to the student teacher
because it raises motivation, emphasizes attentiveness, and enables the student teacher to identify areas in
need of improvement. Unfortunately, some student teachers may experience excessive levels of anxiety
which may have adversely affect aspects of their placement. It is vital that the cooperating teacher is aware
of the early warning signals of excessive anxiety and assist the student teacher in regaining control.
Early warning signals of excessive anxiety include:
 Rapid heartbeats
 Tightness or pain in the chest
 Dizziness
 Shortness of breath
 Blushing
 Shaky voice
 Tense muscles
 Trembling hands, cold or sweaty palms
 Trouble thinking clearly
Some strategies for helping a student teacher control excessive anxiety are:
 Communicate that anxiety is normal for beginners and novices
 Balance support and giving challenging (yet manageable) assignments
 Clarify expectations through modeling and providing work samples
 Offer greater structure and guidance in areas in which the student teacher is inexperienced or less
confident
 Supply greater structure and guidance in areas which are particularly challenging
 Provide frequent feedback
 Increase positive feedback
 Discuss the challenges and dangers of perfectionism
 Help the student teacher replace the irrational thoughts with more rational thoughts
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Classroom Management and Discipline
Student teachers have studied a variety of classroom management and discipline techniques during the
course of their education program. Observations of the hosting classroom and classrooms of other teachers
will provide the student teacher exposure to other ideas in classroom management and discipline
techniques. Classroom management and discipline are cited as a beginning teacher’s greatest challenges.
The cooperating teacher can assist the student teacher in developing good classroom management and
discipline skills by:
 Sharing techniques in place that minimize distraction and yield maximum time-on-task
 Presenting techniques and procedures currently in use to manage misbehavior in the classroom
 Encouraging the student teacher to share what they have learned about classroom management and
discipline techniques
 Supporting the student teacher in developing a consistent approach to handling classroom
management and discipline problems
 Assist the student teacher in developing a repertoire of proximities and body language that resolve
problems without focusing attention on them
 Providing techniques that promote smooth transition time and decrease lag time
Intervention
As the student teacher manages the shift to full-time teaching, the cooperating teacher must rely upon their
professional judgment to decide when to intervene if necessary. The cooperating teacher must decide upon
the best way to intervene without undermining the student teacher’s authority. The student teacher must be
allowed time to struggle with classroom management and discipline issues on their own. The student
teacher should be allowed a practical amount of time to resolve issues. If as the cooperating teacher, you
are unhappy with the way things are going in the classroom, chances are the student teacher is unhappy as
well. After a reasonable amount of time has passed and the student teacher still seems to be struggling, the
following actions taken by the cooperating teacher may help:
 Take immediate and positive action to prevent any potentially dangerous situation from occurring
 Increase visibility and presence in problem areas will help the student teacher regain control
 Intervene verbally, but, leave responsibility for refocusing student’s attention to the student teacher
 Discuss a problematic situation with the student teacher as soon as possible. Offer suggestions of
how to better handle the situation in the future
 Expect suggestions will be implemented and confirm through observation
 Recognize when a situation is handled well and compliment the student teacher’s efforts
Rescue Plan
When the student teacher is solo teaching, a plan should be in place in order to deal with serious classroom
management or behavioral issues. The rescue plan should include the following strategies:
 Designate three or four responsible students to serve as messengers in the event of an emergency
 Alert colleagues in nearby classrooms when the cooperating teacher will be out of the room
 Ask one colleague to keep an eye on the classroom during the cooperating teacher’s absence
 Inform student teacher of location when out of the classroom
 Leave classroom door open
References
Chandler, M. (2010, January 24). Anxiety disorder symptoms - the early warning signs. Retrieved from
http://ezinearticles.com/?Anxiety-Disorder-Symptoms---The-Early-Warning-Signs&id=3633136
Cooperating teacher handbook. (2012, January). Retrieved from
www.swosu.edu/resources/pubforms/DisplayMedia.aspx?pid=947
Murphy, S., & Kaffenberger, C. (2007). ASCA national model: The foundation for supervision of
practicum and internship students. Professional School Counseling, 10(3), 289-296.
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