School Site Guidelines 2010-2011
Tufts University Department of Education
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Guidelines for Field Placement
We believe that learning to teach is an individual process so we acknowledge that each person’s experience will be different.
That said, we have learned that pre-service teachers (PSTs) and cooperating teachers (Co-ops) appreciate guidelines from Tufts
University. We acknowledge that each professional pair will tailor the experience to best meet their needs and the needs of their
students.
Timeline
At the School Site:
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Sept/Oct
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Oct/Nov
At Tufts:
Discussion between the pre-service teacher and the cooperating teacher
about goals, professional responsibilities and the DESE’s Pre service
Performance Assessment form (PPA).
We recognize that many PSTs have experience with professional
conduct, but our experience teaches us that it is useful to have a
conversation about what it means to be professional at this school
site (e.g. if you are absent or going to be late you should…In our
school, dressing professionally means…)
 PSTs come to the school at least one day a week. This day should be
negotiated between the PST and the cooperating teacher. If the PST
needs to miss school for illness or emergency, s/he should notify the
cooperating teacher and should arrange to make up the day.
 Cooperating teacher meet with her/his PST on the day that s/he comes to
school.
 PST observes the cooperating teacher’ classes.
 PSTs complete forms (print these out from the website and turn in):
1. Pre-Service Teacher Agreement (Sept)
2. Fall Internship log (on-going, due Dec)
PSTs interview an administrator and/or member of the student support staff
ED 101: Introduction to Teaching in
Middle and High School.
This course introduces the PST to the culture
and operation of school.
 PSTs learn to reflect on their
experiences in schools, as students
and teachers.
 PSTs read, analyze and discuss a
variety of educational perspectives
and observe how those ideas are
played out in their school site.
 ED101 challenges students to re-see
schools and to re-think what they
know about education.
 PSTs learn about the neighborhoods
of their students.
 The course meets Tuesday at Tufts
and Thursday Seminar sections meet
either on school sites or at Tufts.
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ED 110-114: Introduction to Curriculum
Courses: Content Specific (Wednesdays)
PSTs examine traditional and innovative
curriculum and how adolescents develop
knowledge and reasoning in a subject area.
 PSTs learn lesson plan design
PSTs observe different classrooms and teachers.
PSTs shadow a student through a regular day.
PST assists the cooperating teacher in classes, often working with
individual students and small groups, helping distribute materials, taking
attendance, etc. The PST should be engaged in classroom activities that
help him/her get to know the students. Outside of class, PSTs may assist
School Site Guidelines 2010-2011
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Tufts University Department of Education
the cooperating teachers in making photocopies, finding curricular
resources, brainstorming ideas for lessons, and helping to grade papers.
PSTs assess student work with cooperating teachers
PSTs plan individual lessons or units in collaboration with cooperating
teacher/team
Cooperating teacher and PST co-teach one or two classes. This could
include the PST leading a lesson while the cooperating teacher walks
around to check student understanding or adds to the discussion.
PSTs observe an IEP meeting
In consultations with cooperating teachers, PSTs learn to communicate
with parents about student progress.
PSTs become familiar with different types of assessment used to record
student learning, MA frameworks, and effective use of technology in the
classroom
PSTs individually teach class(es), at least once before the end of the
semester.
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PSTs write papers connecting theory
to their practical experience.
PSTs review the Massachusetts State
Frameworks.
Teaching for Social Justice Workshop: Oct.
27,28,29. PSTs will miss school on Friday,
October 29, 2010.
Web resources for PSTs:
 Examples of lessons and lesson plan
templates for PSTs to consider.
 Step-by-step instructions for applying
for licensure.
www.ase.tufts.edu/education
November 6: Teaching as Civic
Engagement Conference open to all
PSTs and Co-ops. This year’s theme is
on understanding the educator’s role in
responding to community violence.
Dec
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PSTs complete forms (print these out from the website and turn in):
Intern Mid-Year Evaluation of Internship (mid Dec)
Discussion between PSTs and cooperating teachers about the spring
semester.
University supervisor meets PST and co-op,
tours school, and has preliminary meeting with
PST and Co-op to plan supervision schedule.
Supervisors begin meeting at Tufts. They will
meet several times during the year to discuss
progress of PSTs and to discuss effective
supervision practices.
Advisors provide PSTs with continuous
support on the school site experience,
registration, and other needs
School Site Guidelines 2010-2011
Timeline
Spring Semester at the School Site:
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Jan/Feb
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Mar/Apr
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May
Tufts University Department of Education
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Spring Semester at Tufts:
PSTS follow the school’s daily schedule and calendar, including school
vacations and holidays. PSTs are expected to follow guidelines for
teachers in terms of attendance, parent-teacher conferences, exhibitions of
student work, and social occasions.
Cooperating teachers observe PST teaching and debrief observations, at
least once a week. This might be informal or formal.
Cooperating teachers and PSTs meet for regularly scheduled (at least one
hour a week) in-person conversations to debrief the PST’s experience:
What’s working? What needs improvement?
Cooperating teacher, PST and supervisor review the PPA together and
note PST’s strengths and areas for growth.
PSTs participate in regular staff meetings and exhibitions, parent
conferences, and other events
PSTs take on increasing responsibility in at least one class in terms of
planning, instructing, managing class climate, assessing, communicating
with parents.
Cooperating teachers are available as coaches, providing advice on areas
such as curriculum development and classroom management
ED 102: Supervised Teaching in Middle and
Secondary School
 This seminar provides an opportunity
for PSTs to reflect upon the practicum
and the issues related to their personal
and professional development.
 The facilitators provide guidance on
developing a pre-professional portfolio
and video-paper that is due at the end
of the internship.
 University supervisor meets with
PSTs and cooperating teacher,
observes 5 times and provides oral and
written feedback.
PSTs take on increasing responsibility in at least two classes in terms of
planning, instructing, managing class climate, assessing, communicating
with parents.
PST experiences teaching without the mentor in the room.
ED 120-124: Practice of Teaching
 PSTs learn principles of teaching their
subject area to adolescents
 PSTs write lessons for peer and
faculty review
Forms (print these out from the website and turn in a hard copy):
1. Spring Internship Log (ongoing due in May)
2. Intern Year-End Evaluation of Internship (May)
The Supervisor will complete the PPA and facilitate a conference with PST
and cooperating teacher to sign documents
Negotiate a finishing date and say good bye
Supervisor completes PPA and brings it to the
PST and cooperating teacher for consensus.
Coop Reception, Tuesday, May 10, 2011
from 4:00 – 5:30 pm
Note: Each year, pre-service teachers and their cooperating teachers may experience some challenges working out the specifics of their respective
roles. You should not experience weeks feeling uncertain or frustrated. If you are uncertain or frustrated, please share your concerns with your
advisor or the coordinator of placements in the fall semester, or your assigned supervisor in the spring. It is important to learn how to problem
solve and develop a discourse for dealing with professional issues that naturally arise in school sites.
School Site Guidelines 2010-2011
Tufts University Department of Education
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Guidelines for Beginning Conversations
September
The Big Ideas:
 Pre-service Teachers hope that their mentor will model good teaching, share classroom responsibilities, reflect on
teaching and student learning, scaffold intern’s experience, and be available to answer questions.
 Mentors and school site administrators expect PSTs to be courteous, to be on time, to show initiative, to respect
confidentiality, to be reflective, and to demonstrate collegiality with other staff and positive relationships with students.
 Mentors can discuss some of the things that a PST can do at this school site to have a successful introduction to the
school site.
 PSTs should ask what it means to be professional at this site (e.g., arriving/leaving school, dress code, working with
colleagues).
 Mentor and PST should schedule regular meeting times to de-brief lessons taught, plan curriculum, and assess student
work.
Mentors
 Describe what your school is like in September. (Professional expectations, important meetings, tasks to be done,
community building, etc.)
 How do you plan for curriculum for the beginning of the year? What can the PST do to prepare?
 Describe your preferred Lesson Plan Model.
 How has your life experience shaped who you have become as a teacher? How have you been influenced by your
academic background?
 How do you prefer to co-teach with your PST?
Pre-Service Teachers
 What specific questions do you have for your mentor about your role at the school site?
 How has your life experience shaped your decision to become a teacher? How have you been influenced by your
academic background? Share your Tufts Application Personal Statement and /or your Autobiography as a Learner from
ED 101 with your mentor.
 What are some of the issues that you want to discuss with your mentor throughout this first semester of your work in
schools?
School Site Guidelines 2010-2011
Tufts University Department of Education
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December
Mentors
 What is your school like in January? (Professional expectations, family involvement, new curriculum, new courses.)
 How do you plan for curriculum for January and beyond? What can the PST do over the semester break to prepare for
the transition process?
 With which classes will the pre-service teacher be working in January? How will you inform the students and their
families about the increasing responsibility of the intern in the classroom? What is your transition style?
Pre-Service teachers
 What specific questions do you have for your co-op about the classes for which you will be responsible in January?
 What professional skills, habits of mind, strategies do you want to focus on developing in the first weeks of the spring
semester?
 What have you already learned about the strengths you are bringing into the classroom?
 What have been the most important insights you have gleaned this fall about your relationship with students, school site
faculty, curriculum content?
 What have you learned about the community in which you will be teaching that will help you shape lessons to engage
all student?
 What are some of the issues that you want to discuss with your co-op throughout the second semester of your work in
schools?
Weekly meetings and Regular Debriefings:
Feedback from Tufts Pre-Service Teachers indicates that they find the regular meetings with their Co-ops to be very valuable learning
experiences. Regular meeting times should be used to address specific lessons observed and/or co-taught, as well as addressing the ongoing issues and conversations so vital to the establishment if good collegial relationships. Questions addressed at regular meetings
can include:
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What did the co-op notice about the lesson? What did the PST notice about the lesson? Compare these observations
and discuss.
What were your objectives for the lesson? How did you communicate these objectives to students? How did the
students meet your objectives? Were there any surprises?
What would you improve for next time…in the lesson, in the teaching, in the ‘reading” of formative assessment?
School Site Guidelines 2010-2011
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Tufts University Department of Education
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Review examples of student work together. What does this student know and how well are they able to
demonstrate/communicate that knowledge to others? What specific skills and habits of mind are being developed in this
class? In individual students?
According to Pre-Service teachers, the relationship they develop with their Co-op through co-teaching and regular meetings is the
most crucial factor influencing PST’s satisfaction with the academic program. At the same time, both PSTs and Co-ops reported that
they wanted more guidance in how to build that relationship. This document is an effort to address this need.
Notes: