Wilmington University
Cooperating Teachers
Virtual Workshop
Online – WU Website
Student Teaching - Overview
The student teaching
experience can be an
exciting time of
personal and
professional growth.
It can also be a time
when student
teachers may face a
number of conflicts
and tensions.
Guidance
• Show care, concern, and commitment to
student teachers.
• Share the thinking underlying your
instructional and supervisory decisions.
• Help student teachers reflect on the
reasons and purposes for their
instructional decisions.
• Encourage student teachers to reflect on
their performance, identifying both
strengths and areas of needed
improvement.
Correction
• Use positive phrasing that helps student
teachers understand what they need to
work towards rather than what they have
done wrong.
• For example, if the student teacher says
to the class, tell me about your summer.
Inform the student that by rephrasing
this statement you cue the students for
large group individual responses rather
than calling out behaviors.
• You would say, raise your hand and tell me
what you accomplished over the summer.
Understanding
• Build on the strengths of student
teachers.
• Share openly with student teachers
regarding positive reactions you have
to their performance or your level of
concern.
• Build and maintain professional,
confidential relationships with
student teachers.
Compassion
• Help student teachers feel they are
a part of the school staff.
• Work with student teachers step-bystep toward independent
performance.
Remember! - The learning needs of the
students in your class are the first and
foremost priority of a teacher.
•
To that end, you must assess the teaching abilities of your student
teacher from the beginning. Some student teachers are quite
advanced, while others will have many needs.
•
Advanced student teachers who are ready to assume total
teaching and planning responsibility of the “average learners” in
your class (whether that is 60% of your class or 75% of your class
or 80% of your class), need to be given that responsibility.
•
You, then, have the opportunity to differentiate the instruction
and teach those learners who require more advanced strategies
and techniques (those strategies known by master teachers),
which a pre-service teacher would not know.
•
Take advantage of this valuable resource to achieve the real
meaning of “No Child Left Behind”.
Focus on the objectives of the
curriculum
• Allow the student teacher the necessary latitude
to employ his/her own ideas, strategies, and/or
materials to achieve the curriculum objectives of
the school and/or district.
• As your student teacher becomes more adept at
teaching and planning provide opportunities for
and/or require elementary student teachers to
teach in all of the curriculum areas required of
the school district or included in the Wilmington
University required program (math, science, social
studies, reading, language arts, etc.
Remember!
Keep the student teacher focused
on the learning of the students in
your classroom!
• Provide an opportunity for the student teacher to
demonstrate the ability to assess the pupils' level
of functioning, and plan and implement learning
experiences based on the assessment.
• Help the student know that they need to show
how they know that their pupil’s have learned
what they have taught.
Documenting what the
student teacher knows
• Obviously, the student teacher is under
your continuous supervision; however, you
are asked to conduct periodic observations
utilizing one of the following Wilmington
University reports in consultation with the
college supervisor:
• Weekly Clinical Report
• Mid-Term Evaluation Report
• Final Report with Competencies and the
Summary Report.
Resources for Cooperating
Teacher
• The Handbook For Cooperating Teachers is
brought to you in the first or second week
of school by the University Supervisor.
• The handbook houses all of the forms and
reports.
• Your handbook “mirrors” the Student
Teacher Handbook, which students use in
their seminar sessions.
Sharing Reports with
Teacher Candidate
• All clinical reports are shared with
the teacher candidate.
• In sharing the results with student
teachers use a positive tone, a caring
manner, frequent eye contact and a
sincere desire to improve or
celebrate our profession.
Professional Responsibilities
• Whenever possible, provide an opportunity for the
student teacher to demonstrate the ability to
plan and carry out an experience for positive
parent-teacher relationships.
• Provide an opportunity for the student teacher to
participate in professional activities, e.g.,
attending faculty meetings, PTA meetings,
meetings of professional organizations, in-service
meetings, etc.
• Encourage and let the student teacher see you
continuing to grow professionally by reading
professional journals, taking courses and
participating in professional activities.
A Few Guidelines
•
If you have developed a “special” rapport with your students, tell
the student teacher how, why, and what you did, so he/she can
implement ways of having the class “warm-up” to him/her.
•
If your class is very attached to you, make your student teacher a
partner. Team teach to achieve the “best” learning for all
involved. This will help foster a positive experience for both the
class and the student teacher.
•
Discuss your teaching and management style with your student
teacher. Listen to the ideas of your student teacher in those
areas.
•
If you hear that your style (particularly in behavior management)
is vastly different from your student teacher’s, warn the student
teacher that the pupils in your class may react negatively to
change and decide if that change should even be attempted.
Base your decisions on the
learning needs of your pupils
• Remember! If any change is going to adversely impact the
learning of the pupils in your classroom, then require the
student teacher to follow the standards and routines
already established.
• Remind them that when they have their own classroom they will have an opportunity to try their methods; besides,
it is always good to know different strategies to use with
different students.
• Tell the student teacher what has been working well for you
and the routines that you have already established in a class
- particularly with difficult classes. Let the student
teacher decide with you the “best” way to handle this class.
Being a student teacher
• The student teacher is very nervous, anxious, excited,
terrified, thrilled, and probably highly critical of
himself/herself.
• If they do things that you want repeated be sure to
compliment them on those items, as soon after you have
witnessed them as possible.
• Emphasize the positives of their teaching methodology and
give gentle suggestions on how they can improve (don't tell
them they're doing something wrong without having
suggestions for improvement).
• Allocate a few minutes in the morning or afternoon each day
for the student teacher to discuss lessons, content and any
other concerns.
Pathwise
Based on Charlotte Danielson’s Framework
1.
2.
3.
4.
Four Domains
Planning and Preparation
The Classroom Environment
Instruction
Professional Responsibilities
Domain 1 – Planning and Preparation
• Knowledge of content
• Knowledge of students
• Appropriateness of instructional
goals
• Knowledge and use of resources
• Structure of Lesson
• Assessment strategies
Domain 2- Learning Environment
•
•
•
•
•
Interaction with students
Student interactions
Managing student behavior
Responses to student misbehavior
Expectations for student conduct and
learning
• Managing classroom procedures and
resources
• Organizing physical space
Domain 3- Instruction
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Clarity and accuracy of communication
Questioning and discussion techniques
Engaging students in learning
Visual, oral and kinesthetic approaches
Feedback to students
Flexibility and responsiveness
Use of technology
Domain 4 – Professional Responsibilities
• Dress, appearance and conduct
• Relationship with colleagues
• Service to school
• Decision making
• Reflecting on teaching
• Enthusiasm, vigor, senses of
humor, fairness, concern for
students
Wilmington University Program
Competencies and Delaware
Professional Teaching Standards
• #1 Content - Create learning experiences that make
content meaningful to students and reflect an
understanding of the core concepts and structure of
education.
• #2 Human Development and Learning – Provide learning
opportunities that support intellectual, social, emotional,
physical development and learning.
• #3 Diverse Learners – Adapt instruction for diverse
learners based on an understanding of how students
differ.
• #4 Communication – Demonstrate proficiency in oral and
written communication.
Wilmington University Program
Competencies and Delaware
Professional Teaching Standards, cont.
•
#5 Learning Environment- Create a learning environment that
fosters active engagement, self-motivation, and positive social
interaction by understanding individual and group behavior.
•
#6 Planning – Design instruction based upon knowledge of the
disciplines, students, the community, and Delaware’s student
content standards to demonstrate knowledge of instructional
planning.
•
#7 Instructional Strategies- Apply a variety of instructional
approaches that promote student thinking, understanding, and
application of knowledge.
•
#8 Assessment- Use multiple assessment strategies for the
continuous development of students.
Wilmington University Program
Competencies and Delaware
Professional Teaching Standards, cont.
•
#9 Professional Growth- Pursue opportunities to improve
teaching and thereby enhance professional growth.
•
#10 Professional Relationships- Collaborate with colleagues,
parents/guardians, and other members of the community to
support student learning and well-being and demonstrate
knowledge of the role of the school in the community.
•
#11 Educational Technology – Use educational technology as an
instructional and management tool.
•
#12 Professional Conduct- Understand and maintain standards
of professional conduct guided by legal and ethical principles.
Wilmington University Program
Competencies
• #13 Dispositions – Exhibit enthusiasm,
vigor, strength of inner self, humor,
fairness, and concern for students.
• # 14 Professional Employment – Obtain
and retain successful employment in the
profession of education.
Conferences
It is difficult to imagine that a
cooperating teacher and a student
teacher can spend many hours each
week in the same classroom without
communicating, but the fact is that
this is without question the most
serious problem that can occur in
student teaching.
Effective Communication
• Effective communication is so important that it
cannot be left to chance.
• It is also clear that the obstacles are so great
that good communication will only occur when both
parties, the cooperating teacher and student
teacher, work hard to overcome these obstacles.
• This leads directly to the use of conferences as a
device for effective communication. Planned
regularly scheduled conferences provide the
essential basis for good communication.
Effective Communication,
cont.
• It is in the conference that the student teacher
may become consciously aware of his/her
instructional behavior as observed by the
cooperating teacher.
• It is in the conference that he/she may begin an
analysis of that behavior in terms of pupil
response and learning.
• And, it is in the conference that the foundations
of professional self-evaluation/reflection are laid.
• Thus, it is imperative that both the immediate
and long-term goals of conferences be kept in
mind.
Building Rapport with your
Student Teacher
• Daily conferences of comparatively short duration will give
attention to matters of immediate consequence-adjustment of plans, coordinating work schedules,
identifying and solving daily problems, providing that needed
"boost in morale," and in general, keeping things functioning
smoothly. The timing of such conferences may vary from
day to day, but this should not be left to chance.
• Weekly conferences should also be scheduled, and it is
probably best to reserve about one hour for this purpose.
These conferences may be used for long-term planning,
cooperative evaluation of the student teacher's
competence, analysis of the cooperating teacher’s teaching
procedures, and for developing in-depth understanding of
pupil behavior and community relations.
Rapport Builders
•
The time and place of the conference should be planned in advance.
•
It should be canceled or postponed only when essential, and it is not
unreasonable for the student teacher to remain after school for the
weekly conferences.
•
The setting should be informal and at a place where few interruptions are
likely to occur.
•
Regularly scheduled conferences will prevent the student from thinking
that conferences are called only when there are criticisms to be offered.
•
The conference should be characterized by a free interchange and
exchange of ideas. It is helpful if many of the topics are problem-centered
in terms of seeking answers to methodological or curriculum problems.
•
Alternative solutions to such concerns should be analyzed with both the
student teacher and cooperating teacher offering ideas.
Balanced and Specific
• Analysis of the student teacher's performance or personal
qualities should achieve an appropriate balance between
strengths and weaknesses. Criticism should be constructive
and falsely optimistic praise should be eliminated.
• It is interesting that some student teachers complain, "My
cooperating teacher never tells me how I can improve,"
while others state, "My cooperating teacher only mentions
the things I do wrong."
• Cooperating teachers should not hesitate to offer
suggestions and teaching ideas. Student teachers are eager
for "tricks of the trade," and sources of useful teaching
materials.
• Be as specific as possible, to the extent of showing
materials, sketching bulletin board ideas, writing sample
test questions, and so forth.
•
•
Growth & Formal Evaluation
The conference should contribute to the student teacher
becoming increasingly self-directive and self-evaluative.
Ultimately, most teachers will be essentially on their own in selfcontained classroom situations where professional growth must
continue.
Two or three conferences each quarter may be centered around
the overall evaluation of the student teacher. For example some
cooperating teachers use three such conferences:
– An initial conference to set expectations and look over the evaluation
instrument. (Clinical Report – Pathwise Lesson Analysis)
– A mid-term conference to assess progress to date.
– A conference near the termination of the student teaching experience
(60 days for BS, MEE, MAT or 40 days MSE) to explain the final
evaluation and to discuss the prognosis for future professional
success.
•
Three-way conferences involving the University Supervisor are
useful in many instances. These may be initiated by any of the
parties involved.
Roadblocks to Effective
Communication
• No time before school or after school due to demands of
preparation, student teaching seminar, and lunch or bus
supervision.
• No time during the school day since one or both of the
parties must be working with students.
• Feelings of inadequacy or insecurity on the part of the
cooperating teacher or student teacher.
• Over-concern for "hurting the feelings" of the student
teacher
• No place to talk in private.
Goal of Conferences
• The goal of the conference is better development in some
specific aspect of the student teacher's performance such
as teaching procedures, development of plans and ideas or
the acquisition of information about school, teaching or
pupils.
• A conference will help the student teacher view his/her
role more clearly, and it should provide the needed direction
for better action. If the student teacher goes into his/her
tasks with new insight and assurance, the cooperating
teacher has been successful in his/her conference
objectives.
• A conference can provide a real challenge in the area of
human relations. An attitude of mutual trust and respect
has to prevail. A poor choice of words or an ill-chosen
expression can create unnecessary tension.
Your Stance for
Conferences
• The cooperating teacher is an advocate by listening.
– Listen intently – Try not to get so busy formulating
responses that you fail to listen as to what is being said.
– Use open body language and facial expressions
• Try to meet the needs expressed by the student teacher
– Information
– Reassurance
– Evaluative comments
• Understand how the student teacher feels in the situation
– At best he/she is insecure
– At worst he/she is actually frightened
• Maintain objectivity during conferences
• Emphasis should be placed on what actually was said and
done rather than on opinions of what occurred.
Timing the Conference
• Timing of conferences is essential to success in
achieving the desired objectives.
• The closer to the "significant moment" that two
people can confer, the better the results.
Emphasis on a particular problem at the time it
reaches its peak will be more effective following
the teaching act, than it will be if it is delayed.
• Delay in conferring may result in significant
information being discussed too late for the
student teacher to take any remedial action. In
other instances, it may result in the actual impact
being lost, due to the passing of time. The
cooperating teacher must be alert for the
"conferrable moment" with the student teacher
just as he/she is for the "teachable moment" in
working with a group of pupils.
Emphasis is Upbeat &
Often
• The conference is designed to help
student teachers know what to keep doing,
as well as, what to change. An effective
conference maintains a student's
confidence so a learning rapport can
foster. Frequent looks at helpful teaching
ideas, as well as, problems will help the
student teacher view the cooperating
teacher as a resource who is seriously
interested in improving teaching.
TOPICS GENERALLY DISCUSSED IN COMPREHENSIVE
CONFERENCES
•
Analysis of teaching skills
Verbal interaction
Nonverbal interaction
Manipulation of subject matter
Emotional rapport with pupils
•
Evaluation of the student teacher's progress
What teaching and learning is taking place
Particular skills of the student teacher
Helping the student teacher formulate a concept of good teaching and how he/she compares with
that concept
Specific suggestions for overcoming weaknesses
•
Information about the school
School policies for teachers
Rules and regulations for students
Curriculum organizations
Availability of and procedures for securing resources
Role of specialized personnel
Reports and records
General questions about the school
•
Information about students
Test records
Personal information
Unique circumstances which might affect learning
Topics Discussed
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•
•
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Sharing teacher's ideas and knowledge
Philosophy of teaching
Philosophy of grading and evaluation
Ideas concerning discipline
Techniques of keeping records
Suggestions concerning planning and organization
Gathering resource material
How to improvise
Dealing with emergencies
Professional organizations
Arranging for field trips and resource personnel
Why a situation or problem was handled in a certain manner
Discussions of plans for teaching
Pre-teaching analysis
Post-teaching appraisal
Long range plans and ideas
Discussion of possible activities and techniques
Defining goals
Classroom goals
Teaching process
Personal adjustment of the student teacher
Personal problems as they relate to the school setting
Personal values
Personal mannerisms
Attitude toward people
Payment and Credit
• The Cooperating Teacher Stipend Form &
W-9 Form are to be completed and
submitted to the university supervisor on
or before the final evaluation.
• The University Supervisor will provide a
WU Certificate (DE Lead Teachers) for
30 clock hours towards your 90 clock hour
requirement.
Any Questions ?
• The University Supervisor is
committed to answering your
questions in a timely manner and is
your first contact.
• Clinical Coordinators email address:
New Castle County –
sylvia.j.brooks@wilum.edu
Kent & Sussex Counties –
marsha.t.horton@wilmu.edu