Secondary Education &
Youth Services (SEYS)
Student
Teaching Guide
Placement Interview at School:
Most
schools require an interview with the principal or department chair before the
teacher candidate is formally accepted.
Contact the school (or District Office when dealing with
- Tell us about yourself.
- Why do you want to become a teacher?
- Describe your content area knowledge.
- What did you learn from our previous field
experiences?
- What are your goals for student teaching?
- What strengths do you bring to the classroom?
- What else would you like us to know about you?
Students should research the district demographics
ahead of time and be prepared to discuss and ask questions about the school,
its educational philosophy and community resources:
- What specific courses will I be teaching so that
I can prepare in advance?
- Can you describe the culture or the educational
philosophy of the school?
- Are there any school-wide or departmental
programs underway to improve teaching and learning?
- How involved are the parents and parents of the
English Language Learners?
- To what extent does the school district draw on
the linguistic and cultural diversity of the community in its activities?
Professional Conduct:
The
student teacher should be considered a professional
member on the school staff. Conduct
expectations should be appropriate to the position, conforming to the morals
and customs of the school. Any conduct
considered inappropriate to the position may render the student teacher
questionable as a teacher candidate. Removal
of the student teacher from the school by any representative of the school for
any reason will bring the student teacher under review by the Program Faculty
Advisor.
A
Student Teacher:
v will wear clothes appropriate to the role of a
professional educator, conforming to the dress code of the faculty at the
assigned school,
v will be at the school during the hours required of the
teaching staff and be punctual,
v
will abide by the
regulations and rules of the school system,
v will practice sound professional ethics and hold all
information concerning children in confidence,
v will honestly engage in conduct involving the performance
of professional duties,
v will behave in a manner that could not be construed as
sexual harassment of students,
v will refrain from placing inappropriate and
ill-advised personal information on internet websites to which students might
have access,
v will treat every student equally, without regard for
race, color, creed, sex, national origin, ethnic background, disabling condition,
or sexual orientation,
v will not exploit professional relationships with
students, colleagues, parents, school patrons, or school board members for
personal gain or private advantage,
v will not use coercive means, or promise or provide
special treatment to students.
Be
Flexible: Remember that the cooperating teacher has
pressures upon them just as you have your own pressures to deal with. If you normally teach only 3 classes and the
cooperating teacher asks that you take on extra classes one day because s/he
has an important meeting to attend, look at this as your chance to get even
further experience while impressing your dedication to your cooperating
teacher.
Following
School Rules: This might seem obvious to some but it is
important that you do not break school rules.
For example, if it is against the rules to chew gum in class, then do
not chew it yourself. If the campus is
‘smoke free,’ do not light up during your lunch period. This is definitely not professional and would
be a mark against you when it comes time for your cooperating teacher and
school to report on your abilities and actions.
Plan
Ahead: If you know you will need copies for a
lesson, do not wait until the morning of the lesson to get them completed. Many schools have procedures that MUST be
followed for copying to occur. If you
fail to follow these procedures, you will be stuck without copies and will
probably look unprofessional at the same time.
Befriend
the Office Staff: This is especially important if you believe
that you will be staying in the area and possibly trying for a job at the school
where you are teaching. The opinions of
these people will have an impact on whether or not you are hired. They can also make your time during student
teaching much easier to handle. Don’t
underestimate their worth.
Maintain
Confidentiality: Remember that if you are taking notes about
students or classroom experiences to turn in for grades, you should either not
use their names or change them to protect their identities. You never know who you are teaching or what
their relationship might be to your instructors and coordinators.
Don’t
Gossip: It might be tempting to hang out in the
teacher’s lounge and indulge in gossip about fellow teachers. However, as a student teacher this would be a
very risky choice. You might say
something you could regret later. You
might find out information that is untrue and clouds your judgment. You might even offend someone without
realizing it. Remember, these are
teachers you could be working with again some day in the future.
Be
Professional With Fellow Teachers: Do not interrupt other teachers’ classes
without an absolutely good reason. When
you are speaking with your cooperating teacher or other teachers on campus,
treat them with respect. You can learn a
lot from these teachers, and they will be much more likely to share with you if
they feel that you are genuinely interested in them and their experiences.
Don’t
Wait to the Last Minute to Call in Sick: You will probably get sick at some point
during your student teaching and will need to stay home for the day. You must remember that the regular teacher
will have to take over the class during your absence. If you wait until the last minute to call in,
this could leave them in an awkward bind making them look bad to the
students. Call as soon as you believe you
will not be able to make it to class.