GYO: Cooperating Teacher Training

1. GYO: Cooperating Teacher Training Department of Education Educator Preparation Program West Texas A&M University

2. Welcome • Thank you for partnering with WTAMU in the process of educating our teacher candidates! • Your role as a cooperating teacher is critical to the success of our future teachers. • This Power Point is designed to clarify your roles and responsibilities as a cooperating teacher and explain what you should expect from your clinical teacher. • Please use this information along with the WTAMU Cooperating Teacher Handbook as a guide to having a successful year as a cooperating teacher in the state of Texas.

3. Grow Your Own Grant • Grow Your Own (GYO) Clinical Teachers will engage in Clinical Teaching in the same manner as typical Clinical Teaching except they will complete 28 weeks (2 semesters) instead of 14 weeks • GYO Clinical Teachers receive a stipend paid monthly to engage in this initiative • Clinical Teachers will follow the same schedule in each semester as the WTAMU semester schedule • Spring schedules will be provided in January. • Fall Semester Clinical Teaching: 9/3—12/13 • Spring Semester Clinical Teaching: 1/21—5/15 (est)

4. Completion of Training • At the end of this training, please be sure to complete the survey; this will provide you with a certificate of completion and notify WTAMU that you have completed the necessary training to be a Cooperating Teacher. • Please complete this training within the first week of the Clinical Teacher’s Placement in your classroom. • Thank you for your efforts in helping us to maintain a successful educator preparation program.

5. Standard of Professional Development for the Candidate: • Demonstrates excellence in teaching • Creates a learner-centered environment • Applies research-based pedagogy • Participates in on-going collaboration with colleagues, parents, and the community • Exhibits commitment to diversity • Uses instructional technology • Participates in a variety of field experiences • Demonstrates an understanding of learners and the learning-process

6. Definition of a Cooperating Teacher: • A cooperating teacher is a classroom teacher who volunteers to work as a mentor to a university clinical teacher. • Research demonstrates that the most important influence on a teacher candidate is the cooperating teacher.

7. Qualifications of a Cooperating Teacher: • Holds a current Texas Teaching Certificate. • Has a minimum of three years of successful classroom experience in the content area of the candidate’s certification program. • Also has: • Approval of the building principal • A high level of commitment to the candidate’s professional development • An eagerness to continue professional growth • Effective communications skills • Outstanding collaboration skills

8. Roles of a Cooperating Teacher: • Serves as a model for teacher preparation and assists the candidate in becoming an effective first year teacher. • Models best practices, provides clear and honest feedback, makes suggestions for improvement and motivates and encourages the candidate. • Is committed to the role of mentoring, and has a positive effect on candidate learning. • Influences a candidate’s ability to synthesize and apply teaching strategies, and emphasizes conceptual application of ideas. • Establishes a relationship of trust and communication with the candidate.

9. Preparing for the Candidate • Your handbook provides detailed information needed for each candidate to successfully complete the field experience. • Cooperating teachers should review the handbook. • Any questions may be directed to the university school liaison (field supervisor) or the director of teacher preparation & director of clinical experience at WTAMU.

10. Candidate Responsibilities • Dress and act in a professional manner. • Commit to a full partnership with the cooperating teacher. • Learn and follow the rules and regulations of the school. • Actively participate in the classroom. • The candidate will be in the classroom every day of the week during the fall semester beginning Sept. 3rd and ending for the Fall semester on Dec. 13, even if your school district started on a different date. (Spring dates to be given in Jan.) • The candidate will follow the cooperating teacher’s schedule throughout the clinical teaching placement in the spring including: • Attending school the same hours as the cooperating teacher. • Attending professional meetings including faculty meetings, parent conferences, PTA meetings and workshops. • Taking part in extra-curricular activities as appropriate.

11. Candidate Responsibilities • Learn the daily responsibilities of a teacher. • Gradually take on the responsibilities for the class and teach full-time for at least three full weeks in each placement per semester. (suggestions on next slide) • Lesson plans are required and should be submitted to the cooperating teacher in advance of the lesson being taught. This allows for feedback from the cooperating teacher. • Weekly progress reports are completed by the candidate each Friday. Please assist candidate on setting and reflecting on their goals. Candidates submit reports through C.R.A.F.T. • Candidate will submit attendance reports to Cooperative teacher on Sept. 20, Oct. 18, and Dec. 6 for the Fall semester. Dates for the Spring semester will be shared in January.

12. Gradual Release Model • WT uses the gradual release model to ease clinical teachers into and out of the clinical teaching experience. • The following graphic is a general guide for the gradual release model: Suggestions to assist the clinical teacher in a smooth transition from a passive to an active role are to allow him/her to: • Tutor individual students. • Move about the room and assist individuals with classroom assignments. • Teach the same lesson to a different class or a similar lesson to the same class after observing you teach. • Self-evaluate after each presentation. • Plan several mini-lessons before assuming the responsibility for an entire class period. • Present concepts, plan lessons, manage the classroom, review curriculum materials, and help perform routine duties.

13. Gradual Release Model

14. Gradual Release Model

15. Evaluating the Candidate • The cooperating teacher will need to complete and submit 2 formative and 1 summative evaluations on the candidate per semester. Evaluations and copies of the attendance report (get from clinical teacher) to be submitted to Gloria Reidlinger, gredilinger@wtamu.edu. • Follow Cooperative Timeline for submission – Sept. 20, Oct. 18, Dec. 6 (Fall) • In addition, the cooperating teacher will complete a program evaluation at the end of the Spring semester. • Clinical teachers need to be made aware of any concerns. Identifying these areas early allows for field supervisors and cooperating teachers to work together to provide support and guidance to the candidate. • If improvement is not made and the candidate creates a negative learning environment, the cooperating teacher or principal may ask for removal of the clinical teacher.

16. Clinical Teacher Absences • If the Clinical Teacher is absent, s/he must inform his or her Field Supervisor, Cooperating Teacher, and The Office of Teacher Preparation. • WTAMU understands that Clinical Teachers may experience illness, their children may become ill, or an emergency may happen; we grant 2-3 days of absence per semester or 4-6 days in the 28 week Clinical Teaching Experience to cover these occurrences. • If absences become excessive, anything over 3 within each 14 week semester, the Cooperating Teacher should reach out to WTAMU’s Office of Teacher Preparation—or at anytime the Cooperating Teacher believes intervention or support from WTAMU may be needed. Please do not wait until frustration has occurred or the issue has become excessive. • This policy includes arriving late or leaving early from campus. • Cooperating Teachers should have candid conversations concerning attendance, arrival times, and departure times with Clinical Teachers within the first week of their placement.

17. The University School Liaison's Responsibilities to the clinical teacher Is Responsible for: • Staying in frequent contact with the candidate and cooperating teacher. • Completing 6 formal observations per semester or 12 for the 28 weeks of Clinical Teaching. • Conferencing with the candidate, the cooperating teacher, and the school administrator-–principal or associate principal. • Providing written feedback to the candidate, cooperating teacher, and the school principal. • Providing specific feedback to the candidate for professional improvement or growth. • Leading the candidate in reflection of his or her performance. • Contacting the director of field experiences about issues which may need an action plan or change of placement.

18. Candidate Supervisions • To ensure quality of supervision and align more with the T-TESS model, supervisors will conduct supervisions in the following ways: • The supervisor will conduct a pre-conference with the clinical teacher—about 15 minutes • The supervisor will observe the clinical teacher engaged in direct teaching of a lesson for a minimum of 45 minutes • The supervisor will conduct a post-conference with the candidate after the lesson-–about 15-20 minutes • The supervisor will conduct a conference with the cooperating teacher-–about 15 minutes • Once each semester, the supervisor will need to meet with an administrator on campus concerning all clinical teachers placed on that campus—about 20-30 minutes.

19. During the Supervision • Cooperating Teachers should help facilitate the supervision in the following ways: • Take the class for 15 minutes so that the Field Supervisor can conduct the pre-conference interview with the Clinical Teacher. • Ensure that the Clinical Teacher has opportunity to direct teach the entire class for at least a 45 minutes while the Field Supervisor observes. • Cooperating Teachers should take the class after the Clinical Teacher teaches the lesson so that the Field Supervisor may conduct the post conference with the Field Supervisor. • Cooperating Teachers need to confer with the Field Supervisor during each supervision visit and communicate with school administrators to ensure that Field Supervisors are able to schedule 1 meeting during the semester to confer with the principal or associate principal about all Clinical Teachers placed on the school campus in one meeting.

20. Scheduling Supervisions • Candidates will create a schedule with their field supervisor that ensures the supervisor sees the candidate engaged in a variety of teaching situations at different times, classes, periods, and/or subject areas throughout each semester—new schedules will be created in the Spring. • Supervisors will schedule supervisions, and both the candidate and cooperating teacher will be aware of the days and times they will observe. • It is the Clinical Teacher’s responsibility to schedule supervision times and to inform the Cooperating Teacher of the Schedule. • If the Clinical Teacher needs to reschedule due to illness or a change in schedule at the school such as an assembly, the Clinical Teacher must notify the field supervisor as soon as possible to reschedule and then notify the Cooperating Teacher of the revised schedule.

21. Thank you! • The role of the cooperating teacher has been proven to be the single most significant determinant in the success of a clinical teacher’s field-based experience. • We recognize that your willingness to host a clinical teacher is a tremendous sacrifice and service to the profession. • We thank you and commend you for your dedication to Texas education and future generations of Texas educators! • The GYO grant is a new initiative, so we are still working out all of the logistics, but WTAMU believes it will help rural schools and place more teachers in underserved certification areas • Information will be shared as needed, but if there are any questions on GYO, the grant, or logistics, please contact us

22. Contact Information Dr. Beth Garcia Director, Office of Teacher Preparation and Certification (806)651-2609 egarcia@wtamu.edu Dr. Janet Hindman Department Head, Education Department 806.651.2615 jhindman@wtamu.edu Gilbert Antunez Director, Field Experience & Placements 806.651.2908 gantunez@wtamu.edu

23. Survey of Completion Cooperating Teacher Training Verification • Survey Link: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1yvhJS83H4TbQlveXoU9glkKzHmEiDytzBTFAdD7zfJk • Keep the certificate of completion for your records. The certificate verifies 8 hours of Professional Development time.