Dalton State College School of Education

1. Dalton State College School of Education Orientation for Early Childhood Education Site Teachers

2. Welcome to Our Web Site The faculty and staff of Dalton State College welcome you to our website. We have site teachers in ten school districts in Northwest Georgia. We could not survive without you. We appreciate you taking the time to complete this online orientation for site teachers. Thank you!!!!

3. Our Conceptual Framework The unit’s vision is to become a 21st-century regional teacher education preparation program of choice. We firmly believe that our teacher candidates, as they enter the classroom, will have the self-efficacy to appropriately apply their professional content and pedagogical knowledge in a variety of teaching contexts (Gorrell & Capron, 1990). The unit will accomplish this vision by closely working with our public school partners. Through sharing in the preparation of teacher candidates, we will produce teachers who are ready to enter the teaching field demonstrating competence, collaboration, caring, and reflection to build effective classrooms environments to support all learners (Eisner, 2005; Gardner; 1985; Lezotte, 1997).

4. What to Remember About Our Conceptual Framework Dalton State CollegeStudents are CCCR: Competent Collaborative Caring Reflective

5. About Our Field Placements • Teacher candidates spend about 1,000 hours in the field in junior and senior years. • Our semesters are called Blocks, with Block I being the first block of the junior year and block IV being student teaching in the second half of the senior year. • Teacher candidates have a long-term plan to insure placements in PK-K; grades 1, 2, or 3; and grades 4 or 5. • Students are placed in culturally and economically diverse settings in Blocks I, II, and III and may choose, with the approval of the site teacher, administrator/and or central office, to remain in the same setting for Blocks III and IV or return to a school for Block IV that they were placed at for previous block.

6. Block I • Teacher Candidates will spend two full days per week (Tuesday/ Thursday OR Monday/Wednesday) at designated sites. Teacher Candidates will arrive daily at 7:30 A.M. and remain at the school site until 3:00 PM, unless otherwise instructed by the site teacher or unless the school has alternate arrival and departure times. • In Block I, the candidate will be placed in three settings if he or she is seeking an ESOL endorsement: 2 days in an ESOL middle school setting, 2 days in an ESOL high school setting, and the remaining time in an early childhood setting. If not working on an ESOL endorsement, the candidate will remain in the early childhood placement for the entire placement period. The ESOL placements will usually be the last two weeks of the regular placement. • It is important that the Site Supervising Teacher explain what and why activities are accomplished.

7. Appropriate Tasks for Block I • The Teacher Candidate is not there just to be an observer. We ask that most of the time be spent directly involved with helping students. • He/she is there to help the Site Supervising Teacher in any way possible: • reading to students • working with a small group or individual • supervising tables • walking children to the library, lunch, or recess • making a game • grading papers; etc. • Informal teaching from the teacher’s lesson plans • Please remember that this is the first full field experience for these teacher candidates and they might be hesitant to step in and take charge. Please encourage them to become as involved as you both are comfortable with.

8. Block II • Block II Teacher Candidates are in the field two days per week. • In addition to the regularly expected co-teaching and classroom assistance, the Teacher Candidate will develop and deliver three instructional lesson plans, which will be evaluated by a college supervisor. • If at all possible, one plan must be in Social Studies, one plan must be in Reading, and one must be in Math. These are aligned with the methods courses for this block. • These lessons must be approved by the site teacher, and a copy of the lesson plan must be prepared for the DSC Supervisor prior to delivery. Each delivered lesson will be assessed by the DSC Supervisor.

9. Block III • Block III teacher candidates are in the field two days per week. • In Block III, Teacher Candidates are expected to be responsible for: • teaching small groups of students. • preparing and delivering a minimum of three instructional lessons to the whole class. A college supervisor will evaluate these lessons. If at all possible, one lesson should be in Science, one lesson should be in Reading, and one lesson should be in Math. These are aligned with the methods courses for this block. • The Teacher Candidate is expected to co-teach with the Site Supervising Teacher or teach from the Site Supervising Teacher’s lesson plans on a regular basis (preferably each week).

10. Block IV • Block IV candidates will spend five days per week (Monday-Friday) at designated sites. Teacher Candidates will be in the classroom for the full day, beginning at the same time as the Site Supervising Teacher. • During the semester, the increasing responsibility for planning, organizing, and delivering instruction is assumed by the Teacher Candidate. • When the supervisors deem it appropriate, the Teacher Candidate responsibilities increase to include full-time teaching for a minimum of two consecutive weeks. • After the required full-time teaching period, the Teacher Candidate may continue to teach as a member of the teaching team. Full participation as a professional in the classroom will continue until the end of the semester.

11. Duties of Site Teachers • Complete the Assessment of Professional Behaviors and Dispositions (APBD) at the midterm and final. Discuss the results and give the student a hard copy. Submit the results online. You will receive very specific instructions from our Educational Technology Center (ETC) via email on how to do this. • Serve as a positive role model in education. • Maintain open communication necessary for productive team work. • Review any instructional plans and provide feedback prior to and after delivery. • Observe and evaluate the Teacher Candidate in all settings. • Complete the planning and teaching schedule with the Teacher Candidate early in the experience. • Assist the Teacher Candidate in developing an understanding of professionalism and dedication to the students in the classroom.

12. Administering the APBD • The APBD asks the site teacher to evaluate our Teacher Candidates on a number of professional behaviors and dispositions using a simple scoring system of 1 for does not meet expectations, 3 for meets expectations, and 5 for exceeds expectations. • You can download a copy of the APBD on this web site and/or the DSC faculty supervisor can provide you with a copy Instructions for submitting the online version will be sent at the midterm and final parts of the semester via email from our Educational Technology Center. The online version goes into an assessment system for accreditation records for our program.

13. Administering the APBD Cont. • You should discuss the APBD with your Teacher Candidate, print a copy, and give it to her or him for records. They in turn will give a copy to their seminar professor for the School of Education’s records. • If a teacher candidate receives a score of 1 on any portion of the APBD, Mrs. Rachel Davis, the Director of Field Experiences will contact the site teacher to discuss the area(s) of weakness. Mrs. Davis will then meet with the teacher candidate and the faculty supervisor to create a professional growth plan (PGP). The teacher candidate will then have the remainder of the semester to improve the area(s) of weakness and exit the PGP.

14. Ways You Can Help Us • Inform your Teacher Candidate about the written and/or unwritten dress code for your school. Dress codes vary from place to place. • Please keep the lines of communication open. Give your Teacher Candidate frequent and specific feedback on how they are doing and please discuss areas that need improvement throughout the placement. • Please follow the chain of command in dealing with problems in the field: • If there are any problems, please notify the college supervisor. • If the supervisor is unavailable or you need further help, please notify Mrs. Rachel Davis, the Director of Field Experiences. • In cases where the college supervisor or Mrs. Davis are not available or you need further help, you can contact the Dean of the School of Education, Dr. Calvin Meyer.

15. Our Dress Code • Teacher Candidates enrolled in the pre-professional and professional education courses should be dressed and groomed according to professional standards. They must identify and comply with the adopted dress code of the School of Education and the host school. • Body piercings and tattoos will be covered. • The Site Supervising Teacher should discuss the host school’s dress code on the first day the student is in the school.

16. Attendance and Punctuality • Regular attendance and punctuality are mandatory. • Students should put in a 7 ½ hour day in Blocks I, II, and III, and should follow the teacher’s required number of hours in Block IV. • The Teacher Candidate is responsible for obtaining phone numbers of Site Supervisor, DSC Supervisor, and the placement school office. • In cases of illness or emergencies, the Teacher Candidates must notify the Site Supervising Teacher, the DSC Supervisor, and the Director of Field Experiences. • While placed in a school, Teacher Candidates must sign in at the office and also keep a DSC time sheet and get it signed daily by the Site Supervising Teacher. • All missed days MUST be made up, unless they are the result of the school system canceling due to bad weather or other types of emergency. • On early dismissal days in the school, the Teacher Candidate should assist the teacher with tasks in the room, attend parent conferences (if permitted), attend in-service training (if invited), or otherwise assist in the school.

17. Extra-Curricular Activities • Teacher Candidates are encouraged to attend faculty meetings (when invited), attend PTA meetings, and attend other extra-curricular activities. • Many of our Teacher Candidates have family obligations and part-time jobs that may limit this participation in Blocks I, II, and III; please do not interpret minimal attendance at these events as a lack of commitment.

18. Relationships and Confidentiality • We ask that you introduce our student to your class as “Teacher Candidate” who are working with you to be mentored and to learn how to be a successful teacher. • Teacher Candidates should exercise respectful discretion when voicing their personal views. • Confidentiality is expected in all professional discussions. Discussions with the Site Supervising Teacher may give Teacher Candidates access to confidential student and/or school information. It is important that this information be used only in professional circumstances.

19. Classroom Management • During the beginning week of either Field Experiences or Clinical Practice, the Site Supervising Teacher should discuss with the Teacher Candidate the school and/or the classroom’s discipline plan. • The Site Supervising Teacher should specify to the Teacher Candidate which discipline measures have been identified by the school as appropriate and which ones can be administered by the Teacher Candidate. • Teacher Candidates are NOT to use corporal punishment. Teacher Candidates are NOT to be called upon to witness corporal punishment. When substitute teachers replace the Site Supervising Teacher, they, not the Teacher Candidates, have legal responsibility for discipline.

20. Some Things We Teach Our Students About Classroom Management • Respect the worth and dignity of the individual. • Seek to attain a high degree of participation. • Plan thoroughly. • Learn and make use of names quickly. • Be alert, keep your eyes open, and focus attention on the total situation. • Plan for use of freedom and responsibility of movement in classroom, corridors, and the lunchroom. • Exhibit poise, dignity, and calmness at all times. • Stop little things before they gain momentum without undue emphasis on their seriousness. • Be warm and friendly, but be firm. • Use proximity control and low profile interventions.

21. Legal Issues • Background Checks and Liability Insurance All DSC Teacher Candidates are required to have a background check and to carry professional liability insurance before they are permitted to do field work. • Substitute Teaching Even though our Teacher Candidates may be teaching the lessons in the absence of the Site Supervising Teacher, The State of Georgia requires the presence of a certified teacher or system authorized substitute in the classroom to be in the classroom for legal reasons. • Medication Our Teacher Candidates are not permitted to give medication to students. .

22. Emergency Contact Information • The Teacher Candidate should give emergency contact information to the Site Supervising Teacher in case an illness or accident occurs. This would include family members to contact, a preferred doctor’s name, and a preferred hospital. • In case of a serious emergency, call 911 and get the Teacher Candidate to the nearest hospital.

23. Additional Information • The DSC Supervisor will provide you with an overview of the following documents which you or your teacher candidate will use this semester. Some of these may also be found on the School of Education website: • The Assessment of Professional Behaviors and Dispositions (APBD), which you will give at the midterm and final portions of the semester. • The DSC Time Sheet • The School of Education Handbook • Standard Lesson Plan • Lesson Plan Rubric • Short Lesson Plan (only for Block IV teacher candidates once approved by DSC supervisor) • Unit Plan (Block IV) • Unit Plan Rubric (Block IV)

24. Contact Information • Please contact the Director of Field Experiences with any questions you have. Rachel Davis, M.S.Ed. Director of Field Experiences 650 College Drive Dalton, Georgia 30720 Phone (706) 272-2497 FAX: (706) 272-2495 E-Mail: rldavis@daltonstate.edu

25. Verification Form • Please complete the Site Teacher Orientation Verification Form to verify you completed this orientation and submit as an e-mail attachment to Rachel Davis (rldavis@daltonstate.edu) or fax to 706-272-2495. Thank you again for your commitment to our students and our teacher education program in the School of Education at Dalton State College. We greatly appreciate all you do!