Benedict College School of Education Cooperating Teacher Orientation August 8, 2007

1. Benedict CollegeSchool of EducationCooperating Teacher OrientationAugust 8, 2007

2. Welcome to the Benedict College Student Teaching Program! Cooperating Teachers: Thank you for your willingness to work with a Benedict College student teacher! We appreciate your help and support for our preservice teachers. We could not have a student teaching program if you were not willing to assume the responsibility of having a student teacher. Thank you very much! Please read this Cooperating Teacher Orientation PowerPoint for an overview of the student teaching semester. Further details may be obtained by reviewing your Student Teaching Handbook that has been provided to you as a part of the orientation process. As the semester proceeds, remember that the first point of contact at Benedict is Mrs. Joyce Epps (705-4438 & eppsj@benedict.edu). Dr. Witty is the second point of contact (705-4761 & wittyj@benedict.edu).

3. Teachers as Powers for Good in Schools and Communities Student teachers are expected to demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to be: • Scholars • Effective Practitioners • Reflective Decision Makers • Resources for the Community

4. First things first… • Student teachers will begin in their placements early in the semester. • Dual placement students will divide their time between two placements. • College Supervisors will notify Cooperating Teachers of the exact dates of the student teacher’s placement.

5. Overview of the Student Teaching Experience Stage One—Observation Stage Two—Observing/Assisting Stage Three—Independent Teaching Stage Four—Phase Out/Observation

6. Stage One--Observation • Student teachers become familiar with students’ names and personalities. • Student teachers become familiar with cooperating teachers’ classroom procedures and routines. • Student teachers lead small group activities and work with individual students. • Student teachers are oriented to their assigned school by the cooperating teacher. • Student teachers attend seminars on campus.

7. Stage Two--Observing/Assisting • Student teachers begin developing lesson plans and teaching large group lessons. • Cooperating teachers provide assistance with lesson planning and preparation of materials. • Cooperating teachers provide verbal and written feedback to student teachers following formal and informal observations. • Cooperating teachers conference at least weekly with student teachers to review lesson plans and teaching activities and to suggest changes to improve student teachers’ professional skills.

8. Stage Three-- Independent Teaching (Minimum of four (4) full weeks) • Student teachers participate in parent conferences, grade level and team meetings. • Student teachers evaluate students’ work. • Student teachers implement classroom management plan. • Student teachers demonstrate effective teaching skills and perform as professional teachers. • Cooperating teachers continue to support student teachers with suggestions for lesson planning and presentation of lessons.

9. Stage Three (cont) 6. Cooperating teachers continue to evaluate student teachers’ performance, formally and informally, verbally and in writing. 7. Cooperating teachers continue to conference at least weekly with student teachers to review lesson plans and teaching activities and to suggest changes to improve student teachers’ professional skills.

10. Stage Four: Phase Out/Observation • When Independent Teaching is completed, cooperating teachers gradually re-assume teaching responsibility and help student teachers arrange observations with other teachers in different grade levels.

11. On-Campus Seminars and Campus Events for Student Teachers During the student teaching semester, students return to the Benedict College campus each Thursday afternoon to attend Senior Seminar II (4:00 -4:50) and the student teaching seminar (6:00 – 8:45 p.m.). Additionally, as indicated on the student teaching calendar, selected events such as Convocation, Diversity Conference, and Career Day are listed as required campus events. Student teachers will be away from your classrooms during the times of these events. Student teachers are expected to leave lesson plans and materials for any lessons they would have taught during the time they are on-campus as applicable. (There are no other planned absences for Student Teachers. We ask that you inform us if your student teacher is absent on days other than those listed on the calendar.)

12. Lesson Plans Student teachers are expected to have typewritten lesson plans for every lesson they teach. They may follow the BCTE lesson plan format or the format of the cooperating teacher, at the discretion of the college supervisor. Cooperating teachers should review and initial lesson plans several days before they are to be taught so that corrections and changes may be made to the plans, if necessary. Student teachers are expected to discretely give approved lesson plans to the college supervisor at the beginning of each visit to the classroom.

13. Observation Forms and Procedures Evaluation of the student teacher is one of the cooperating teacher’s most important responsibilities. Evaluations should be formal, using the BCTE forms provided in the Student Teaching Handbook and informal, based on the student teacher’s everyday transactions with students in the classroom.

14. Informal Observations Informal observations should … • be frequent and on-going during the student teaching experience. • provide opportunities to share suggestions for improvement of the student teacher’s skills. • include written suggestions and ideas.

15. Formal Observations Formal observations should… • be scheduled with the student teacher • occur three times during the semester (two times in each placement for dual placement students) • be documented on the BCTE forms • be followed by a student teacher-cooperating teacher conference to review the student teacher’s strengths and weaknesses • be dated and signed by both student teacher and cooperating teacher. The original should be delivered to the college supervisor by the student teacher at the very next class meeting.

16. Summative Forms A Summative Form is completed for each student teacher at the end of the placement. The cooperating teacher and the university supervisor each evaluate the student teacher’s performance as a beginning teacher. The Summative Form reflects the student teacher’s professional skills and attitudes as determined by informal and formal assessments during the student teaching semester. Summative Forms should be signed by the student teacher and cooperating teacher or university supervisor. An original of the Summative Form is retained by Mrs. Epps.

17. Thank you!