Cooperating+Teachers

Dear Practicum Teacher,

The secondary education team is very grateful for your professional courtesy and grace for working with one of our teacher candidates in one of the professional practicums. Working with a teacher candidate requires trust building. We will partner with you in this process. This handbook is one element of our effort to build trust between you and us and your and our practices. Just as we are eager to work and collaborate with you, we hope you have the same eagerness toward the teacher candidate so that he/she can engage actively with your students alongside of you. This practicum is intended to provide some independent and interdependent activities in close relationship with and monitoring/mentoring by you. It is also intended to provide opportunities for the teacher candidate to begin reflecting systematically on their work as a prospective teacher. We know that recently there have been many changes in the profession. This may bring about anxiety within the profession. We hope and trust, nevertheless, that you will be able to promote teaching as a noble profession. Below you will find resources and contact information that will assist you and the teacher candidate in a positive and memorable experience.

__Who to contact at the School of Education at URI__

//EDC 331 and EDC 332 instructors//

Cornelis de Groot degrootc@uri.edu Jay Fogleman fogleman@uri.edu

//Director of the Office of Teacher Education// Diana Marshall dmarshall@uri.edu 401-874-5930

__Expectations for Practicum Teachers__

Please review the Practicum Overview (see below under Forms) for expectations regarding evaluations and required activities for the teacher candidate.

//The following list of tips and suggestions was adapted from the Ausburgs College Student Teaching Manual:// 1. Give your student teacher immediate status. Introduce them as another teacher, companion teacher, co-teacher, partner teacher, etc. "This is OUR classroom, not mine." 2. Arrange for a desk or personal space for your student teacher. Plan ahead. . . name tags, class lists, extra teacher editions, etc. 3. Begin with a getting acquainted activity and encourage your student teacher to write a letter to parents about him/herself. Always pre-approve all letters and phone calls to parents. 4. Build on the student teacher’s strengths. Encourage and allow risk taking. Compliment! 5. Do not expect your student teacher to become a duplicate of you. Allow for differences in personality and styles. 6. Allow your student teacher to make mistakes. Remember that a mistake is not nearly so important as what we do afterwards. Be honest and supportive. Every activity or lesson is not going to be perfect. Accept this and relate it to your own experiences. Empathize! 7. “Failing to plan is planning to fail.” You must see and approve activities and lesson plans well ahead of time to insure student success. You are still responsible for your classroom and the learning of your students. Always acquaint your student teacher with your lesson plan book and how you plan, but try to be open to alternative approaches. 8. Do not let little things become big. Discuss it early with the student teacher and/or university supervisor. 9. Plan the entire semester in terms of teaching responsibilities as soon as possible. An exact schedule will be determined according to individuals. Try planning together, team teaching, cooperative grouping, etc. It is especially helpful to a student teacher to observe you again after teaching a subject area. Use the Activity Checklist to negotiate what is possible and what is not. 10. Balance your time in and out of the classroom 11. Provide open files, copies of materials. Share and save ideas for your student teacher during the experience and beyond. 12. Ask the student teacher: “What do you think?” 13. Do not assume that the student teacher knows where the students are—background, materials covered, what is developmentally appropriate. 14. Allow student teachers time to be in charge so he/she can learn to gain control. Only interrupt when absolutely necessary. Avoid correcting a student teacher in front of a class of students. 15. Set aside a specific time for good communication. Ask open-ended questions. Perhaps a mutual notebook to jot down questions and ideas during the visits would be helpful for quick reference. 16. Encourage students to observe or look for specific needs. Work on reflection of lessons: How did you feel about that? What would you have done differently? Have you ever thought of. . .? Present options. Discuss goals. Notice improvements: Remember what we give our attention to we get more of. . . it works with adults, too.

__Additional Tips for Practicum Teachers__
 * 1) Easing Student Teachers into Their New Role: @http://www.inspiringteachers.com/classroom_resources/articles/administrators_professors/easing_student_teachers.html
 * 2) Practicum Teacher Advise: @http://www.proteacher.org/c/471_Cooperating_Teacher_Advice.html
 * 3) From the Mouths of URI Babes: Dos and Don'ts for Practicum Teachers [[file:secondary-mathematics-uri/DOS and DON’TS for cooperating teachers.pdf|DOWNLOAD]] (PDF)
 * 4) Mentor Modules: Teachers Learning to Mentor Teachers http://mentormodules.com (//Free on-line modules supporting practicum teachers and mentors of teachers//)

__Expectations for Student Teachers__ For behavior expectations please see this page

FORMS
|| || Practicum Overview || EDC 431 Clinical Experiences for Secondary Education III (Pre-student Teaching) Click Here EDC 484 Supervised Student Teaching Click Here
 * **EDC 250 Pre-professional Field**
 * Experience** || **EDC 331 Clinical Experiences for**
 * Secondary Education I** || **EDC 332 Clinical Experiences for**
 * Secondary Education II** ||
 * Practicum Overview