Student Teaching

General Information

The Middlebury College Teacher Education Program is designed to provide teacher education candidates with a practical, field-oriented experience in which to develop and apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes required of effective classroom teachers. Toward this end, the practicum consists of a one-semester full-time assignment within the public schools and a concurrent seminar dealing with advanced topics in curriculum, instruction, and technology. Student teachers are expected to gradually assume responsibilities for classroom instruction under the direction and guidance of both the cooperating teacher and the college supervisor. As the student teacher begins to demonstrate proficiency at assigned tasks, increasing amounts of responsibility should be assumed.

During the semester the student teacher, cooperating teacher, and college supervisor work together as a team, helping the student teacher to identify his or her strengths and weaknesses, and assisting in the development of effective teaching techniques. As the semester progresses, the student teacher will be expected to demonstrate the ability to engage in thoughtful self-evaluation.

In addition to developing classroom teaching skills, the Teacher Education Program seeks to assure the development of appropriate professional attitudes. Student teachers are expected to participate in all aspects of the role of classroom teacher. Since the art of teaching is never completely mastered, the student teacher is expected, during the professional semester, to develop habits of reflection and professional inquiry that will continue throughout his or her teaching career.

The Vermont Approval criteria for licensure require "one semester (minimum of 12 weeks) of consecutively scheduled student teaching." "Students should gradually proceed to assuming the full role and responsibilities of a classroom teacher." Actual supervised teaching hours include observation of cooperating teachers and other teachers and professional staff; planning under the direction of the cooperating teacher or college supervisor; classroom teaching; tutoring that is conducted under the supervision of the cooperating teacher or the appropriate professional; and supervised study hall assignments and working with teachers on extracurricular activities.

Each student should expect to spend from one to two weeks of "solo" teaching toward the end of the semester, where he or she assumes the full role of the classroom teacher. Because of differences among placements, the exact configuration of responsibilities will be determined by the student teacher, the cooperating teacher, and the supervisor at the beginning of the semester and as needed during the semester.

Responsibilities of the Cooperating Teacher

The role of the cooperating teacher is unquestionably one of the most demanding and important components within an effective student teaching program. As any experienced teacher knows, the task of assisting the beginning student teacher in developing and applying appropriate teaching techniques while simultaneously overseeing the best possible instructional program for his/her own students is not an easy one. Fortunately for the field of teacher education, there exist teachers with sufficient professional commitment to be willing to assume this most vital role.

Within the Middlebury College Teacher Education Program, the cooperating teacher, student teacher, and college supervisor meet together as needed during the professional semester to plan the student teacher's observation, tutoring and teaching schedule, and to evaluate formally the student teacher's classroom performance. During the professional semester, the cooperating teacher performs the following supervisory duties:

• advises the student teacher in building a teacher licensure portfolio;
• plans for a time of maximum responsibility when the student teacher will assume full daily duties for the entire class as approved by college supervisor and cooperating teacher. It is often difficult to "leave" the classroom in the hands of the student teacher. Cooperating teachers might consider using this time for professional development opportunities such as visiting other classrooms or other schools;
• assists the student teacher in the development of a unit plan; 
• reviews and comments on the student teacher's daily and/or weekly lesson plans, especially during the first four weeks of student teaching;
• observes and critiques the student teacher's classroom teaching on a regular and systematic basis. For example, in the first several weeks of classroom teaching, the cooperating teacher provides critical assessment of the student teacher's daily lessons and provides suggestions for improvement. As the professional semester progresses, the cooperating teacher normally provides weekly, but not necessarily daily assessments of the student teacher's strengths and weaknesses as a classroom teacher; these assessments are usually conveyed orally to the student teacher; 
• makes one formal observation by the midterm - a brief written description of the observation should be attached to the midterm evaluation; 
• schedules a one-half day planning meeting to take place in the Teacher Resource Room in the basement of Twilight Hall. Permission for this meeting must be granted by building administrator. The Teacher Education Program will cover the cost of the substitute teacher or, if the meeting occurs on a non-school day of after the school day, will stipend the cooperating teacher an additional $50;
• at the mid-semester three-way conference, the cooperating teacher, college supervisor, and student teacher join in an overall assessment of the student teacher's progress based on the mid-term evaluation (see Appendix D) which has been completed prior to the conference. At this time all participants review the status of the student teacher with regard to the competencies required for teacher licensure in Vermont and check progress toward the completion of the portfolio;
• reviews with the student teacher the qualifications required by the state of Vermont in each subject listed in Appendix I of this handbook under Professional Endorsements, specifically focusing on the knowledge and abilities listed under the appropriate subject area (7-12 only);
• at the end of the professional semester, the cooperating teacher provides a written assessment of the student teacher's classroom performance (Appendix F) and participates in the final evaluation meeting of the Professional Semester Review Committee (see Appendix E).

Responsibilities of the College Supervisor

The college supervisor serves as a resource person for the student teacher bridging the gap between theory and practice. In addition, the college supervisor makes regular formal observations of the student teacher's performance in order to provide evaluative feedback. Before the observation, the student teacher will provide a written description of the objectives, content, sequence and concerns for the lesson to the supervisor. After each formal observation, the college supervisor will discuss with the student teacher the major strengths and weaknesses of the lesson observed, encouraging the student to self-evaluate. Through these conferences the student teacher and college supervisor can work together toward planning subsequent teaching experiences.

At mid-semester, the college supervisor, the student teacher, and cooperating teacher meet to discuss the mid-term evaluation (see Appendix D).

Along with on-going written and oral feedback, the college supervisor reviews portfolio entries throughout the semester and facilitates the final meeting of the Professional Semester Review Committee that evaluates the performance of the student teacher (Appendix E). In collaboration with a designated second reader, the college supervisor also evaluates the Level I Teacher Licensure Portfolio and summarizes the results of both the Professional Review Committee meeting and portfolio evaluation in a letter to the student advising of the decision for licensure.

The teacher education faculty will meet with all the liberal arts mentors early in the semester to review the responsibilities and explain the licensure process.

The role of the liberal arts mentor is threefold:

• The liberal arts mentor will critique the student's teaching at least twice during the semester by observing in the classroom. It is the responsibility of the student to arrange these visits with the liberal arts mentor. A brief written evaluation of these visits are helpful to the student and may be used in his or her licensure portfolio.
• Along with the college supervisor and cooperating teacher, the liberal arts mentor may provide assistance to and resources for the student teacher on the design of their teaching units and in the development of their licensure portfolio.
• Along with the college supervisor and cooperating teacher, at the end of the semester, the liberal arts mentor will attend the Professional Semester Review Committee meeting to evaluate the student teaching performance (Appendix E).

The liberal arts mentor and the student teacher may also work together on a "teacher as researcher" project in which a topic of mutual interest to both the liberal arts mentor and student teacher is explored in the classroom and presented in the student teacher's portfolio. Topics that explore the interplay of theory and practice are especially encouraged.

The Teacher Education Program hopes that liberal arts mentors will serve periodically on the Teacher Education Program Committee which reviews applications for the professional semester and provides substantive advice on ways to improve the teacher preparation programs and the coordination between the academic departments and teacher education.

Selecting a Liberal Arts Mentor

Once accepted for the professional semester, the student needs to select a Liberal Arts Mentor. In most cases, this is a faculty member from the student's major. The student should seek a liberal arts mentor who they feel is a strong teacher and who might serve as a valuable resource person.

It is the responsibility of the student to meet with his or her liberal arts mentor and discuss the role of the mentor during the professional semester. The hope is that the liberal arts mentor will schedule at least two visitations during the semester. (see Responsibilities of the Liberal Arts Mentor, page 14).

Attendance and Meeting Deadlines 

Student teachers are expected to be present and on time every day at their teaching assignments, as well as at seminars, teachers' meetings, conferences, etc. Should illness require absence, the student teacher is expected to inform the cooperating teacher and the college supervisor immediately.
An unexcused or unreported absence may result in termination of the placement. Excused absences must be made up at the end of the semester.

Throughout the semester, student teachers will be required to complete a number of different tasks, some specifically related to their classroom teaching assignments, others related to their concurrent seminar and portfolio. In all cases, assignments must be submitted on the date due. Should an exception to a deadline become necessary, a student teacher is expected to receive prior permission, either from the cooperating teacher or the college supervisor, or both.

Observation and Preparation

An important way of getting feedback on one's teaching performance is through direct observation by experienced teachers, college supervisors, liberal arts mentors, and peer student teachers. Such observations can be very informal, as when the cooperating teacher and student teacher share reactions to small-group sessions, or more structured, as when the college supervisor makes his or her scheduled visit. For scheduled observations, the student teacher is expected to have prepared in advance a detailed lesson plan for the lesson to be observed (See Appendix A). In addition to a copy of this lesson plan, the student teacher should have available for the college supervisor copies of all texts or materials that will be used by the students during the lesson being observed. Observations are followed by a discussion and/or written report from the supervisor.

In addition to lesson plans, the student teacher is expected to keep a plan book outlining daily, weekly, and monthly teaching blocks, as well as time schedules and responsibilities for each day.

Weekly Seminars

Concurrent with student teaching, all elementary and secondary student teachers participate in a weekly seminar together. The seminar is designed to provide guidance in curriculum development and its implementation in the elementary and secondary classrooms, and to explore issues related to the teaching process and the profession. Students will construct a Teacher Licensure Portfolio, as well as exchange ideas about their student teaching experiences. Topics including technology, classroom management, special education, and assessment will be featured.

Student teachers will keep a reflective journal in which they record summaries of each day's experiences, critical incidents, questions, problems, etc. Excerpts from the journal will often be part of the focus of the weekly seminar and the foundation of entries in the Level I Teacher Licensure Portfolio.

The Vermont Framework of Standards and Learning Opportunities, the Five Standards for Vermont Educators, the Principles for Vermont Educators, and the required "entries" outlined in the Vermont's Results Oriented Program Approval Process will guide the development of the Level I Teacher Licensure Portfolio (See Appendices C. G, H, I)

The Teacher Education Program will loan student teachers a laptop computer equipped with the necessary software to help construct a digital portfolio. Technical support will be given in the use of technology to support both portfolio development and effective teaching. The laptop computers must be returned at the completion of the Professional Semester.

Formal Evaluation and Assessment During the Professional Semester

Your development as a teacher is formally assessed in five ways throughout the professional semester.

1. Weekly Seminar: The one credit weekly seminar (TEDU 404/414) at Middlebury College includes readings and assignments that are assessed on a regular basis. In order to receive a positive recommendation for licensure, students must earn a grade of B or better in either TEDU 0404 or 0414. The grade for TEDU 0404/0414 represents participation, the quality of reflective collaboration, and timely completion of assignments in seminar.

2. School Placement: TEDU 0405-0407 and TEDU 0415-0417 are the course numbers that refer to the three credits students receive for their student teaching experience. Students are evaluated based on the criteria stated in this Handbook: i) initiative in using resources made available through methods courses, the Teacher Resource Room and libraries, and by the cooperating teacher and supervisor; ii) growth during the semester, and iii) involvement in professional development outside daily teaching.

3. Observations: Throughout the semester, the college supervisor will complete regular formal observations. These observations will be summarized in writing and given to the student teacher for review. The purpose of these observations is to foster best practice through regular feedback and critique.

4. Midterm and Final Meetings: During the student teaching experience there are two formal assessments that occur:

1. Mid-term Meeting: The cooperating teacher, the college supervisor, and the student teacher complete a written midterm evaluation. Charlotte Danielson's Components of Professional Practice (see Appendix D) is used as a framework for the evaluation. The mid-term evaluation provides the opportunity to note progress and make suggestions for the remainder of your placement.
2. Professional Semester Review Meeting: The professional semester review meeting is attended by the student teacher, the cooperating teacher, the college supervisor, and the liberal arts mentor. Prior to the meeting, the cooperating teacher completes a written, final evaluation of the student teacher's performance during the professional semester. He or she will provide the student teacher and the college supervisor a copy of the evaluation prior to the final meeting. The final evaluation provides the opportunity to note successes achieved during the student teaching and to highlight focus areas for professional development (see Appendix E).

NOTE: The formal evaluations described above are in addition to the regular, informal feedback and assessment that occurs throughout the semester by the cooperating teacher, college supervisor, and liberal arts mentor.

5. Level I Teaching Licensure Portfolio:

Background
In April 2001, the Vermont Standards Board for Professional Educators adopted new regulations regarding Level I Teaching Licensure for the total system known as Vermont's Result Oriented Program Approval Process - Revised (ROPA-R). Section 5911.2 of the Program Approval regulations state, "An Individual Student Portfolio shall be maintained by the student and shall contain appropriate and sufficient documentation of an individual's competence and growth as a beginning educator including meeting all requirements for licensure." The contents of the portfolio must respond to the requirements established by the state (see Appendix C). However, ample room remains for creativity and original interpretation of the state requirements. The portfolio can and should be a unique presentation of your educational philosophy and pedagogical competence.

Beginning in Spring 2001, the Teacher Education Program piloted the use of digital portfolios for the Level I Teaching Licensure Portfolio. Student teachers were instructed in the use of appropriate software and technological approaches in order for their portfolio to reflect their personal experiences during the professional semester as well as during their previous experiences in the Teacher Education Program. We continue to strongly support digital portfolios as a means through which student teachers can demonstrate their knowledge, skills, and dispositions. While the actual portfolio format is determined by the student teacher, the College has agreed to house digital portfolios using Segue for a period of five years. The seminar that accompanies the professional semester is specifically designed to provide assignments, readings, and discussions that will support portfolio design and construction.

Portfolio Components

The Level I Teaching Licensure Portfolio consists of six entries.

1. Teaching Episodes

2. Understanding Student Learning and Modifying Instruction

3. Accommodating Students Identified as Having Special Needs

4. Teaching Over Time

5. Colleagueship and Advocacy

6. Self-Reflection and Vision

These six entries are explicitly aligned with the Five Standards for Vermont Educators (Appendix G). Appendix C gives an overview of each entry, the guiding questions that drive each entry, and the scoring rubric used to assess each entry. Appendix C also contains a Story Board for each entry that will help guide the portfolio development.

Portfolio Evaluation
A Portfolio Review Committee consisting of the college supervisor and a designated second reader (usually a faculty member of the Teacher Education Program) evaluates the portfolio. The student teacher, the college supervisor, and the designated second reader determine the dates of portfolio submission and evaluation. A minimum of two weeks between the date of portfolio submission and notification of the results of the evaluation should be expected. Keep in mind that no one may apply for state licensure without having successfully completed the portfolio requirement. Plan accordingly.

Vermont state regulations require that portfolios be evaluated using the scoring rubrics provided by Vermont's Result Oriented Program Approval Process-Revised (ROPA-R). The scoring rubrics can be found in Appendix C. There are four assessment ratings for each criterion: no evidence, emerging evidence, approaching evidence, and meets standard. In order to achieve a "Pass" on the candidate licensure portfolio, a candidate must achieve ratings of "Pass" on all six portfolio entries. In order to achieve a "Pass," the student teacher must "meet the standard" on the majority of standards in each entry with no rating below "approaching evidence."

The Portfolio Review Committee will read and evaluate the portfolio and make one of three recommendations: 1) approve the portfolio and recommend the prospective teacher for licensure, 2) approve the portfolio and licensure recommendation conditionally, or 3) deny the recommendation for licensure. A conditional recommendation is given when a student's portfolio receives a score on a required element below "approaching standard." When a student receives a conditional recommendation, he or she is required to revise the portfolio accordingly. The college supervisor and designated second reader then evaluate the revised sections of the portfolio to determine whether the portfolio has met the standard and the student can be recommended for licensure. A student may be denied the recommendation for licensure when his or her portfolio does not meet a majority of the state standards and the Portfolio Review Committee believes extensive revision is necessary.

Appeals Process
A student teacher may appeal denial of licensure. The Appeals Committee is composed as follows: a faculty member from the Teacher Education Program (other than the college supervisor), a cooperating teacher (other than the cooperating teacher who supervised the student teacher), and a teacher from the College (other than the student's liberal arts mentor). The appeals committee will review the student teacher's portfolio, consult with the original Professional Semester Review Committee, and discuss the points of disagreement with the student teacher before making its decision.

Introduction

During your professional semester you will make the transition from college student to professional teacher. The transition will challenge you in new ways as you become an integral part of a school classroom. You will learn how to respond to the diverse academic and social needs of your students. The numerous responsibilities that accompany classroom teaching - faculty meetings, parent conferences, staffings, phone calls to parents - may come as unexpected duties. The work is demanding, but the rewards are many: the moment when a student understands a new idea or becomes competent in a new skill, a deepened understanding and appreciation of a student who had puzzled you, the colleagueship that arises from working closely with other adults, the growth of your ability to manage a complex situation, and the self-awareness that comes from personal, intellectual, and emotional growth are only a few of many joys and benefits of being a teacher.

The success of the semester depends on many factors, but the most important is the relationship that you develop with your cooperating teacher. Your cooperating teacher feels tremendous responsibility to the children and parents in the class and is willing to share that responsibility with you to the degree that he or she can trust you. The nature of your working relationship is established in the initial meetings. Once the school year begins, the classroom becomes so busy there are few opportunities for you and your cooperating teacher to meet without interruption. Finding time to plan lessons and units with your cooperating teacher is critical to the success of the semester. This planning can take place before school, after school, or on weekends. The key is to make a regular time to plan together.

By being present every day throughout the semester you earn the trust and credibility necessary to carry out the role of teacher. At first there are stretches of time when your task is to observe the dynamics in the classroom and to assist where needed. There are likely to be awkward moments when you are unsure of your role. This is a period of adjustment that cannot be hurried. You and your cooperating teacher will work together to determine what responsibilities you will undertake as the semester develops. It takes time to become fully integrated into the class. The authority and credibility that you need in order to assume the role of teacher often takes three or four weeks to earn.

The primary role of the college supervisor is to support your transition from student to teacher. There will be constant interactions in seminar, during observations at your school, in meetings with your cooperating teacher, and informally at your school and at the College. Your college supervisor and all the Teacher Education faculty are also a resource for planning lessons and units. Use them! Ask questions. We are here to support your development as a professional educator.

Rules and Procedures

During the first weeks do all that you can to learn the names, abilities, and habits of individual students and acquaint yourself with the routine and academic scope of your grade level. Each classroom has its own rules and procedures that are established early in the school year, such as schedule and behavioral expectations, the storage of materials, etc. Careful observation of the students and your cooperating teacher will reveal the mechanics to you. Write out a schedule of the week in your plan book and memorize it. Classrooms are extraordinarily busy places, and the schedule may change from day to day. The sooner you know what is going on when and where, the better able you are to make effective decisions. Work on developing a dialogue with your cooperating teacher: ask questions about students, groupings, curriculum, expectations, rules, and procedures. Ultimately, your ability to make decisions depends on your knowledge of student interest and ability, the ways of your cooperating teacher, the routine of the class, the rules (defined or assumed), and the curriculum. Work purposefully to gain these understandings by establishing regular communication with your cooperating teacher.

One of a teacher's roles is to "make it safe" for students to be together in a school and to engage in genuine inquiry wherein students can "be wrong" without fear. As the semester proceeds, you will assume more and more responsibility for managing this critical aspect of effective teaching. In the beginning, when you may observe incidents that make the classroom unsafe for a student, whether physically, emotionally or intellectually, we recommend that you quickly and quietly bring to resolution any incidents that occur in your vicinity. The challenge is to decide whether or not the incident is too minor to merit your attention. There is the possibility of making a situation worse by intervening. Always ask your cooperating teacher and college supervisor for assistance and advice regarding when and how to intervene appropriately. A teacher learns about consistency and fairness through experience and by exercising compassion, clarity, fairness, and assertiveness. Sometimes what you do will work, other times it will not. One of the most difficult lessons to learn is that in order to be consistent and fair, sometimes it is necessary to say "no" and, at other times, it is necessary to re-negotiate a procedure or rule. Most student teachers have never been responsible for managing such complex social relations.

Homework

It is typical that student teachers spend a minimum of three hours outside of the classroom each night for the preparation of lessons, evaluation of student work, journal writing, and reading. In the beginning of the semester, before you have many teaching assignments, we advise you to use your time to read teacher manuals, write in your journal, compile descriptions of students, and gain familiarity with student books and instructional materials. Manuals, textbooks, and activity books are available in your classroom, in the Teacher Resource Room in Twilight Hall, and in the library and/or storage closets of the schools. Starr Library and the Teacher Resource Room carry several journals that contain excellent, current, state-of-the-art, teaching ideas for all grade levels and subjects. Additional resources and web links may also be found in the Educational Ideas section of Middlebury's Teacher Education Home Page or Starr Library's Education Page.

Model Schedule for Elementary Student Teaching

Model Schedule for Secondary Student Teaching

The secondary student teacher should be present on the first day of the secondary school semester for two reasons. First, the student teacher's presence on the first day presents the message to the students in the class that the student teacher will be a regular albeit new presence in the classroom. Second, by being present on the first day, the student teacher is able to witness the standards and rules of the classroom set by the cooperating teacher. This awareness of class norms limits the possibility for confusion later in the semester, especially in a situation where the student teacher may be challenged by students regarding what is "normal" in the classroom. With this in mind, a schedule for how and when the secondary student teacher's role in the classroom might wax and wane is presented below:

Your teaching experience will likely vary from this model. The key point is to ensure, as much as possible, a smooth transition for both you and your CT as you exchange primary responsibility for teaching and learning in the classroom. The students in the classroom are the focus. As a secondary student teacher, you should assume full teaching responsibility for two weeks. Exactly when and how the weeks occur will vary, but the two weeks of full time teaching for secondary student teachers is the norm. Full teaching responsibility means that you are responsible for teaching the full course load of your cooperating teacher for two weeks. Your college supervisor generally completes a minimum of five and a maximum of eight formal, classroom observations.

If you were assigned to do your student teaching at Middlebury Union High School, your student teaching schedule might look something like the chart below. Remember, Middlebury Union Middle School, Mount Abraham Union High School in Bristol, and Vergennes Union High School have different daily schedules. Hence, if you were assigned to one of those schools your teaching schedule would be different. This is offered simply as a model to help illustrate the nature of assuming and then relinquishing teaching responsibilities. Every student's experiences will vary somewhat from the model.

Professional Semester Student Teacher Checklist

Initial meeting between student teacher, cooperating teacher/college supervisor

Parent letter

Attendance every day in school for a minimum of twelve complete weeks

Attendance at teachers' meetings, conferences, etc

Follow teaching schedule example as described in the Handbook

Attendance at weekly seminars at TE Wednesdays 3:30 – 6:00 pm

Keep a daily reflective journal

Schedule college supervisor's weekly visits

Planning day (cooperating teacher and student teacher)

Review cooperating teacher's daily/weekly feedback

Schedule liberal arts mentor visits (2 per semester)

Mid-term evaluation (cooperating teacher, student teacher, college supervisor)