Student Responsibilities

Gateway to Lifelong Learning

Practicum is an exciting time in your development because it gives you opportunities to apply your knowledge and interpreting skills in real-world situations. Effective interpreters are lifelong learners. During Practicum, you will cultivate the qualities of taking the initiative to gather needed information and taking responsibility for growing your skills. The more effort you invest in your Practicum, the more you will gain from the experience.

If you are experiencing difficulty during the Practicum, you are expected to notify the Seminar instructor in a timely manner.

Hours

You must complete the minimum practicum hours in four categories. See Minimum Required Hours for category minimums and descriptions.

You will be evaluated on the successful completion of the course objectives outlined in the syllabus, including professional dispositions. 

You are required to dress in professional interpreting attire any time you are at the practicum site, attending Seminar, participating in online meetings, or recording assignments.

You must directly inform your mentor, Seminar instructor, and appropriate contact person for interpreting assignments of any absences before the absence occurs and receive confirmation it was received.

To view the dispositions in ASL and Spanish, as well as downloadable PDFs, visit https://sites.google.com/g.rit.edu/professional-dispositions/overview. 

Practicum Professional Dispositions Rubric:  Human Relations and Professionalism Domains

Professionalism

The practicum student demonstrates professionalism by:  attending all field experiences; arriving prior to assignments and departing appropriately; dressing according to the site climate, culture, and expectations; actively participating in supervision meetings; and maintaining a positive, courteous, and respectful attitude towards all parties involved.

Time Management

The practicum student manages time efficiently to ensure punctuality. The student submits paperwork in a timely manner, responds promptly to communications from others, and allocates sufficient time to prepare effectively for observations and interpreting assignments.

Initiative

The practicum student takes proactive steps and demonstrates a willingness to seek out information needed for observation opportunities and interpreting assignments without being prompted.

Self-Regulation

The practicum student manages their emotions, behaviors, and impulses effectively, maintaining control and composure in various situations.

The student demonstrates self-awareness and discretion by monitoring and managing personal and professional behaviors and applying professional conflict resolution strategies when appropriate.

Responsibility

The practicum student is accountable for their actions and decisions. The student consistently demonstrates reliability by fulfilling obligations and commitments, meeting deadlines, and completing tasks.

Problem-Solving

The practicum student analyzes situations, identifies obstacles, and develops effective solutions to overcome challenges and achieve goals.

Active Listening

The practicum student pays close attention to others' perspectives, non-verbal cues, and feedback to understand their needs and concerns.

Adaptability

The practicum student is flexible and open to change, able to adjust to various communication styles and new situations, environments, and challenges with ease.

Communication

The practicum student expresses ideas clearly and effectively in ASL, spoken English, and in writing, to ensure messages are understood by others.

The student effectively engages and interacts with others, fostering clear, respectful, and productive communication.

The student selects the appropriate vehicle (phone call, voice message, text message, email, or in-person communication) for each message.

Cultural Competence

The student demonstrates respect for ASL, regional sign language dialects, English, and contact varieties of ASL by using cultural norms appropriate to each language while conversing and interpreting.

The student demonstrates respect for cultural differences among individuals.

Integrity

The student demonstrates professional integrity by:  maintaining confidentiality; avoiding conflicts of interest; adhering to the Code of Professional Conduct; and communicating honestly and transparently.

Self-Care

The practicum student prioritizes their physical, emotional, and mental well-being through adopting healthy habits, applying low-risk biomechanical behaviors, managing stress effectively, and maintaining work-life balance. The student assertively communicates their needs to their mentor and consumers.

Curiosity

The practicum student has a strong desire to learn and explore new ideas, concepts, and experiences. The student is open and curious about a wide range of topics in order to expand their world knowledge with the goal of generating clear, accurate, and reliable interpretations.

Growth Mindset

The practicum student recognizes personal strengths, weaknesses, and areas for growth and actively seeks feedback and self-improvement opportunities. The student accepts and applies feedback from the mentor and consumers.

Prepare for Practicum by reviewing the Practicum website, myCourses, and emails from your Seminar instructor and the Practicum Coordinator.

Contact your mentor to discuss:  your Practicum goals, Supervision meeting schedule, opportunities to observe your mentor, interpreting assignments, and opportunities to network with other interpreters to discover opportunities for additional observations. 

(Note: Supervision meetings with your mentor prior to Week 1 cannot be counted toward the required 30 hours of Supervision. Interpreting and observation hours completed prior to the start of the semester may be counted up to a 10% of the total number of required hours).

• Clearly document practicum experiences in your Practicum Journal. A sample Practicum journal can be found on myCourses.

• Clearly document ASL and English vocabulary and language in your Language Log. A sample language log can be found on myCourses.

• Clearly document your efforts toward goals in the Mentee/Mentor Weekly Supervision Worksheet.

• Come prepared for all meetings with your mentor and with your Seminar instructor.

• Fill out your weekly Timesheet and verify that the spreadsheet is calculating correctly. Check that you are on track to complete hour requirements.

• Schedule a mid-semester meeting with your mentor to review your Practicum goals. Finalize any adjustments to your goals and give a final copy to your mentor and to the Seminar instructor no later than Week 3 of the semester.

• Attend Practicum placement meetings when appropriate (e.g., DAS core team meetings, BOCES staff meetings, Strong Memorial Hospital meetings). These hours could be counted toward fulfilling your required preparation hours.

• Be sure your mentor has seen enough of your interpreting work by Week 7 to complete the Mid-Semester Mentor Evaluation of Practicum Student.

• During Week 7, discuss the Mid-Semester Mentor Evaluation of Practicum Student with your mentor. 

For items that your mentor rated Fair or Unsatisfactory, discuss with your mentor strategies for improving the rating. Ask for ongoing feedback on your progress on these items.

Before Week 15:

    Be sure your mentor has seen enough of your work to complete the Final Mentor Evaluation of BSI Practicum Student google form.  The form will be sent out by the practicum coordinator 2 weeks prior to the evaluation due date.  A copy of the form can be found here.  

During Week 15:

• Discuss the Final Mentor Evaluation of BSI Practicum Student with your mentor. 

• Complete the BSI Student Evaluation of Mentor google form (sent from the Practicum Coordinator)

• Discuss with the mentor your overall performance during the practicum.

• Complete the BSI Student Practicum Experience Feedback form (sent from the Practicum Coordinator)

1. Determine protocol for the following situations:

• How should the mentor contact you if they will be absent?

• What should you do if the mentor is absent and a replacement interpreter is sent to the assignment?

• What should you do if the mentor is absent and no replacement interpreter arrives?

• If asked, how should you respond to a request to interpret the assignment?

• How should you contact your mentor if you will be absent?

(Note:  Contact must be made before you are expected to arrive on site.
You must contact your mentor directly (email and messages left in voice mail are not acceptable)

2.  Keep and maintain a daily calendar of events you will attend.

3.  Establish weekly Supervision meetings with your mentor.

• Take an active role in determining what is discussed during your weekly meetings.

• Ask the mentor to help introduce you to other interpreters, instructors, deaf students, etc.

• Explain to the mentor that you will be keeping a Practicum Goals Worksheet, Practicum Journal, and weekly Language Log.

• Explain to the mentor that you will bring your Practicum Time Sheets to the weekly supervision meetings for review and discussion.

4. With the help of your mentor, develop a list of interpreters that you will contact for observations and supervision.

5. Discuss with your mentor how best to complete an observation.

6. Review your Practicum Goals with your mentor. (See tips and samples in the Resources section)

7. Establish a plan for your mentor to observe your interpreting on a weekly basis.