STUDENT TEACHER OVERVIEW
Great teachers have high expectations for their students, but even higher expectations for themselves. ~ Todd Whitaker
STUDENT TEACHER: KRS Chapters 157 and 161 require the employment of competent certified teachers, but there is no express or implied exclusion of an assistant or student teacher. The student teacher cannot be employed by the local board of education, can receive no compensation from said board or exercise any authority in the management or control of the class. While a student teacher is working with the class, the regularly employed certified teacher must remain in a supervisory capacity to see that the recitations are heard and instructions given according to his/her own judgment and discretion. There can be no delegation of this authority and responsibility. Therefore, the student teacher may not legally take charge of a classroom in the absence of the regular teacher.
THERE HAS BEEN A WAIVER BY THE EDUCATIONAL PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS BOARD THAT ALLOWS STUDENT TEACHERS TO BE HIRED AS SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS. REVIEW THE SUBSTITUTE TEACHING PAGE ON THIS WEBSITE TO VIEW THE GUIDELINES.
Important for All Student Teachers!
Other than very general information, student teachers should never share personal information with students. Students are always curious, but it is important to remember to redirect students back to the instructional activity and not disclose personal information. Relationships can be built with students without becoming friends with them.
Other WKU Policies that Must Be Followed by All Student Teachers (Review the list linked below prior to the first day of student teaching. Ask clarifying questions, if needed.)
PRIOR TO THE FIRST DAY OF STUDENT TEACHING:
It is the student teacher's responsibility to review all pages and links throughout this Student Teaching website.
THE FOLLOWING ARE DUE BY June 1, 2024 (Fall 2024 semester):
Read and review this entire Student Teaching Handbook Site. It is the responsibility of the student teacher to review and read all sections of this site before the first day of the placement. If there is any part of the Student Teacher Handbook Site that the student teacher does not understand, it is the responsibility of the student teacher to reach out to the Office of Professional Educator Services for clarification.
Review the Sources of Evidence and the Google Site Information pages on this website and begin planning your Google Site for storing these pieces of evidence. ORGANIZATION OF SOURCES OF EVIDENCE The site template is due by June 1,2024.
Share the Google Site you create using the following linked Google Form: Submission Form - Due June 1, 2024.
***MAKE SURE ALL LINKS YOU PUT IN YOUR GOOGLE SITE ARE ABLE TO BE OPENED AND VIEWABLE. SEE EXAMPLE ON THE GOOGLE SITE PAGE OF THIS WEBSITE!
WEEK ONE
Review the Timeline for University Supervisors page on this Student Teaching Handbook site regarding observation schedule.
Become acquainted with the cooperating school, students, and staff
Start learning students' names. Importance of Pronouncing Student Names Correctly Importance of Learning Student Names
Start learning names of key staff members in the school. Try to discover who some of the Marigolds might be. (Confused by this one? Go back to the Home page of this website!)
Come prepared to take notes, using whatever method works for you. Throughout the semester you will see and hear about many great ideas and you want to have a way to capture those ideas.
Become acquainted with the safety policies of the school and classroom. Ask your mentor teacher or administration, if needed.
Create a plan with your Mentor Teacher (MT) for weekly meeting sessions between the two of you.
Create a plan with your MT of when you will visit other classrooms for your required observations. These may be spread out throughout the placement. You are required to complete 6 in the semester or 3 in each 8-week placement. You also are required to submit reflections of these visits using the Reflection template (also available in the Forms/Templates or Sources of Evidence pages on this website).
Start the Sources of Evidence digital Google Site collection. ORGANIZATION OF SOURCES OF EVIDENCE - Also see the Sources of Evidence page on this website.
Get rest each night, as you will need it! Come ready to seize each day and make the most of it!
WEEK TWO
Review the Timeline for University Supervisors page on this Student Teaching Handbook site regarding observation schedule.
You may take over one class, daily lesson, or small group this week. Taking over means you are responsible for planning, teaching, and reflecting on this class, lesson, or small group each day.
The expectation is for you to assume responsibility, usually during this second week, starting with one class, lesson or small group.
Classes are then added, one each week, until the student teacher is teaching all of the classes of the Mentor teacher. The MT will co-teach along with you for many of these classes.
The full days of teaching are also called the Solo Weeks and should last for a full week for each of the two 8-week placements or two full weeks for a single 16-week placement.
Be sure you are completing the Weekly Projected Schedule of Responsibilities (Student teacher needs to keep track of the responsibilities he/she are doing each week)
THROUGHOUT EACH 8-WEEK OR ONE 16-WEEK PLACEMENT
Attend ALL scheduled Student Teaching Seminars
Obey the absence/tardy policies as outlined in this site on the Absences page.
All absences MUST be communicated to the mentor teacher as soon as possible. Student Teachers should also contact their university supervisors, via email, when any absence occurs.
All absences will need to be logged on the calendar that is in the Sources of Evidence. (See the Attendance/Calendar section of this Student Teaching Handbook site.)
Conduct yourself in a professional manner exhibiting teacher dispositions commensurate with those individuals of the mentor teachers.
Maintain confidentiality at all times.
Be present in assigned schools at the times designated by the mentor teacher and/or principal.
Follow the same schedule and engage in the same duties and experiences as the mentor teacher.
Be present in the assigned schools for the entire day the school is in session.
Adhere to the assigned school’s policies.
Dress in professional attire. Wear your School of Teacher Education red shirt on Mondays. These new shirts will be provided to each student teacher at the first seminar day.
Complete required documents for formal observations.
Update the Sources of Evidence website which provide evidence of the 4 Domains of the KY Framework for Teaching. This site should be updated and available to the University Supervisor for every formal observation
Conference weekly with mentor teacher.
Submit written lesson plans in advance to the mentor teacher for review and feedback.
Update self-assessment and Professional Growth Plan (PGP) throughout the placement and have PGP available for review at each formal observation.
Attend all school related activities with the mentor teacher.
Shall not receive monetary compensation for classroom instruction at the placement school during student teaching.
Shall not serve as a substitute teacher until the student teaching experience is complete or unless the district has hired the student teacher as an emergency substitute. See the Substitute Teaching section of this Student Teaching Handbook website for more information.
Shall not at any time during student teaching transport students in a private vehicle.
Shall not photograph or record any student without following the school policy regarding photography/video recording of students including social media.
Shall not share personal information with students.
Any course work needed to be taken during the student teaching experience must be approved by the Director of the Professional Educator Services office.
Shall not work in another job more than 20 hours per week during the student teaching experience. Student Teaching is like working a full-time job and should be the number one priority of the Student Teacher.
Sources of Evidence Needed to show progress on Domains 1 and 4 of KY Framework for Teaching:
Weekly Projected Schedule of Responsibilities (A section of the Sources of Evidence Google site, uploaded by ST and reviewed by the University Supervisor)
Feedback from Mentor Teachers from formative evaluations (A section of the Sources of Evidence Google site, uploaded by ST and reviewed by the University Supervisor)
Written Weekly Feedback Form or a version of this form that fits the needs of the Mentor Teacher
Professional Growth Plan (A section of the Sources of Evidence Google site, uploaded by ST and reviewed by the University Supervisor)
Professional Involvement Log (A section of the Sources of Evidence Google site, uploaded by ST and reviewed by the University Supervisor)
Record Keeping Log (A section of the Sources of Evidence Google site, uploaded by ST and reviewed by the University Supervisor)
Family Communication Log (A section of the Sources of Evidence Google site, uploaded by ST and reviewed by the University Supervisor)
Lesson Plan (one for each formal observation and also one for the video lesson) and Post Observation Reflection of Each Formal Observation (A section of the Sources of Evidence Google site, uploaded by ST and reviewed by the University Supervisor)
Reflection on Visits to Other Classrooms (A section of the Sources of Evidence Google site, uploaded by ST and reviewed by the University Supervisor)
Attendance (See Attendance/Calendar section of this Student Teaching Handbook site to locate the district calendar.)
Additional Important Evidence is listed below that is scored by the University Supervisor and reviewed by the Mentor Teacher but does not need to be included in the collection of evidence site. These documents will all be shared prior to the formal observations or will occur at final grading.
EVALUATION OBSERVATION FORM (Student teachers are evaluated using this document at a minimum of 4 times)
Disposition Rating Form Rubric Documentation of a student teacher's disposition is a source of evidence to show the potential for success as a teacher. While student teachers will not need to collect any new evidence artifacts for this one area, they should understand the importance that dispositions play on the success of their future as an effective teacher. The Supervisor and Mentor Teacher will use this Dispositions Rating Rubric to rate the student teacher’s performance on each component. This is completed on the midterm progress report for 16-week one placement student teachers and again at their final evaluation. For student teachers who complete two 8-week placements, their disposition ratings are completed at the end of each of the 8-week placements.
This Disposition information will help determine a final grade for both mid-term and/or final evaluations. The Disposition data will be submitted in Anthology Portfolio account by the University Supervisor.
Scoring Guide The new revised scoring guide that will be used beginning Fall 2024 for all student teachers to determine a grade for the mid-term and/or final evaluations. Be sure to review the mid-term and final evaluation documents in the evaluation section of this website.
Guidelines for Organizing the Sources of Evidence Use these directions linked here to organize your evidence in a Google Site.
RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE STUDENT TEACHER
GENERAL OBJECTIVES WKU's School of Teacher Educator Program shall support the student teacher in having a quality experience through these overall objectives.
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT TEACHERS
Students who are approved to study abroad for part of their student teaching experience will have a shorter placement in the 2nd host KY school.
International student teachers will successfully complete all assigned weeks of student teaching in their KY placement(s).
For those students in two 8-week placements, they will do first 8 weeks in the first host school and then switch schools when all other student teachers make a change.
The second placement is a shorter placement. However, there are still two formal observations during this shorter time period.
International Student Teachers must successfully complete their Teacher Work Sample prior to leaving for their study abroad experience.