Roles & Responsibilities

Being in your classroom a full day of 8 hours; keeping the same schedule as the mentor teacher.

Approaching the student teaching assignment with a positive, professional attitude at all times.

Becoming immediately acquainted with pupils, school personnel, school plant, school regulations, and class rules.

Accepting constructive criticism designed to improve instructional and management proficiency.

Working with the mentor teacher in maintaining high professional standards.

Accepting all duties assigned by the mentor teacher, such as keeping daily attendance, developing daily lesson plans, carrying out supervision, etc.

Discussing pupils’ challenges and progress with authorized persons only (confidential information is held in strict confidence and is discussed only with the mentor teacher, principal, and college supervisor).

Being prompt, punctual, dependable, and consistent in reporting for school duties.

Notifying the mentor teacher and the college supervisor in advance of all absences.

Developing skill in all the competencies set by the CCTC and NAD.

Working with the mentor teacher and college supervisor to become skillful in all techniques of instruction, including lesson planning and assessment.

Preparing complete lesson plans (daily and long range) for all subjects as assigned by the mentor teacher.

Developing and maintaining the classroom environment so that it is conducive to learning and allows for the best possible instruction.

Attending all professional meetings open to teacher candidates, including faculty meetings and staff development meetings.

Regular maintenance of the Student Teaching Handbook, including:

• Making the notebook available to the College Supervisor at every visit

• Daily journaling about the student teaching experience (a thoughtful reflection on events and experiences of each day). Stay current!  Arrange a Google Doc with your Supervisor.

• Inclusion of lesson plans for every teaching assignment

• Regular reading of College Supervisor's comments & feedback on daily journal entries as a key learning tool.

Any candidate completing CalTPA 4 will complete the video recording required. 

Candidates completing Cycle 2 of CalTPA will arrange video recordings of several lessons to document assessment and reflection as well as reteaching. Concurrent enrollment in EDUC 492 TPA Cycle 2 will support candidates' work on Cycle 2. 

Completing in full a minimum of four weeks of lead teaching - two weeks of co-teaching and two weeks of solo teaching or any combination of the two.

Completing in full the observation component of the student teaching experience.

Single Subject candidates only: Arranging for a visit by a subject matter specialist in the candidate’s area of subject matter competence during solo teaching.

Setting up the final evaluation wrap-up session between the teacher candidate, mentor teacher, and college supervisor.

Submitting the completed Student Teaching Notebook to the Director of Field Services at the conclusion of the experience (see Verification of Completion of Student Teaching form for a list of the final contents of the notebook).

Orienting the mentor teacher to the student teaching process and expectations prior to or during the first week of the student teaching experience

Coordinating teacher candidate assignments with the candidate and mentor teacher

Observing/evaluating the teacher candidate’s performance in the classroom on a weekly basis

Carrying out the following activities at each supervisory visit:

• Monitoring daily hours taught, as well as any absent days

• Observing teaching and classroom management

• Checking the quality of lesson planning and teaching materials

• Reviewing the daily journal; include written comments on the content

• Completing the Weekly Evaluation form at each visit

• Conferencing with the Teacher Candidate

• Conference with the Mentor Teacher

• Completing the Supervisor’s Record of Student Teaching Visits

Conducting the Mid-Term Evaluation conference with the teacher candidate and mentor teacher(s), along with any other conferences that may be needed during the experience

Consulting with the mentor teacher(s) regarding evaluation of the teacher candidate’s progress and accomplishments

Mediating any difficulties that may arise in the relationship between the mentor teacher and teacher candidate

For candidates working under the pre-2018 TPEs, conduction a conference with the teacher candidate about their video recorded lesson, discussing insights gained through this experience. If candidates are working under the 2018 TPEs, they will complete the CalTPA Cycle 2 Assessment, which includes multiple video recordings of instruction, assessment, and reteaching processes applied in their work with students. Supervisors may serve in a consultative role when questions arise, otherwise, candidates are responsible for recording and annotating videos on their own.

Evaluating the teacher candidate’s progress in meeting the teaching competencies using the Final Evaluation form and sharing that evaluation with the teacher candidate and mentor teacher at the final wrap-up conference

Verifying that all three Mid-Term Evaluation forms and all three Final Evaluation forms are signed and dated by all three individuals at the time of the final wrap-up conference. If there are two mentor teachers, please be sure that both teachers fill out the Mid-Term and Final Evaluation forms. If you need extra evaluation forms, that can be copied directly from the online handbook

Completing the Verification of Completion of Student Teaching form, signing and dating it, and obtaining the teacher candidate’s signature on it

Collaborating with the Teacher Candidate on their Individual Development Plan (IDP) at the mid-term and close of the student teaching experience.

Serving as supervisor/instructor for the teacher candidate

Establishing and maintaining with the class and colleagues the position of the teacher candidate as a co-teacher

Becoming familiar with the teacher candidate’s professional background

Protecting the educational welfare of the students by seeing that high standards for the classroom are maintained

Giving orientation and guidance to the teacher candidate concerning individual and group needs of the class

Showing the teacher candidate where teaching materials and supplies are kept and how they may be obtained for use, and if at all possible provide a desk for the teacher candidate to use

Demonstrating appropriate methods and techniques needed for teaching the particular class and provide the teacher candidate with opportunities to explore a variety of instructional techniques

Approving in advance the daily lesson plans of the teacher candidate and work with her/him as a consultant and resource person on daily, weekly, and long-range lesson plans

Assigning the candidate responsibilities as soon as possible

Providing for a minimum of 4 weeks of both two weeks of co-teaching as well of two weeks of solo teaching where the candidate takes complete responsibility for all teaching and classroom management. This is a key element in the student teaching experience and is a requirement for his/her California credential.

Holding daily or weekly conferences with the candidate to discuss her/his performance, competencies, and growth

Evaluating the teacher candidate’s progress in meeting the teaching competencies using the Mid-Term and Final Evaluation forms

Participating in a final Wrap-Up Conference with the teacher candidate and college supervisor at the end of the student teaching experience during which the Final Evaluations and the student’s progress are discussed.

Collaborating with the Candidate on their Individual Development Plan (IDP) at the mid-term and final conferences. 

Working cooperatively with the district superintendent and Director of Field Services in the selection of the mentor teacher

Setting the stage for a professional experience that will result in a growth experience for the teacher candidate

Establishing, together with the mentor teacher, an environment conducive to the best teaching situation possible for both the pupils and the teacher candidate

Introducing the teacher candidate as a co-teacher to all school personnel

Acquainting the candidate with the philosophy of the school in respect to the teacher’s position in the school

Providing opportunities for the candidate to become familiar with the total school program, its special services, and the school plant; to make certain that the student teacher is given school policies such as: rules of the school, means used to report progress to parents, testing program of the school, safety practices, procedures to follow in case of accidents, fire drill procedures, etc.

Discussing with the mentor teacher and the college supervisor any problems that arise pertaining to the candidate.

Assigning possible supervisory duties to the teacher candidate.

Coordinating student teaching interviews and final placements with superintendents, principals, and mentor teachers

Providing to the mentor teacher the candidate’s resume and the Supervisory Personnel Handbook which outlines the student teaching experience

Making sure that all the prerequisites for student teaching are met before the student teaching experience actually begins

Notifying the major department of each secondary teacher candidate of the candidate’s placement and requesting a visit to the candidate, which the teacher candidate will arrange

Notifying the education department faculty of each teacher candidate’s placement and requesting one visit to the teacher candidate during each placement

Verifying the completion of the student teaching experience and filing the final evaluations and necessary paperwork in the teacher candidate’s permanent file

Submitting the final student teaching grade

Providing the mentor teacher with an honorarium check and free tuition letter.