SUPERVISION AND INTERACTION WITH STUDENT TEACHERS
UNM-San Juan Center
• School visits
- Clinical supervisors go to school classrooms to observe each student teacher at least once every other week, or approximately eight times during the semester. The observation usually lasts about 30 minutes, and the supervisor conferences with the student teacher afterward if the class schedule permits, at another time by arrangement, or leaves written feedback. Brief contact is also made with the cooperating teacher to discuss questions or concerns, as needed.
- Additional visits are made to observe special activities, or if a student teacher needs more feedback or assistance.
- At the end of the semester, an assessment conference is held at the school, and includes the clinical supervisor, student teacher, and cooperating teacher.
- Student teachers video tape themselves, reflect on what they observe when viewing the video, and share their video and reflections with their peers, for discussion and feedback.
• Seminar sessions
- Student teachers attend a seminar once a week for three hours, for instruction, processing their experiences together, reflection, provision of resources,
planning observations, etc. Time is also provided for individual assistance and conferences as needed.
- Optional small group lessons and discussions on topics of interest are provided throughout the semester.
- Twice during the semester an optional instructional session is provided, to work on lesson planning, curriculum integration, and classroom management and organization.
- At the mid-term, 45 minute individual conferences are held, to review students’ self assessment of their teaching and professional competencies.
- Toward the end of the semester, the sessions focus on career preparation – demonstration of competencies, portfolio preparation, development of a PDP, interview tips, and licensure concerns.
- Each semester, we provide a weekend workshop on a topic of interest, such as classroom management, integrating the arts, assessment strategies, education in New Mexico, etc. Student teachers, as well as other program students, are encouraged to attend.
• Cooperating teachers
- At the first seminar session of the semester, a team-building meeting is held with the student and cooperating teachers, and clinical supervisors, to get acquainted, review the student teaching handbook and semester schedule, answer questions, register on Field Service Portal, and share a potluck meal provided by the student teachers.
- Three times during the semester, half-day meetings are held with the cooperating teachers. The purpose is to develop an informal professional learning community, provide some training on mentoring and reflective practice, review student teaching policies and procedures, address questions and concerns, and obtain feedback on the student teaching experience.
- A textbook is provided for the cooperating teachers, and it provides helpful suggestions on hosting a student teacher, and on the mentoring process.
- During the student teacher’s full time teaching, the cooperating teacher makes two formal, written observations of instruction, and shares them with the student teacher.
- Through the Bisti Writing Project book discussion groups are funded with Mini-grants when available. Selections from professional literature are offered to Cooperating Teachers to take back to their respective schools to engage in collegial dialogue for reflective practice and to inform their practice as teacher practitioners.