A: No, you cannot. We're very interested in what your preferences are, and we will work diligently to try to honor your preferences and perceived needs as best as we can, but there are no guarantees. There are several factors and limitations that influence each placement, and with those happening behind the scenes, we can't make any promises. Additionally, we have obligations to the state of WI to ensure we are following pertinent laws related to PI 34 for student teaching, including making sure your placements across your 4 years at SNC are across all grade bands in your license and in various school settings. We place students within ~ 35 miles of St. Norbert College. 

A: No, you should not. Under no circumstances does SNC condone actively seeking a student teaching placement through unwelcome contacts with cooperating school administrators, teachers, or staff. Any contacts you pursue by such so–called “lobbying” could lead to denial of your application for student teaching as well as refusal by a cooperating school or agency, not only of your application but those of others at SNC. SNC teacher education will be the one contacting schools, principals, and teachers on your behalf. 

A: It is a requirement that you have a vehicle for student teaching or find alternative reliable transportation. We cannot make special arrangements for student teachers without cars. However, you may state in your application that you prefer to be placed with other SNC students or in a closer location due to transportation limitations. You are welcome to make your own arrangements to carpool if your classmates are amenable. But, we cannot guarantee that they will be. Ultimately, you and you alone are responsible for getting to your placements on time. 

A: You will receive this information once we have confirmed your ability to student teach and all placement matches have been made for student teachers in that particular semester. Sometimes this process is fairly quick and you will hear about your placement soon after the end of the semester. At other times, you may not hear until the middle of summer/winter. You will receive an official email confirming your eligibility to student teach from someone in teacher education. Make sure to check your SNC emails consistently each week and throughout your breaks. 

A: Liking your cooperating teacher is certainly a great thing, but not a requirement for being placed with a school/teacher. Relationships take time to make and require excellent communication. Sometimes a cooperating teacher's personality or style of teaching is not like yours. This is okay. Use this as a learning opportunity. You might also see questionable teaching practices that do not align with what you were taught at SNC. Take that as an opportunity to reflect on what you would do differently when you take the lead.  Please note, that changing cooperating teachers does not happen often, and only under very specific circumstances that would lead to harm. We see moving you as a last resort, and so you should not bank on that occurring. Learning how to manage relationships, have uncomfortable but important conversations, and problem-solving are important skills for all future teachers. Once we assign students to their schools and teachers, we make a promise to those individuals that you will be there, and St. Norbert College is not in the practice of backing out of commitments, nor should you. The Associate Director of Clinical Experiences in consultation with the Director of Teacher Education will be the final authority on these decisions, in the unlikely occurrence if they need to be made. 

A: That very much depends on what type of problem is occurring and who the problem is with? Most of the time problems can be resolved easily with good communication and advocacy. Following the communication chain of command is important. First address it with your cooperating teacher. Learning how to communicate and handle uncomfortable conversations is an important skill to have. If you cannot resolve the situation by talking directly to your CT, then the next person you should speak with is your college supervisor. They may be able to provide advice on how to handle the situation and can help you to work through the issue. If the problem still cannot be remedied, then consulting the associate director of clinical experiences (your seminar instructor) would be the next step. If the situation needs to be elevated to the Director of Teacher Education, that would be the final step. 

 Student teaching is a full-time professional commitment. Pre-service teachers should expect and plan for an intensive and highly immersive experience for this semester in which they will need to limit other employment and extracurricular activities in order to successfully complete this state-mandated criterion for licensure. Whenever possible, SNC pre-service teachers should work with their academic advisors to plan their schedules so that the requisite student teaching semester does not conflict with athletic commitments or extracurricular activities. External employment, athletics, and/or other extracurricular activities cannot interfere with the placement school’s calendar or evening student teaching seminars on campus.

Student teachers may not miss any school day/school time to participate in extracurricular activities as governed by the state statute (PI 34.023) and must:

●      Have all lessons, materials and equipment ready for the next day before leaving school

●      Prioritize communication and planning time with cooperating teacher

●      Participate in team and staff meetings at assigned placement(s)

●      Be available for afternoon and evening meetings, parent/teacher conferences, events and other school activities

●      Participate in student teaching seminar (e.g., EDUC 499)

Student teachers are required to arrive at school at or before the contracted time for teachers (not students) and are not to leave school before the contracted time teachers are allowed to leave the school grounds.

Student teachers must follow district calendar for assigned placement(s).

Student-teacher athletes will not be excused from fieldwork hours for practice schedules.

ANY exceptions to this requirement MUST be noted on the Student Teacher-Athlete Agreement form. Once all individuals have signed the document, no changes will be made.

Any student teacher-athlete who does not submit the Student Teacher-Athlete Agreement will not be able to participate in both student teaching and the athletic team during the student teaching semester.

A: Definitely NOT a good idea. We strongly suggest you do not. Your schedule is demanding, as you will be planning, teaching, grading, etc. in your placement school, and you will have meetings and requirements on campus as well, throughout your student teaching. There are NO excuses for not fulfilling your responsibilities during the spring. Your full-time job is to student teach. If financial support is an issue, there are need-based monies available through the SNC Student Emergency Fund.  

A: Student teaching begins when in-service teachers are required to show up to work following summer (or winter) breaks. This means you will need to attend pre-planning or in-service days at your placement school prior to the start of the semester. Student teaching runs for the entirety of the SNC semester (minimum of 15 weeks - as required by WI law). SNC teacher ed also requires you to attend pre-planning days prior to the start of each semester at your school. If you are part of the WIP program, your student teaching will actually be the entire length of your school placement's semester, which is typically 18 weeks (this is also mandated by WI law). If you miss days due to a variety of reasons, you may be required to extend your time in your placement. See next question.

A: SNC Housing will contact us and you to find out when you will begin student teaching so they will know if you require an early check-in or check-out. They usually give you one day after your placement ends to move out. With regards to meals, we will work out how many breakfasts, lunches, and dinners will need to be altered for the fall. Spring is usually worked out on your meal plan. 

A: Part of being a teacher is understanding that missing class time is typically more work than being present. You are allowed two sick days without consequence. Given this fact, we strongly discourage you from missing class or time in your school placement. It is also written in law that you must be at your school for a minimum of 15 weeks. If, however, it is unavoidable and legitimately documentable, you will be required to notify your school, your cooperating teacher, and your college supervisor regardless of the nature of the absence. If you are scheduled to teach the students on the day that you miss, you are responsible for providing detailed substitute lesson plans and ensuring that you and your cooperating teacher know who will be in charge of instruction for that day. If you do not meet the minimum of 15 weeks, you may need to make up additional days at the end of your placement. 

A: All St. Norbert College students are required to complete the requirements of the Teacher Work Sample performance assessment. The Teacher Work Sample (TWS) is comprised of 6 related but distinct sections: Contextual factors, Goals for learners, Assessment plan, Pre-assessment analysis, Learning plan, and Analysis of student learning. You will be documenting each of these three areas during your student teaching, providing examples of your ability to plan, teach, and assess students' work. The Teacher Work Sample is a required and important program requirement for licensure in WI. You will receive support and information related to the TWS and how to complete all aspects of it during your student teaching seminar. Your TWS assessment is due usually around the end of your first placement or 1/2 way through the semester. You must pass the TWS in order to be endorsed for your teaching license from St. Norbert College. 

A: Student teaching is graded on a Pass/Fail basis dependent upon your attendance at school and in seminars, the lessons you create/plan, your evaluations from your Cooperating Teacher(s) and your College Supervisor(s), your Teacher Work Sample, etc. Most evaluations of your progress will occur through Tevara. Please be particularly mindful of how very important your collaborations with your cooperating teacher(s) and your college supervisor are. Not only are these the people who are primarily responsible for evaluating you in student teaching, but these are key people that school districts will expect recommendations from for full-time teaching jobs. 

A: The short answer is NO.  The more nuanced answer is that while you are student teaching St. Norbert College's policy is that you cannot substitute teach, even if it is for your cooperating teacher. This is a liability for you. It also ensures that you meet the state's requirement for time in your placement. If your cooperating teacher or your placement school asks you to substitute, please call, text, or email the Associate Director of Clinical Experiences or the Director of Teacher Education immediately and we will resolve the issue swiftly. You can substitute teach, however, once you have finished your 15-week student teaching experience successfully. The keyword is successfully. If it is determined you need to stay longer than 15 weeks for student teaching to meet additional expectations, then technically your student teaching is not complete. It should also be noted, that in order to substitute for a teacher, you must have a substitute teacher license with the state of WI. 

A: The short answer is no. Unfortunately, the state of WI does not have money for student teachers to complete traditional student teaching. However, there are some grants available that offer a little bit of money. These include the Rural Teacher Grant and becoming a WIP intern (which has a lot of restrictions attached to that). We sincerely wish we could pay you to student teach, but it is not possible at this time. It is of little consolation, but 96% of student teachers in WI are in the same boat as you. If you are having difficulty paying bills during student teaching, we strongly encourage you to apply for money from the Student Emergency Fund. 

A: We are sorry, but St. Norbert College's teacher education program does not reimburse students for mileage, gas, photocopies, or any other activity or resource related to student teaching. 

A: We do have student teachers who decide not to teach, and that's not "bad." Some do so before the semester begins; others opt-out at the beginning of the semester, after they've had a few weeks in the school; others leave after the semester ends; some graduate from the program and still elect not to teach and choose to work in other fields or to begin work on a graduate degree. The earlier teacher candidates can make these informed decisions, the greater their other options are likely to be. Teaching is not for everyone, nor is it an admission of failure to choose another path. We want to counsel as early as possible those students who are unsure of the career choice they have made, so that they can pursue other goals. 

A: Have you looked through this website? Have you consulted the Student Teaching Handbook? If the answer is no, then please do so. We are confident that your answer has been addressed in one of these two places.