STEP Expectations and Outcomes

Responsibilities to Students and Families

Please be aware of the norms we developed for your fieldwork.

As a candidate you will be interacting with students in schools throughout your program.  As you are learning to teach you will be exposed to information and situations in which there may be concern for the health, safety, privacy, or psychological wellbeing of these students.  Your responsibilities to all the students you encounter, whether they are in your direct charge or not, include the following: 

Treat all students with dignity.

All students must be treated with dignity and respect at all times regardless of their identities: race, gender, age, disability, sexuality, political or religious belief, or economic, social, cultural, or linguistic status. 

• Students, including those with disabilities, must be allowed to participate on an equal basis in any program or activity for which they are qualified.

• Students must be free from harassment by teachers or other students.

• Students must have physical privacy - including freedom from unwanted or punitive touching or physical restraint.  If any student needs physical guidance or assistance in performing any activity, the assistance must be provided in the most dignified and private manner possible.

• Students and their families have the right to be referred to in respectful terminology when discussing race, religion, disability, or any other of their identities.

• Students should be corrected for academic or disciplinary problems in a respectful, non-punitive manner and not subjected to humiliation in front of peers or staff.

Maintain privacy and confidentiality. 

All students and their families have the right to privacy and to confidentiality of all records, verbal and written information, or information from a third party.  While you may need to know certain private information for the purpose of your own academic learning or in order to prepare appropriate instruction, this information is not to be shared with others outside the academic or school community except as required by law. 

• When sharing information within the school community, make sure you are doing so with the ultimate benefit of the students in mind.  Gossip is never appropriate. 

• Written information should be shared only in the most limited distribution possible to attain your goal. Be especially cautious in using e-mail or social media to convey information about students. Treat anything you write on email and social media as though it were publicly available. Posting private information and/or photographs of students on social media is never appropriate.

• Information shared with fellow candidates and faculty through papers and classroom documents or discussions should avoid personal identifiers that might enable someone to connect the information with a specific student, family, teacher, or school.

Maintain a respectful professional distance from your students and their families.

You must maintain a professional relationship with students and their families. You cannot be their personal friend. Respect personal boundaries. Consult a trusted advisor if students are attempting to cross a personal boundary.

• Know your limitations and refer students and families to appropriate professionals when they need assistance that you are not qualified to provide.  

• It is always inappropriate to be involved in peer relationships with K-12 students, whether you have direct professional responsibility for them or not.  Candidates may not drive their students in cars or single out any for gifts, personal written communication, or special attention without advance discussion with the mentor teacher.

• Always meet with students in open and visible classrooms or meeting rooms where your actions cannot be misinterpreted.

Safeguard the physical and emotional safety of students. 

Do not engage in any activity that can reasonably be thought to jeopardize the health, safety, or wellbeing of students. Check school policies on safety during field trips and investigations.

• If you have questions or concerns about a situation, ask your mentor teacher, the site coordinator, the principal of the school, the university coach, the STEP Field Director, the STEP Director, or the Assistant Dean of the Teacher Education Program.  If you see or hear something which threatens the physical or emotional health or safety of a student OR if you witness an event that threatens the health or safety of a student, you must report this to the proper authorities at once.  In cases of imminent danger know and follow school emergency policies. Know and follow your school’s policy on the appropriate person to notify.  Keep a record of when, how, and to whom you have talked about the situation.  Examples of situations that may fall under this principle are:

  • Suspected child abuse

  • Weapons on campus

  • Physical or sexual contact among students or between students and adults 

  • Drugs, alcohol, or tobacco being offered to students by adults or other juveniles or being consumed by minors on school premises 

  • Harrassment based on identity (race, sexuality, gender, disability, etc.)

  • Derogatory name-calling or other verbal or physical humiliation

• Students who threaten to do themselves or others bodily harm are always to be taken seriously and reported to the proper authorities immediately. 

Where a student’s health or safety is threatened, individual confidentiality cannot be respected.

You are obligated by law to report these matters to the proper authority. You should tell the student about your obligation if your knowledge of their situation has come about because they have confided in you.

Responsibilities to the Profession

As a candidate you have the responsibility to present yourself and act at all times as a professional.  This responsibility includes the following:

Be professional in behavior, demeanor, and appearance.

Your appearance and behavior should set you apart from the K-12 students and give a professional impression to the faculty, parents, and students.  

• Follow the behavior and dress standards of the school district and profession.

• In your oral and written communication with others, present yourself as a conscientious, knowledgeable, caring individual.  This includes professional discretion in ALL forms of social media. Review Facebook, Twitter, and other social media accounts and remove anything that could be considered unprofessional. Set your accounts to private.  Do not “friend” or communicate with students and/or parents/guardians using social media tools.

• Follow the norms of academic and professional email: allow at least 48 hours before following up, keep email to an appropriate length, in most cases 1-2 paragraphs. Use courteous and gracious language, and be cautious about sharing personal information. Also understand that your mentor teachers, principals, and instructors are all very busy and have limited opportunities during the day to respond to emails. Before emailing with questions about program logistics, attempt to find the answer through course syllabi, online, or from a colleague in your cohort.

• Be gracious in your assumptions.

• Never make false or malicious statements about colleagues in the university or school community.

Adopt a Growth Mentality

·      Seek out and be open to feedback and suggestions.

·      Actively seek out new ideas.

·      Listen thoughtfully to other viewpoints.

·      Respond constructively to suggestions and criticism.

Responsibilities to the TEP Community and Partners

Treat your field placement schools, mentors and other school-based faculty, and fellow candidates with grace and humanity.

• Adapt to norms and expectations in various contexts, including partner schools and UW courses.

• Be sensitive to your position as a learner and as a guest in a partner school.  While you may not agree with all the philosophies, policies, and practices you will encounter, refrain from public criticism of partner schools, personnel, or students.   If you have concerns about situations in the schools, discuss them with your Site Coordinator, the STEP Field Director, or the STEP Director.

• In cases of concern, conflict, or frustration, make attempts to de-escalate the situation by first going to the person(s) directly involved. In these situations, be honest, empathetic, and generous, as well as conscientious of  the time, setting, and involved parties. Approach the situation with humility and the idea that people have the capacity to learn.

• You may also find that you disagree with course instructors, administrators, and/or staff members in the Teacher Education Program. In general, follow the University of Washington Student Conduct Code, which encourages the free expression of ideas, but also expects that candidates will “conduct themselves as responsible members of the academic community.” 

• If you have a concern or issue with a given instructor, make an appointment to discuss the matter with them. If that doesn’t seem possible, discuss the matter with the STEP Director (See the Problem Resolution Procedure for Students). Refrain from spreading rumors or engaging in free-floating complaints either in person or online. 

Attend and participate in all scheduled university classes and field assignments.  

• If an illness or other emergency situation arises that necessitates an absence, the relevant persons should be notified as soon as possible.  In case of absence from an academic class notify the instructor.  For field absence or late arrival notify the Mentor teacher, Coach, and anyone else who will be affected by your absence.  Please note that attendance in the field is required and that partner school colleagues hold these expectations of you.  Multiple absences may result in a performance contract, dismissal from the TEP, or en extended field experience.

• Make appropriate arrangements for missed work with your instructor and/or mentor teacher.

• Complete coursework by the date due.

Plan for instruction and observation in a timely manner.

• In order to help insure that students benefit from your instruction, lesson plans must be prepared for every lesson taught.  Plans are to be reviewed and approved by the mentor teacher at least 48 hours in advance of the lesson’s implementation or as requested by the mentor teacher.  Plans should always be complete enough that another teacher could step in and function as a substitute.

• Scheduled Observations - It is the candidate’s responsibility to arrange formal observations by the field instructor, the mentor teacher, and the building administrator and to do so in a timely manner.

Attendance Policy

The following general policies for program attendance are required of all candidates.   It is recognized, of course, that faculty will continue to set attendance policies as appropriate for their individual courses. It is also acknowledged that these policies, like others in the University, may be appealed when unusual circumstances warrant in individual cases.

"Personal" days:  Candidates may take one day per quarter as needed to attend to personal business, family commitments and other discretionary activities--provided they obtain permission from each course instructor, practicum instructor, or mentor teacher with whom they would normally expect to be working on that day.

"Excused" absences:  Candidates will be excused from attending program activities (both coursework and fieldwork) in the event of serious illness, the illness of a child that requires the candidates’ care, a family death, or similar crisis requiring their presence.   It is expected that candidates will make an effort to schedule medical appointments outside of program commitments; it is understood that this will not always be possible. Any instructor, coach, or mentor impacted by this absence must be notified along with the STEP director.

"Unexcused" absences:  Unexcused absences and tardiness compromise the integrity of the program, and often represent an abrogation of responsibilities to colleagues in the cohort, and to children we serve in partner schools.  A pattern of unexcused absences or tardiness will result in an administrative referral as a "Focus of Concern", and possible placement on probationary status with the Graduate School.

In some cases, candidates may wish to be absent from a program day in order to attend special professional development activities (e.g., those offered as part of school district professional development). As with personal days, it is the responsibility of the candidate to secure permission for their absence from each faculty member, partner school colleague, or mentor teacher with whom the candidate would otherwise be working on that day.

In all cases, when candidates are absent from scheduled program activities, they will be expected to make up coursework assignments and practicum work as negotiated with faculty and/or mentor teachers. Candidates are expected to take the lead in communicating and arranging make-up work.

Problem Resolution Procedures for Candidates

Candidates who have professional problems or concerns during the course of the Teacher Education Program should follow the suggestions outlined on the College of Education website for Concerns and Grievances.

Candidate Focus of Concern Policy

A TEP candidate may be referred for a Support Plan if the candidate appears to be experiencing difficulty with program professional and/or academic expectations in course or fieldwork.  The purpose of the Support Plan is to determine strategies to help the candidate succeed in the program.  The University faculty, coach, or mentor teacher who has a concern has the responsibility to discuss the concern with the candidate and to work on strategies to address the problem.  A student also may be notified that an advisory team, representing various strands of the program, will meet to determine a course of action to help the student succeed in the program.  The Assistant Dean of Teacher Education and/or representative(s) of the advisory group will meet with the candidate as soon as possible after the Focus of Concern meeting and then continue to work with the candidate to carry out any recommendations.  All decisions about progress in the program for candidates are made through team collaboration and may  include the Assistant Dean, Program Director and field director, instructors, coaches, and mentor teachers.