307 ED 3 Semester
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EDUC 307: Practicum in Elementary Education Opportunities in mathematics and science instruction Field instructor: Teresa A. McMahon 2409 School of Education [phone] (cell) [e-mail] [phone] (office) [phone] (home)
Communication I will use email extensively to communicate with you and encourage you to do the same with me. We will also be using the bulletin board on ctools. Let me know if Internet access will be a problem for you during the course. Office hours: By appointment Our seminar email list: [e-mail] Introduction EDUC 307 is designed to extend and support your practicum and course experiences, and to make explicit the links between these experiences. We will be focusing our attention on the teaching and learning of math and science, but we will also deal with many other issues of teaching and learning. In addition, since this is a professional seminar, we will focus on beginning to create a teaching portfolio. In all our work together we will emphasize questioning, observation, and reflection; together with your teaching efforts, these are an integral part of the teacher preparation program and of your developing professional teaching practice. I encourage you to: be proactive in the practicum, in both the field and the seminar make and take opportunities to develop your professional skills and knowledge through observation, conversation, and participation work to develop strong working relationships with your cooperating teacher (CT) and school team, your school of education peers, and me My Role and Responsibilities as a Field Instructor One of my roles as a field instructor is to serve as a liaison between the university and your cooperating school and CT. At the university, I will meet as part of a team of instructors to better understand and coordinate information regarding the semesters coursework and the programs goals and expectations. If needed, it is my responsibility to assist you as you negotiate your relationship with your CT and your role in her/his classroom. If, for example, you are not participating in the teaching of mathematics and science in the classroom, I will help you work with your CT to resolve this issue so that you can successfully complete your assignments. Please talk with your CT about classroom-related issues before approaching me. You are well on your way to developing the ability to work with colleagues in a professional manner but if you have any questions or concerns, I can offer a different perspective, a sounding board, and guidance based on previous experience.
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We will be working to develop our ability to learn from and about the practice of teaching. To do this, I will co-observe, co-plan, and participate with you in your classroom placement, serving as another point of view on the act of teaching. Follow-up discussion on classroom instruction can be invaluable as we analyze together what was intended as well as evidence of what was accomplished and the effectiveness of choices made. We will work together to deepen our understanding of children, their learning, and the implications for teachers work. It is also my responsibility to conduct the practicum seminar. My goals for our seminar are to: Establish an environment conducive to productive inquiry about our own and others teaching practices Provide opportunities to practice approaches and techniques introduced in your math and science methods Use experiences from your various field placements, work you are developing for your methods courses, and student work from your assignments as the foundation for our discussions and exploration Develop a foundation for your professional portfolio Practicum Grade and Expectations Grade Your practicum placement will be graded as satisfactory or unsatisfactory. Remember, you must receive a C or better in each of your required SOE courses and an S for your field experiences in order to be eligible to student teach. Expectations It is expected that you will take your role in the classroom seriously, giving your practicum time top priority. The following criteria will be used in determining your grade: Professionalism Consistent and punctual attendance is mandatory Prior communication if absence from school is unavoidable Scheduling and completion of make-ups for any absences Appropriate interactions with students, teachers, parents and peers Mature dress and manner within the school Commitment Dedication to helping students learn Perseverance in learning how to teach Seminar Participation in seminar and on ctools Satisfactory completion of assignments Responsibilities and Procedures At the school Everyone is expected to be at the field placements no later than Thursday, September 7 at the time indicated on the placement sheet. You will be in schools every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon thereafter until December 12 with the exception of Tuesday,
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October 17, which is during the university fall study break and Thursday, November 23, which is Thanksgiving break. Attendance. Always sign in at the office upon arrival and wear your university identification badge when working in the field. You must be in the classroom six hours per week, unless other arrangements are made with me and your cooperating teacher. If you are changing your hours in the classroom in any way from the original schedule, you must notify me in writing. If you must miss a day because of illness or emergency, you must call (1) your cooperating teacher, and (2) me. These calls must be made before the start of the practicum or, whenever possible, during the evening prior to the expected absence. CTs plan for your presence in the classroom and your absence causes a shift for which they will need to adjust. If you miss a practicum session, it is your responsibility to schedule a time as soon as possible with your cooperating teacher to make up the hours. (Note again that it is mandatory for you to accumulate at least 6 hours of classroom time per week.) You must notify me in writing of arrangements in advance of the make up. Excessive or prolonged absences or late arrivals, regardless of the cause and of arrangements to make up the time, can adversely impact your learning and your practicum grade. Note: If school is cancelled because of inclement weather or another issue, you are not expected to make up the time at the school site; however, I may schedule an additional seminar or a visit to another school at a later date that will make use of those hours. Make sure to find out about the schools policy (often in the school handbook) regarding school closure and delay information. Please check with your cooperating teacher to determine necessary procedures. Professionalism. Remember that cooperating teachers are extremely busy and have volunteered, as a commitment to their profession, to welcome practicum students into their work domains. They are committed to the important work of helping to guide new teachers in their professional growth. You are there to learn about teaching through observation and experience, not to make judgments. Assume that actions are motivated by good intentions, and look for evidence and patterns of behaviors among teachers and students. Be curious and open to learning more about what you see and hear; you might say to the cooperating teacher, I noticed . . . and it made me wonder how you knew to do that? . . . Can you tell me more about the choice you made? If you need to speak with or ask questions of the teacher, remember to consider the big picture of what else is going on. Find out when it is best for the two of you to talk. You do not want to disrupt instructional time. Learning time of students always takes priority. Confidentiality. Great care should be taken with the information you learn in your classroom. For example, individual students or teachers names should not be used in discussions with your friends or colleagues. In courses and cohort meetings, discussions of classroom experiences will focus on making sense and developing understanding rather than making judgments. In written assignments, please use pseudonyms for students, teachers, and schools. We need to honor the members of the
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practicum classrooms with kindness and sensitivity that ensures our time spent there will not in any way cause disruption or harm. Commitment. Participation in a wide range of classroom activities is expected during your practicum placement. These activities may involve working one-on-one with students, teaching a full group lesson, working with a small group, preparing bulletin boards, overseeing computer use, etc. It is important to develop strong and open lines of communication with your cooperating teacher. Please ask any questions and request clarifications when you are unsure. If you feel that your time is being spent only in observation or on tasks that take you away from interactions in the classroom, ask your teacher what you can do to become more actively involved. Take advantage of as many opportunities as you can to visit other classrooms, either specialists classes or other teachers classrooms. Just ask your cooperating teacher if you could observe another classroom when your students are at a special. For your School of Education coursework, you will be required to teach. Your university methods teachers will describe these assignments to you in their classes. The cooperating teachers are aware that you will be teaching and they have agreed to make time in their schedule for you to do them. Still, it is critical that you arrange with the cooperating teacher, at least a week in advance, a time to teach your lesson to accommodate their routines and the students needs. It is in your best interest to arrange a potential date and time as far in advance as you can and to provide a reminder as the date draws near. Many teachers appreciate it if you post the time, date, and name of lesson somewhere in the room to remind them. Please notify me of the date of your lesson as well so that, if possible, I can make arrangements to observe. In seminar Our seminar will meet on the following Wednesdays from 4:00-6:00 pm in the 2400 conference room unless otherwise announced. September 6 and 20 October 4 and 18 November 1, 15 and 29 December 13 The purpose of seminar is to help you make connections between what you are learning in your university courses and what you are observing and doing in your field placement classroom. The seminar is also the forum to bring up concerns and questions about your role as a teacher. In addition, you practice collegiality with your peers through the exchange of ideas and by listening to and respecting one another. Some seminar topics are established based on what has worked well in the past, but we also encourage you to nominate issues and challenges you would like to address in seminar. See the Calendar on the next page for general topics. Attendance. Attendance at seminars is mandatory. These classes are as much a part of your professional development as are your other courses. Please be prompt, so we can also end on time. If you must be absent because of illness or emergency, you must notify me in advance of the class meeting time. You will be required to submit a makeup assignment (topic to be determined by field instructor) at the next seminar meeting. Absence from more than one seminar may affect the practicum grade.
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The Semester Calendar WK Date Activity
1 Sept. 5 1st day of class
Notes
Sept. 6
2 3 Sept. 7 Sept. 12 Sept. 14 Sept. 19 Practicum Practicum Practicum Practicum
Seminar Learning to study teaching Co-observation, co-planning, and conferencing
Sept. 20
4 5 Sept. 21 Sept. 26 Sept. 28 Oct. 3 Practicum Practicum Practicum Practicum
Seminar Eliciting students ideas, Questioning, prompts, and producti...