Supervisor Requirements

· Submit a weekly/cycle block schedule A.S.A.P. and keep me informed of schedule changes/special projects.  Submit your teaching schedule every Friday for the following week.  If there are any changes in your teaching schedule, it is your responsibility to keep me up to date.

· If you are going to be absent due to illness, I expect a telephone call or email notification either the night before your absence or as early as possible the morning of your absence.  Submit the “Student Teaching Absence” form at least 5 days prior to a planned absence.  The co-operating teacher, university supervisor, and Coordinator of Field Experiences must approve this request.

· Write a letter of introduction and a letter of closure to the parents of the students in your class(es).  Make certain to ask your cooperating teacher about the school’s parameters for such correspondence and get the necessary approvals before sending the letter home with the students.

· Keep a journal of your student teaching experiences, providing a synopsis of classroom activities and a reflection on your interactions with the students and staff.  Since you already evaluate your instruction on your lesson plan form, your journal should contemplate the broader aspects of daily activities.  This log is a communication tool to keep me informed of such things as classroom dilemmas, personal insights, changes in your professional philosophy, classroom accomplishments, personal frustrations, staff relationships, student accomplishments, creative lessons that you taught, difficult periods, last minute schedule adjustments that affected your teaching, etc.  Keep me posted on conversations you have had with your cooperating teacher and ways you have worked together to plan and solve problems.  Use the log to tell me things that I may miss in my observations.  This should be written daily and may be sent to me via. email on a weekly basis, or, if you prefer, on a more frequent schedule.  After this assignment the log will also serve as a memento of this experience.

· Read and review a book written specifically for the beginning teacher.  Prepare a typed critique that includes an objective summary as well as your reaction to the text.  At the mid-placement seminar make a short presentation and distribute copies of your critique to the other student teachers in this group.  Bring the book to the seminar in case one of your colleagues would like to read it after listening to your presentation.

· Maintain a three-ring notebook for organizational purposes, including class lists, building & class schedules, lesson plans, worksheets, teaching ideas, etc.  Include a section labeled "Supervisor" in which to file any documents that you would like me to collect when I visit.

· Review the “M.U. – A Guide for Student Teaching” and the Special Education Supplement to become familiar with the requirements, forms and procedures associated with this assignment.

· After each observation I will attempt to provide verbal and/or written feedback.  Please note the areas upon which your final evaluation is based, as they will be the focus of each visit.

Evaluation Process

The Mid-Term Progress Report is to be completed by Student Teacher, Co-operating Teacher and Supervisor at the midpoint of each assignment.  The Final Evaluation Form is to be completed by Co-operating Teacher and Supervisor at end of assignment.  The PDE-430 (PA Statewide Evaluation Form for Student Professional Knowledge and Practice) will be completed at mid-semester and the end of the semester.  The mid-placement PDE-430 is a formative evaluation, while the final PDE-430 is a summative evaluation.

Keys to Success

Observation of your cooperating teacher enables you to identify routines, procedures, and instructional strategies already employed in the classroom.  Observation is more than simply watching; it is paying attention to detail, analyzing events, and assimilating ideas into your own foundation of knowledge.  You should observe more than lesson presentation, noting routine procedures, classroom management techniques, transitions, etc.

Preparation is a fundamental part of your lessons.  I will both review your lesson plans and look for evidence of planning during the observation (focus on objectives, organization of materials, structure of lesson plan, etc.)  If I arrive before your lesson starts, please hand me a copy of the plan before you begin teaching.  You may use one of the lesson plan formats used in your methods courses, a format listed in the special education supplement to the Student Teaching Guide, or one of the templates on this site.  It should include rationale, objectives, materials, methods/procedures, evaluation, and summary/reflection.  After each lesson you should review your performance and note specific changes you plan to make to improve future presentations of similar material.

Classroom management is an essential part of providing an atmosphere conducive to learning.  Note strategies employed by the regular classroom teacher and formulate a plan for your solo teaching week.  Give specific directions, anticipate problems, teach alternate appropriate behaviors, and have fitting consequences in mind.  Be fair and consistent in reinforcing desired behaviors and providing consequences for inappropriate behaviors.  Strive to develop student self-control and responsibility.  Review “Teaching and Classroom Management” in the handbook for general ideas and strategies.

Demonstrate a positive attitude and your professional responsibility by learning and supporting the daily routines established by the classroom teacher.  Devote time to preparation, volunteer to assist with special projects, and go beyond the minimal requirements.  Demonstrate your enthusiasm in your lessons and look for opportunities to assist the regular classroom teacher.  Dress appropriately, arrive early/stay late, and generally work hard.  Continually evaluate your own performance, refining your teaching skills throughout the placement.  Dedicate yourself to this assignment and treat it as a full time job.

Take care of yourself by getting enough sleep, eating properly, exercising, and spending some time on things that you enjoy.  Prioritize your responsibilities and break large assignments into smaller “chunks” that can be more easily accomplished.  Develop a support group of friends and colleagues who can offer advice and encouragement.  Don’t worry excessively about those things that you cannot change, but rather focus on those things that you can change.

Maintain your sense of humor – learn to laugh at the situation and yourself.  Remember that a smile may be contagious.

If you make a mistake, analyze it and learn from it.  Use your mistakes as a teaching tool to improve performance.