INTRODUCTION: STUDENT TEACHING PROGRAM

The student teaching program consists of a period of supervised teaching where the prospective teacher takes increasing responsibility for guiding the learning experiences of a given group of students, or a class, over a minimum of fourteen (14) consecutive weeks and a minimum of 280 teaching hours. The primary purpose of the student teaching program is centered on providing prospective teachers with an opportunity for further growth in an ongoing school situation. Instruction may be face-to-face, online, or a hybrid approach.

The cooperating school, in effect, constitutes a laboratory in which theory is merged with practice at four levels of experience: observation, participation, student teaching and participation in out-of-class activities. More specifically, the student teaching program provides the prospective teacher with an opportunity to:

1. Achieve realistic understandings of the individual child as a developing human being and to acquaint students with techniques and methods in achieving this goal;

2. Understand the total organization and program of the modern school, including curricular and co-curricular offerings, staffing patterns and services;

3. Gain insights into the relationship between the school and the community which it serves;

4. Gain experiences in planning learning activities and in the selection and employment of methods and materials of instruction appropriate to the varying age, ability, and interest levels of individuals or groups of individuals who are being taught;

5. Develop professionally by becoming familiar with professional literature, courses of study, and visual aids; and by encouraging them to solve problems which arise during the course of their student teaching experiences;

6. Analyze their personality patterns to the end that they will develop the characteristics which exemplary teachers should possess such as: breadth of interest, sound judgment, self-control, leadership, intellectual curiosity, adaptability, cooperativeness, friendliness, and personal neatness.

Student teachers are not expected to step in and take over teaching responsibilities immediately upon arrival at the school.  The cooperating teacher is the judge of this; as he/she works with the student day by day, assessment can be made of readiness on the part of the student teacher for assuming teaching responsibilities.  After an adequate observation period, most student teachers are able to begin working their way into planning and teaching at least part of the lessons taught by the cooperating teacher.