Definitions:
Education Student: A student regularly enrolled in an approved teacher education institution. Such a student can be an "intern teacher", "student teacher", or "practicum student".Student Teaching: A period in which an education student, under the guidance of a supervising teacher and a college supervisor, will assume direct responsibility for the learning activities of children and related professional activities normally assumed by regularly employed teachers. The experience is labeled as "student teaching", and academic credit is awarded. The education student is most commonly referred to as "student teacher" during this period.
Selection and Placement of the Student Teacher
1. Initial Authorization: Education students wishing to complete their student teaching experience shall make arrangements through their college. No action will be taken by staff on behalf of the education student until the education student’s college supervisor has:
a. Ensured that criminal records checks and fingerprinting requirements are completed as required by law;
b. Provided a comprehensive and detailed statement, in writing, of the college’s student teaching program, including the goals, screening procedures, teaching experiences, classroom and college supervision expectations, and all time commitments and restrictions placed on the education student;
c. Made contact with, and received authorization for placement by the superintendent or his designee.
2. Selection of Cooperating Teachers: Cooperating teachers shall be recommended by building principals and selected cooperatively by the superintendent or their designee and principal.
Student Teacher Duties
1. Job Descriptions and Evaluation: The specific expectations of the cooperating teacher and the education student are to be stated in writing and shall include but not necessarily be limited to detailed information concerning what the student is expected to do in the classroom, what the cooperating teacher is expected to do in the classroom, and what evaluation procedures, if any, are in place. If at any time the principal determines the performance of the education student is unsatisfactory, the student teaching placement shall be terminated.
2. Student Teacher’s Full Responsibility: The student teacher is to be left alone in the classroom under the following guidelines:
a. The student teacher shall not serve as a substitute at any time during the course of the student teaching experience, even though the student teacher may be assuming full responsibility for classroom instruction;
b. There must be some experience in teaching the class before the student teacher is left alone. Responsibility should be added only as experience and success dictate;
c. The cooperating teacher will be out of the classroom for only short periods of time unless as otherwise approved by the principal;
d. In no case shall the cooperating teacher be out of the classroom for the purpose of satisfying the school staffing or program needs outside of regular supervising or teacher duties.
3. Student Teacher Supervision: The student teacher shall be supervised by the cooperating teacher and the principal. Generally, the cooperating teacher shall teach and model desirable teaching skills, conduct evaluation conferences with the student teacher, and confer with the college supervisor as needed. The principal shall acquaint the staff and school community with the education student, provide orientation of the education student to the school, staff and students, and assist the college supervisor with monitoring the overall student teaching experience.
Pay, Honorariums and Benefits
Cooperating Teacher Pay: In most cases, the cooperating teacher will not be paid by either the training institution, the student, or the district for services as a cooperating teacher. Any variation from this procedure will have to be arranged through the superintendent’s office.
Honorariums and Benefits: Honorariums and benefits extended to the district for providing a cooperating teacher are to be considered a token of recognition for services rendered to the teaching profession. In accepting a student teacher, the cooperating teacher agrees to accept also the honorarium and benefits passed through to the cooperating teacher by the district. Such honorariums may include cash payments and tuition credits. If a student teacher should leave the student teaching assignment for any reason after being in the classroom, the honorarium and benefits are still to be issued to the supervising teacher. Any division of the honorarium or benefits among two or more supervising teachers shall occur only after there is an agreement between all the parties concerned.
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