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CRANE STUDENT TEACHING HANDBOOK

STUDENT TEACHING

POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

of the

CRANE SCHOOL OF MUSIC

SUNY COLLEGE

AT POTSDAM

Prepared by:

Dr. Mark Campbell, Music Education

Dr. Daniel Gordon, Music Education

Dr. Robyn Hosley, Music Education

Mrs. Tammara Madeja, Sponsor Teacher

Dr. Peter McCoy, Music Education; Editor

Revised Edition: June 2011

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Standards of Professional Practice…………………………………………………..……3

Policies Relating to Admission and Assignment………………………………………..10

Student Teaching Requirements……………………………………………………...….13

Policies Relating to Retention/Withdrawal/Dismissal………………………………..…16

Policies Relating to Award of Credit……………………………………………………20

Student Teacher Evaluation…………………………………………………………..….21

Student Teacher Checklist……………………………………………………………….23

Record Keeping/Data Collection………………………………………………………...25

Appendix A………………………………………………………………………….…..28

Student Teacher Evaluation of College Supervisor

Request for Authorization of Employment/Volunteer Activity/Performance Form

Health Fee Waiver

Appendix B: Student Teacher Portfolio………………………………………………….33

Planning Forms

Classroom Observation Forms

Weekly Journal

Observation Feedback

Mid-Quarter Evaluation Form

Summative Evaluation Form

The Standards of Professional Practice

The professional educator…

1. Knowledge of Content

…is a well-educated citizen who understands the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and the structures of the discipline he or she teaches and can create learning experiences that make these aspects of subject matter meaningful to students.

2. Child Development and Learning

…understands how children learn and develop and can provide learning opportunities that support their intellectual, social, and personal development.

3. Knowledge of Student Differences

…understands how students differ in their approaches to learning and creates instructional opportunities that are adapted to diverse needs.

4. Instructional Skills

…understands and uses a variety of instructional strategies to encourage students’ development of critical thinking, problem solving, and performance skills.

5. Management and Motivation

…uses an understanding of individual and group motivation and behavior to create a learning environment that encourages positive social interaction in the classroom.

6. Communication Skills

…uses knowledge of effective verbal, nonverbal, and media communication techniques to foster inquiry, collaboration, and supportive interaction in the classroom.

7. Planning Skills

…plans instruction based upon knowledge of subject matter, students, the community, curriculum goals and local, state, or national standards.

8. Assessment of Student Learning

…understands and uses formal and informal assessment strategies to evaluate and ensure the continuous intellectual, social, and physical development of the learner.

9. Reflects on Practice

…is a reflective practitioner who continually evaluates the effects of his/her choices and actions on others (students, parents, and other professionals in the learning community) and who actively seeks out opportunities to grow professionally.

10. Participation in the Professional Community

…is a principled educator who fosters relationships with school colleagues, parents, and agencies in the larger community to support students’ learning and well being.

Standards of Professional Practice for Beginning Music Teacher Licensing and Development[1]

Music teacher candidates preparing to work in the schools know and demonstrate the content, pedagogical, and professional knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary to help all students learn. They are distinguished in the following:

1. KNOWLEDGE OF CONTENT

1.1Shows command of subject matter

  • Understands how musical ideas are generated and described
  • Demonstrates mastery of subject matter knowledge and skills by:

1. Singing, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music.

2. Performing on instruments, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music.

3. Improvising melodies, variations, and accompaniments.

4. Composing and arranging music within specified guidelines.

5. Reading and notating music.

6. Listening to, analyzing, and describing music.

7. Applying criteria for evaluating music and music performances.

8. Showing relationships between music, the other arts, and disciplines outside the arts.

9. Articulating music in relation to history and culture.

  • Displays a working knowledge of repertoire
  • Selects age appropriate literature for the musical situation
  • Communicates musical knowledge and skills from a bias-free, multicultural perspective

1.2 Displays a high level of musicianship

  • Performs in a distinguished and knowledgeable manner on a primary instrument
  • Knows in detail, the capabilities of instruments or vocal production
  • Uses singing appropriately in teaching and rehearsal situations (ability to sing a prepared melody, retain tonic, and discern errors in pitch and rhythm)
  • Able to accurately reproduce or notate an aural/rhythmic example.

1.3 Demonstrates clear conducting technique and knowledge of rehearsal technique

  • Conducts using clear beat patterns: executes subdivision, cues, and fermatas (starts and stops an ensemble correctly)
  • Executes left hand dynamics (crescendos, diminuendos) and tempo changes (accelerandos, ritards)
  • Conducts expressively, reflecting the character and style of the music based on a thorough analysis of the music and its cultural context
  • Provides evidence of detailed score preparation
  • Plans an effective rehearsal designed to implement specific instructional objectives
  • Effectively warms up and/or tunes a performance ensemble
  • Able to detect errors, diagnose and solve pedagogical and performance problems
  • Establishes effective eye contact with students
  • Gives concise musical explanations
  • Maintains an effective rehearsal pace

1.4 Demonstrates the ability to accompany and model on secondary instruments

  • Possesses sufficient classroom piano skills
  • Accompanies songs and improvises accompaniments on at least one accompanying instrument
  • Plays pieces from chord progressions designated by letter/number symbols
  • Prepares accompaniments of appropriate difficulty
  • Performs proficiently on select secondary instruments particularly in their area

2. CHILD DEVELOPMENT AND LEARNING

2.1 Understands how children learn and develop

  • Provides learning opportunities that support students cognitive, affective, psychomotor and overall personal development
  • Assesses prior learning and evaluates musical backgrounds, attitudes, interests, and abilities of students
  • Makes connections to real-life, everyday learner experiences
  • Works well with students of different ages, abilities and aptitudes

3. KNOWLEDGE OF STUDENT DIFFERANCES

3.1 Makes accommodations for individual differences

  • Creates instructional opportunities that are adapted to diverse learners (including students with special needs)
  • Uses teaching methods which respond to learner needs
  • Assesses and teaches at appropriate cognitive levels of understanding
  • Accommodates varying learner styles (auditory, visual, and kinesthetic)
  • Selects resources to meet range of individual needs
  • Is familiar with special education laws and teaching strategies for special education and special needs students

3.2 Communicates high expectations for learning

  • Provides all learners with an opportunity to learn
  • Expects all learners to succeed
  • Holds learners accountable for learning
  • Selects the most effective methods for helping each student achieve maximum musical awareness and satisfaction

4. INSTRUCTIONAL SKILLS

4.1 Monitors the learners and adjusts the teaching

  • Frequently checks for understanding
  • Demonstrates flexibility in adapting educational plans when unexpected situations occur
  • Allows for student reflection and closure as appropriate
  • Organizes time to maintain an effective lesson pace and to maximize time in the classroom, lesson, or rehearsal

4.2 Engages learners in instruction

  • Maintains students’ time on task effectively
  • Optimizes rate and degree of learning through the use of active participation, closure, and transfer (similarity, association, degree of original learning, and critical attributes)
  • Uses principles of retention such as meaning, modeling, guided practice, feeling tone, degree of original learning, and vividness

4.3 Fosters multiple ways of knowing

  • Is able to generate topics of study central to music that provide enough depth, significance, connections, and variety of perspectives to support students' development of powerful understandings inherent to music and the arts
  • Presents subject matter to students through analogies, metaphors, experiments, demonstrations, and illustrations
  • Is aware of and can address common misconceptions held by students that interfere with learning
  • Is aware of and uses teaching strategies that are both structured and reflective of inductive learning
  • Poses musical questions and problems in order to help students work through alternative solutions.

5. MANAGEMENT AND MOTIVATION

5.1 Manages space, time, and materials to support instruction

  • Arranges the learning area and has materials readily available to achieve planned objectives
  • Uses time efficiently: gives clear, concise directions, procedures, and explanations; stimulates and maintains student attention and focus; transitions are smooth with little loss of instructional time
  • Effectively and efficiently utilizes repertoire, instructional materials and rehearsal teaching methods

5.2 Manages student behavior effectively

  • Establishes classroom rules and routines that are developmentally appropriate and promote instruction
  • Standards of conduct are clear and consistent for all students; teacher reviews and prompts behaviors when appropriate
  • Respects students’ dignity and helps students develop self-control
  • Monitors and responds appropriately to learners behaviors
  • Response to misbehavior is appropriate, consistent, fair, and successful

5.3 Uses principles of motivation

  • Demonstrates genuine caring and respect for individual students
  • Varies instructional activities to match learners’ interests
  • Motivates students to learn through interest, success, knowledge of results, and level of concern
  • Creates a positive climate conducive to learning
  • Uses positive reinforcement and behavior prompts to increase desired behavior
  • Acknowledges and rewards learners’ success

6. COMMUNICATION SKILLS

6.1 Communicates major concepts and principles of subject matter

  • Communicates instructional objectives effectively through media and/or technology to add instructional impact
  • Uses of a variety of instructional materials
  • Employs a variety of questioning techniques and consistently provides adequate wait time
  • Responds thoughtfully and constructively to learners’ questions and contributions, and builds upon student responses

6.2 Demonstrates exemplary communication skills

  • Speech and written language are clear and correct
  • Uses effective verbal and nonverbal communication techniques
  • Vocabulary is appropriate to students’ ages and interest
  • Possesses voice quality (pitch, speed, volume) conducive to oral communications
  • Promotes effective patterns of classroom communication

7. PLANNING SKILLS

7.1 Structures a highly coherent lesson

  • Defines and sequences objectives for instruction at the correct level of difficulty (Bloom’s Taxonomy)
  • Prepares objectives that include a specific content of learning
  • States objectives in terms of observable student behavior
  • Plans instruction to achieve objectives
  • Incorporates recognized/required curricular guidelines and music standards
  • Selects appropriate teaching strategies and activities and uses a variety of methods and innovative approaches
  • Adjusts lesson plan to meet student needs, interest, and motivation

8. ASSESSMENT OF STUDENT LEARNING

8.1 Assesses student learning

  • Has clear assessment criteria and standards and communicates them to students
  • Monitors ongoing performance of learners (formative)
  • Involves learners in self-assessment activities to foster awareness of their strengths/needs and to set personal goals for learning
  • Maintains an effective method for recording student progress
  • Uses a variety of formal and informal evaluation techniques and assessments for measuring student growth and understanding
  • Designs and implements evaluative procedures which focus on learner achievement and instructional effectiveness

9. REFLECTS ON PRACTICE

9.1 Demonstrates initiative and enthusiasm for teaching by maintaining appropriate professional behaviors and a commitment to growth

  • Is dependable, cooperative, and assumes responsibility
  • Exercises professional judgment, exhibits openness and flexibility in making rational decisions
  • Reflects professional taste in appearance/manners
  • Always attends to assigned tasks or duties on schedule without prompting
  • Implements suggestions and shows desire for improvement
  • Seeks opportunities to work with colleagues to learn and grow professionally

9.2 Engages in personal reflection on teaching

  • Demonstrates responsibility for on-going self-evaluation and self-reflection in teaching effectiveness
  • Able to critically examine own teaching practice and recognize where improvement is needed
  • Completes reflective observation and journal entries
  • Pursues knowledge about current thinking, trends, and practices in education to expand their repertoire

10. PARTICIPATION IN THE PROFESSIONAL COMMUNITY

10.1 Maintains effective working relationships

  • Works effectively as a member of a professional team
  • Establishes a positive rapport with students, colleagues, parents and administrators
  • Seeks opportunities to volunteer for activities outside of own classroom or creates activities such as enrichment or remedial classes for students outside of regular school day
  • Demonstrates tact and discretion in communications with all constituencies
  • Respects the confidentiality of student information

Rev. 4/19/2010

Policies Relating to Admission and Assignment

Prerequisites

Students must complete the following prerequisites before acceptance into the student teaching program. Students will normally be required to have all prerequisites completed by January 1 for the spring semester and by August 15 for the fall semester.

The student must have accomplished the following:

1.A cumulative college grade point average of at least 2.5 or higher at the conclusion of the semester preceding student teaching.

2.An academic standing unaffected by academic warning or academic probation.

3.A grade of 2.0 or higher is required in each music course in order for it to count toward a major in music. In courses that are sequential, a 2.0 or higher is required to advance to the next course(s) in the sequence. Failure to receive a 2.0 or higher in the second attempt at a music course required for a major (or majors) will result in dismissal from that major (or majors).

5.The completion of the following courses, each with a grade of 2.0 or higher:

a.Basic musicianship courses (MUCB)

b.Conducting I and II (MUCP)

c.Music Education core sequence (PME, MTL, Practicum, Practices – Elementary and Secondary)

d.Techniques competencies as specified for each performance concentration

6.Completion of 100 clock hours of classroom observation

Competencies may be demonstrated by:

a.Satisfactory completion of required course work, or

b.Credit by examination administered by the chairperson of the area to be tested, or his/her designee.

In addition, the student must possess the social, emotional and professional qualities and dispositions that, in the opinion of the faculty, are predictive of success in the teaching of music. Assessment of these qualifications will be conducted through systematic review of each student’s performance called Sophomore Evaluation, which is conducted during the students’ sophomore year. In the case of transfer students who have completed more than two semesters in music education at another college, this review will take place after one semester of study at The Crane School of Music. Based on this review, a student may be admitted to the Music Education Professional Sequence, required to remediate deficiencies, or denied admission.

Semester Placement Process

In the beginning of the fifth semester of study, students will be placed in a specific

student teaching semester. This decision is made after consideration of remaining course

requirements and faculty studio loads. Any student requesting a change in their student

teaching semester assignment must make the request in writing to the Chair of Music

Education upon receipt of their Student Teaching Assignment Letter.

Timeframe for Placements

1.Music Education students will be notified by the Chair of Music Education during their junior year regarding the semester in which they have been assigned to student teach. At that time students will be informed of all requirements that remain to be completed prior to student teaching.

2.Early in the semester prior to student teaching, prospective student teachers will attend a meeting to receive Information Sheets and Area Request forms from the Chair of Music Education. Students should complete these forms and return them to the Music Education Office.

3.Student teachers will rank-order the five student teaching areas (Capital District, Hudson Valley, Syracuse, Long Island, and the North Country) served by College Supervisors. While attempts are made to accommodate the student’s first choice, assurance cannot be offered regarding placement. Many factors contribute to area assignments for student teaching placements (i.e., faculty loads, instrument balance). Student teachers are informed that they may not be placed in their first area choice and they are not guaranteed placements that will allow them to live at home.

4.The supervisors from the five areas will conduct on-campus interviews and information meetings midway through the semester prior to student teaching. At this time, preferences as to the type of school, teaching level, and location of assignment may be discussed.

5.Student teaching applications are audited and reviewed: (a) during the months of September and October for students who intend to student teach in the spring; (b) and during the months of January and February for students who intend to student teach in the fall. Requests to the public schools are sent in the months of October and February and the schools are given 30 days to respond.

6.The supervisors make placements to specific schools. Student teachers are assigned to school districts based on availability of supervisors, availability of qualified sponsor teachers, and response from public schools. Many factors influence the placement process. College Supervisors consider special requests and try to make the best possible placement for each student. Once placements are confirmed, no changes are made and all requests for changes will be denied. Student teachers are notified by letter of their assignments approximately six weeks after the on-campus interview.

7.Students should only attempt to contact a sponsor teacher after the official assignment is made by Crane. Students should not attempt to make placement arrangements on their own. Self-initiated placements have caused considerable conflicts and are not permitted. Students may not student teach in their home school districts.

8.Once placements are confirmed, students are to contact both sponsor teachers by telephone to introduce themselves and to arrange an observation.

Placement Setting

Student teaching is a full semester experience that may or may not take place in a single school district. In either case, students are provided the opportunity to request specific teaching experiences in different areas and levels of music programs to give the student teacher both depth and breadth in preparation for teaching.

Every effort will be made to ensure that students have a multi-level experience that includes a general music experience along with a placement in their major area of emphasis and interest. Combinations of areas of music teaching are described on the assignment sheets sent to the contact persons in the designated schools. The optimum student teaching experience includes vocal, instrumental, and general music involvement to prepare adequately for the all-inclusive certification, K-12.