EDUC 424: Task Set B

Developing a Framework for Instructional Planning

November/Decemberhard copy isDUE: December 9, 2014

Done / Not done / School Profile Portfolio Items:
Practicum Instruction Plan (PIP) development: In collaboration with your mentor teacher, develop a working plan of your teaching responsibilities during practicum. Follow the process outlined in Appendix 1 of the Field Guide. Use the cover page template in Appendix 3 of your Field Guide (also posted on the School Experience website).
NEW: As part of your PIP, work out a timeline for obtaining parent consentfor collecting student information (confirmation of consent is due by January 16).Refer to the detailed instructions in this task set package.Basically you will complete 4 steps to obtain parental consent: 1. With your mentor teacher, plan how these consent forms will be sent home to parents, 2. Send home the forms, 3. Track returned consent forms; either you or your mentor teacher will follow up regarding missing forms, 4. Email Melissa McHugh in the School Experience Office () and let her know when parental consent has been obtained.
Continue to take on some basic housekeeping duties with mentor teacher support and direction. Examples of what you could do:
-Photocopying, collating/assembling student work/booklets etc.
-Cutting/laminating/hole punching/book-binding
-Basic marking- using an answer key or rubric
-Checking/recording: student marks, work completion, book or permission/order form returns etc.
-Straightening book shelves, sink area, supply cupboard
-Plant or animal care
Teach!:Each school visit day, take on some basic teaching duties with your mentor teacher’s support/direction. You should get some experience teaching the whole class (co-teach, team teach, parallel teach) and try some small group and 1-1 instruction. Examples of what you could do:
-Take/report attendance
-Homework/agenda check
-Calendar/opening exercises
-Take class to/from music, gym, library, computer lab
-Collect class at beginning of day, after recess, after lunch
-Spelling pre-test/post-test
-Math drill/practice (e.g. Mad minute)
-Desk cleanliness check
-Read to the class (a story, chapter in a novel)
-Teach a mini-lesson (e.g. interest survey, art lesson)
-Teach a game (e.g. math game, PE game)
Draft a letter of introduction to the parents of your students. Have your mentor teacher review it and, with his/her permission, send it home prior to the holidays.

*Note: On December 9th, submit hard copies of the following:

-Task Set B template (completed)

-Practicum Instructional Plan (PIP)- cover sheet + 9 weekly schedules

EDUC 424/ Task Set B, cont’d (page 2 of 2)

When I was teaching…
What went well? What didn’t go so well? What would I do differently next time?
Briefly describe what you taught:
What went well? What didn’t go so well? What would you do differently next time?
Now that you know your students and their learning interests and needs, what ‘whole class’ strengths, needs and goals will you be keeping in mind as you begin your instructional planning?
What are your classroom management ‘growing edges’ right now? How will you continue to facilitate your own professional growth in these areas in the coming weeks?

Criteria for quality:

___ Complete (all required information is included and details are sufficient to convey ideas/information)

___ Critically-thoughtful (attempts to make connections between self/learning/practice are evident; provides reasons/evidence to support insights/ideas)

Process for developing a Practicum Instructional Plan (PIP):

In collaboration with the mentor teacher, each teacher candidate is required to develop a working plan of his/her teaching responsibilities during practicum. The suggested school visit dates to work on this are noted below and in the School Experience Schedule. Sample Practicum Instructional Plans (PIPs) are available from the School Experience Coordinator.

Teacher candidates: the method for constructing your PIP is as follows:

  1. Create an overview of your practicum timeline: Make 9 copies of your mentor teacher’s timetable - one page for each week of the practicum. Label each page: Introduction Week, Week One, Week Two etc. and note the teaching load for each week (30%-60%-80%-80%-80%-80%-80%-50%)
  2. Look at the school calendar and note any important dates on the relevant days/weeks of your overview (e.g. staff meetings, early dismissals, Pro D days, special assemblies etc..)
  3. Which subjects should you teach? Ideally, the core of your teaching assignment will consist of taking on one or two key subject areas (e.g. math, LA, science, socials etc.) at the beginning of the practicum. For example: teach the lessons for one subject in Week 1 (and teach this subject for the whole 8 weeks), then add another subject or a mini-unit in Week 2 (and teach that for a number of weeks) and build your teaching load from there. This will allow you to develop/implement a complete unit in at least one or two subjects. However, every mentor teacher approaches assigning teacher candidates’ duties slightly differently… so be flexible- but also be willing to suggest subject(s) and/or topics you’d be interested in teaching. Your teaching load and the subjects you teach must complement the class program established by your mentor teacher and there is a great deal of variation across teachers, grade levels and schools.
  4. For each week during practicum, discuss with your mentor teacher the subjects/classes you will be teaching. As you decide on the subjects/classes, circle or highlight these times on each weekly schedule.
  5. What should you know about the subjects you will teach? You will need to know the specific PLO(s) that your mentor teacher expects you to teach. The PLO(s) define the focus of the teaching/learning. You cannot start planning a unit overview until you have this information. Your mentor teacher should also provide some resources for you to ‘adopt and adapt’ as you develop your unit overviews.
  6. Talk about the timeline/process for obtaining parent consent for collecting student information (refer to detailed instructions on following page)
  7. Talk about Term 2 report cards: Discuss your role in developing the Term 2 report cards for your class. What assessment data will you provide? Which subjects will you be ‘in charge’ of reporting? Who will write the reports? When are the reports written? What will your role be during parent/teacher interviews and/or student-led conferences?
  8. ‘Special’ short term assignments should be considered only after your core teaching load has been established.
  9. Complete a Practicum Instructional Plan (PIP) Summary(cover sheet) that will provide your faculty advisor and mentor teacher with a snapshot of ‘where you are at’ with regard to preparation. The PIP Summary template is included in Appendix 3 of the Field Guide and an electronic copy will be posted on the School Experience webpage.
  10. Remember: you are under no obligation to carry a teaching load that goes beyond the recommended guidelines.
  11. Please ensure that both you and your mentor teacher have a copy of your PIP.
  12. Submit one hard copy of your PIP to the School Experience Coordinator by the due date specified in the School Experience Schedule. The School Experience Coordinator will review your PIP and then forward that copy to your faculty advisor.

NEW INFO TO INCLUDE IN YOUR PIP…

Instructions for obtaining parental consent for collecting student information

Timeframe for completion: Sometime in November, December or early January

  1. Mentor teacher and teacher candidate plan how consent forms will be sent home to parents

a)Review the protocol:

Protocol:

Collection of basic interest and learning information about students is done

  • With parent or legal guardian consent
  • Under the supervision of the designated mentor teacher(s) and school administrator(s)
  • For the purpose of understanding student learning goals and preferences in order to plan/prepare appropriate lessons and other learning experiences

Basic interest and learning information may include:

  • An interest or learning style questionnaire
  • Student work sample
  • Written notes from an interview conducted by the teacher candidate
  • Observation notes written by the teacher candidate

Information and work samples collected must be:

  • In hard copy only
  • Identifying information is blacked out or removed
  • Non-identifying images (all other photos or other images require special permission)
  • Stored in a designated binder
  • Treated as confidential information at all times
  • After use, submitted to mentor teachers and/or shredded with their consent

b)Review the request for parent consent form

c)Make copies of the consent form (unless distributed electronically)

d)Set up a tracking system (e.g. a class list taped onto a large envelope) and determine where this will be stored

  1. Send the notes home
  2. Track returned consent forms (as much as possible, this should be the teacher candidate’s responsibility with guidance from the mentor teacher)
  3. Either the mentor teacher or teacher candidate follows up regarding missing forms.
  4. When all signed forms are returned, teacher candidate will email Melissa McHugh in the School Experience Office () and let her know that parental consent has been obtained. All teacher candidates must have reported to Melissa by Friday, January 16th, 2015.