Field Experience Handbook

Purpose: To assist teacher candidates, cooperating/supervising teachers, and university faculty in understanding and meeting field experience responsibilities.

Revised:

Summer 2013

Dr. Heloise Aucoin Dr. Camille Yates

Director: Office of Field Experience Coordinator: PASS-PORT

College of Education

Southeastern Louisiana University

Teacher Education Center Teacher Education Center

SLU 10671, Rm. 201COffice: Rm. 201 B

Hammond, Louisiana 70402Contact:

Phone: (985) 549-2199or

Fax: (985) 549-5075Phone: 985-549-2406

Table of Content

Introduction: An Overview3-4

I. Field Experience Placement Components4

II.Field Assignments from the Office of FX5

III. Candidate Expectations5

IV. Cooperating Teacher Requirements5-6

V. Candidates Contact with Schools and Cooperating

Teachers6-7

VI. Special Needs in Field Experience 7

VII.Professionalism with Teachers and Students 7-8

VIII.Methods and Professional Development Sites8-9

IX.Issues Related to Field Experience9

X. PASS-PORT9-10

XI. Supervisory Personnel Workshop10

XII. Dress for Success10

XIII. Alternative Certification11-13

XIV.Service Learning13

Appendix

Appendix A: Student Insurance Coverage Form14

Appendix B: Dress Code 15

Appendix C: Integration of Southeastern Candidates

into the Classroom16

Appendix D: Field Experience Terms17

Appendix E: PASS-PORT – Requirements for FX18

Appendix F: PASS-PORT – Creating FX19

Appendix G: List of Field Experience Courses and

Hours required20-21

Appendix H: Field Experience Forms

  • Form A22-23
  • Form B24
  • Form C25-26
  • Form D27
  • Form E28

INTRODUCTION:

The mission of the Office of Field Experience (OFE) in the College of Education (COE) at Southeastern Louisiana University is to observe and interact with teachers, students, and other support personnel in diverse school settings as well as other community settings. These experiences are required to provide a meaningful developmental transition from theory to student teaching.

Teacher candidates (TC) have an opportunity to practice theory in realistic settings and reflect on the impact on student learning throughfield experience (FX)hours required for specific classes denoted in the syllabus of each class as well as in the appendix of this document. A minimum of 180 hours of FX must be completed and documented (PASS-PORT) before a teacher candidatemay student teach.

Multiple public and private school sites are available for FX in order to provide diversity. Students are expected to complete hours in urban, suburban, and rural settings. Thus, the intent and desire of the COE is to maintain a positive relationship with our public and private school partners, while providing a meaningful, multicultural field experience.

Teacher Candidates DO NOT create FX assignments. The Office of Field Experiencemanages FX. The Director is located in Rm. 201C

of the Teacher Education Center. Classes are assigned specific FX sites and professors/instructors notify teacher candidates of field placement schools. TCs are not to contactschools or enter schools until FX assignments have been made. Consideration will be given to specific requests for FX, but such requests must be made before a placement is assigned. Unless a placement request is outside of area, the Field Experience Directorwill place a candidate at a school or community site within a 50-mile radius of Southeastern.

The OFE, in conjunction with professors/instructors, will provide the support that will help a TC be successful. It is essential, though, that all candidates be aware of and comply with certain policies, procedures, and expectations. This handbook will provide an overview of these. Facultyinstructors/professors will provide additional informationpertinent to course requirements.

ALL FIELD EXPERIENCE FOR THE 2013-14 ACADEMIC YEAR MUST BE DOCUMENTED IN PASS-PORT BY JULY 31, 2014. AFTER THAT DATE, THE 2014-2015 ACADEMIC YEAR WILL NO LONGER BE ACTIVE.

FX AT SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA UNIVERSITYallows candidates to

  • Participate in the life of the school community.
  • Observe, interact, and offer instruction to students.
  • Experience opportunities to apply pedagogical concepts and skills in elementary/secondary level classrooms.
  • Participate in school-related activities and functions (e.g., Open House, Activity Nights, Tutoring programs).
  • Receive supervision from Professional Development Educators and college instructors.
  • Reflect upon observations and experiences with colleagues and course instructors.

The OFE services students, instructors, schools, and communities by

  • Locating possible placement sites;
  • Communicating instructor requests for placement to partner sites;
  • Reporting responses to instructors and their students;
  • Maintaining a relationship between the university and school districts in which it places its candidates;
  • Assessing the quality and quantity of FX each academic year;and
  • Maintaining a data base of FX by providing PASS-PORT (electronic documentation system) for TC and instructional record keeping.

I. THE FX PLACEMENT COMPONENTS

FX may begin when the Director of Field Experienceissuesfield

assignment lists.Assignmentsites are establishedby course

requirements for observation and direct teaching. Fieldexperience

mayonly occur during the semester in which the candidate is enrolled

in a course which requires FX. See Appendix G. Undergraduate

candidatescannot remain with the same placement for subsequent

semesters.

Field Experiencemust be diverse-multiple districts, schools and

cooperating teachers. Tutoring is accepted at specific sites and after

school as long as it is supervised by a qualified cooperating teacher.

Private tutoring inside a private residence is notpermitted. TC

must adhere to the “Cooperating Teacher Requirements”

(pages 5 and 6) and the candidate expectations outlined on page 6.

Candidates may not document FX in PASS-PORTunlessForm Ahas been

completed and submittedto the OFE by the cooperating teacher.

II. FIELD ASSIGNMENTS FROM THE OFFICE OF FIELD EXPERIENCE

  • All faculty members are required to emailfall and spring class rosters to the OFE prior to the issuing of field assignments.
  • Course Field Placement assignments are made within the first two or three weeks of each semester.
  • Once these assignments are completed and issued, the OFE will notify each district and/or school that assignments have been distributed to the classes.
  • PASS-PORT data collection Forms A and B will be distributed to the field sites and cooperating teachers through the OFE.
  • Field assignments will be placed on each class Moodle. Class rosters will be distributed to schools upon request. St. Tammany Parish School District requires that class rosters be in the hands of principals before field assignments begin. There is NO EXCEPTION.

III. CANDIDATE EXPECTATIONS

  1. After receiving placement(s), candidates must use Form Eto contact the schools. Principals or contact persons may not honor the placement if candidates:
  2. Wait longerthan two weeks to make requests.
  3. Leave any part of Form E incomplete.
  4. Mass emailForm E to multiple districts and schools.
  5. Flexibility when scheduling FX time with the cooperating teacher is compulsory.
  6. When entering the partner school, the candidate should
  7. introduce himself/herself,
  8. present the staff/administration with a photo ID,
  9. provide the cooperating teacher with a copy of Form E, if one is requested,
  10. contact the school in advance and inform the cooperating teacher if for any reason he/ she cannot report so that the FX may be rescheduled,
  11. avoid ALLcriticism of the school, staff, or students, and
  12. report any complications with the cooperating teacher to the OFE as soon as possible to resolve the problem.

IV. COOPERATING TEACHERrequirements/qualifications:

A. Approved by the school principal.

B. Hold a valid Louisiana Teaching Certificate.

C. Have at least three years of teaching experience in his/her

Louisiana certified area of teaching or a Type B certificate.

D. Willing to participate.

E. Complete FORM A, the (FBTEQ), yearly and return the form to

Dr. Heloise Aucoin, Director of Field Experience

SLU 10671

Hammond, LA 70402

email: or fax 985-549-5075

Form A can also be completed online at

F. Complete FORM B (class demographics)and make it available to candidates.

V. CONTACTINGTHE SCHOOL OR COOPERATING TEACHER

  1. Candidate initial contact: Emailisthe required method of communication.Most schools require that all FX assignments be made through the school contact person. Email the school contact person requesting observation time and attach Form E to the email.

Form E identifies candidate needs and requests.

  1. If Form E is not provided by the teacher candidate, the school does not have to grant field experience request.
  2. Some schools prefer that cooperating teachers be contacted by email and schedule their own FX. The school office is not to be contacted. For these sites, a list of cooperating teachers and classes will be provided by the OFE. These teachers MUST be emailed Form E when the request is made. Parochial and private schools must be contacted in the same manner.
  3. Email addresses for all school contacts/principals are provided on the class field assignment list.
  4. Teacher candidates must sign in at a field site.
  5. If acandidate does not report (no show), then the principal or contact person will document and inform the Office of Field Experience of the “no show.”
  6. Be punctual. Allow time for any problems. Arrive at the schoolatleast thirty (30) minutes before the class begins. Locatetheschooloffice, sign in and, if possible, introduce himself/herself tothe principal. Stay in the classroom until the cooperating teacher indicates yourdeparture is appropriate.
  7. Field hours DO NOT include travel time to and from theschools and are completed outside the scheduled class time, with the exception of methods classes.
  8. Wear Southeastern I.D.when visiting a field site. Some schooldistricts require proof of identification using a valid driver’s license.
  9. Be aware of the school’s calendar. Area school districtsmay not follow the same calendar as Southeastern. Review the school calendar posted on the school website or ask for a copy of the school calendar at the school office.
  10. Schools cannot accommodate GROUP OBSERVATIONS; therefore, candidates should pre-schedule a visitation date. Only ONE candidate can observe a teacher at a time.
  11. ABSENCES and “No-Shows”: Candidates must notifycooperating teacher of any absences PRIOR to the assigned visit. Arrangements may be made to make up the missed FX. “No shows” are unacceptable and are grounds for referral to the Teacher Development Center(TDC) for counseling.
  12. CONSEQUENCES regarding “No shows” will be determined in thefollowing order:
  13. Candidate will be marked off school site list and not be allowed to return.
  14. Professor/Instructor will determine the consequence for the second “no show.”
  15. Candidate will be referred to the Department Head of Teaching and Learning for disciplinary action and may be referred to the TDC.

VI. SPECIAL NEEDS IN FIELD EXPERIENCE

  1. Special Education Requests: Candidates should specify needs (inclusion, self-contained, resource) on Form Eprior to the site visit. Without these specified requests, candidates mayfind that selected classrooms may not meet the requirements of the FX.
  2. Illness: Headaches, muscle strains, or other minor complaints do not prevent most teachers from working; thus, teachers expect the same dedication from the candidate. On the other hand, teachers are not interested in exposing students to extreme illnesses. If a TC is seriously ill, contact the CT in advance, not ten minutes before the anticipated arrival time. Make plans with the teacher to make up missed time.

VII. PROFESSIONALISM WITH TEACHERSAND STUDENTS

To become a successful participant in a teacher’s classroom, one

willneed patience and a positive and respectful attitude.

  1. Cell phones and computers: Cell phones should be left in vehicles and/or turned off and should not be used during a FX visit. Classroom computers are not to be used by teacher candidates for any reason. No candidate should bring a laptop in a cooperating teacher’s class.TEXT MESSAGING DURING FIELD EXPERIENCE IS PROHIBITED AND WILL REPORTED TO THE OFFICE OF FIELD EXPERIENCE AND THE DEPARTMENT OF TEACHING AND LEARNING FOR DISCIPLINARY ACTION.

B. Unnecessary Items: Do not bring university textbooks or

course notes to the classroom. Engaging in behaviors such as

applying nail polish or eating a snack is inappropriate. Eating in

the classroom isprohibited by school districts.

C. Payattention—look interested. Many CT(s) have prepared

lessons with a TC inmind. Candidates and students are there to

learn.

D. Ask the cooperating teacher for his/her completed PASS-

PORT demographic sheet (Form B) and sign the Individual

Course Field Experience chart after the field experience is

completed. CTs should keep PASS-PORTdemographic sheets

(Form B) intheir classrooms. If one if not completed, bring

extraForm B’s so that it can be completion by the teacher.

E. Consequences: If for any reason a cooperating teacher or

school reports improper behavior or unprofessional attitude, the

following consequences will occur:

First report: OFE will contact teacher candidate of the

problem--warning

Second report: Teacher candidate will not be allowed to

returnto the school or school district.

Third report: Referral to the Teacher Development Center

F. Universal Precautionary Expectations. In general, early

field experience candidates are not required to complete Universal Precautions training. Field experience students should not be asked to clean up bodily fluids (e.g., after a student vomits or develops a bloody nose). However, be aware of these precautions, the risks of handling bodily fluids, and the school’s policies. Serious risks include exposure to HIV (AIDS), Hepatitis, and other blood borne pathogens. TCs are encouraged to ask the CT how incidents involving bodily fluids are handled. Classroom awareness of the plastic gloves and first aid kits is essential.

Procedures for Early FX Candidates regarding sick or injured students:

If a sick or injured child approaches, follow these procedures:

1. Speak only to try and calm the student needing assistance. Do not touch.

  1. Hand clean tissues or paper towels to the pupil and ask the pupil to cover the

wound or wipe his/her mouth or hands if vomiting.

  1. Notify the teacher; let the teacher handle the pupil and the cleanup.

VIII. METHODSAND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SITES

  1. Priority placement close to the campus is given toadvanced/methods and FX candidatestaking capstone coursesimmediately preceding student teacher.

B. METHODS SITES aredesignated for methods classes, only. No

other FX can occur at those sites except the assigned methods

classes. All requests for FX at these sites will be denied.

C. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SITES (PDS)allow classroom

observation and participation and provide on-site class meetings.

Specific schools are designed as “Professional Development

Sites.” PDS are interactive sites in which Southeastern faculty

members offer professional development through cooperative

presentations to FX students as well as site faculty members.

Southeastern and the school faculty share materialsand technology.

Also, Southeastern faculty and candidates attend faculty meetings at

the site Instructors/Professorswork with principals and CTs to

collaboratively set dates and communicate specific field expectations.

IX. FIELD EXPERIENCE ISSUES: CANDIDATES MAY/MUST NOT

  1. Administrate nor serve as an official witness for corporal punishment.
  2. Contact nor send notes to parents/guardian of the students observed or tutored.
  3. Express personal, religious, and political views in the classroom or with students outside the classroom.
  4. Engage in religious activities at the school site.
  5. Have access to student records.
  6. Observe or direct teach in a class that has an assigned student teacher from any university. These teachers do NOT function as a cooperating teachers but as supervising teachers for the semester. Only student teachers will be able to document hours in PASS-PORT under these teachers.

**Candidate MUST be in the presence of the cooperating teacher at ALL times.

X. PASS-PORT: Professional Accountability Support System Using a

Portal Approach(PASS-PORT)provides

  • Is a web-based system that provides candidates, faculty, and administrative staff a tool to gather, demonstrate, and evaluate performance data,
  • Provides candidates a tool for the creation of standards-based portfolios and for sending and receiving feedback on portfolios,
  • Provides university faculty a system to collect data, and evaluate candidate performance based on coursework, experiences, and clinical practice. University faculty members use these data to improve their teaching, scholarship, and service.

**PASS-PORT Requirements: *Important*

  1. Active account
  2. Participate in training (session or on-line)
  3. All FX must be entered each semester
  4. Introductory Folio: 50 hours required—Portal 2
  5. Developing Folio: 130 hours required—Portal 3
  6. Competency Folio: 180 hours required—Portal 4

***Transfer Candidates

  1. FXs may be transferred from another university to the PASS-PORT system as long as the course transfers.
  2. Contact the Director of Field Experience, Dr. Heloise Aucoin,and the PASS-PORT coordinator, Dr. Camille Yates,for guidancein documentation.
  3. Advisers must be informed of transferred FXs into PASS-PORT.

XI. SUPERVISORY PERSONNEL WORKSHOP

Each academicyear the College of Educationoffers an informative

workshop to all schoolpersonnelin the field community who work with

teacher candidates. Topicsdiscussed are (1).Conceptual Framework;

(2)Assessment System; (3) Field Experience Requirements; (4)

Student Teaching Requirements. Workshoplocations are

Southeastern Teacher Education Center;

Southeastern/Livingston Literacy and Technology Center;

St. TammanyLiteracy and Technology Center; and

one other district of choice (optional).

School districts may request a workshop in their area. This will

bearranged by the OFE. Professionals who should attend this

workshop are classroom teachers, cooperating teachers, methods

teachers, supervising teachers, principals,administrators, and

district/school contact personnel.

Continuing Education Units (CLU) are presented to professionals on a yearlybasis for partnering with Southeastern. Hours are calculated and certificates issued at the beginning of each academic year for the previous year’s service. Number of CLUs will depend onthe number of hours documented in PASS-PORT.

XII.Dress for Success

Southeastern Louisiana University requires each candidate to maintain professional attire and behavior while participating in observation and/or FX. A candidate should know the dress code andgeneral code of conduct of the district. If a candidate has questions relative to what is appropriate, contact the instructor of the course. Failure to comply with university and district dress codepolicies may result in disciplinary action. Appendix B is an accepted dress code for Southeastern Louisiana University.

XIII.Alternate Certification

Alternative certification field hours are as follows: