MidlandUniversity
Teacher Education Program
Student Teaching Application Policies and Procedures
Fall 2012 and Interterm 2013
Student teaching is a senior capstone experience that exposes the MidlandUniversity (MU) teacher candidate to the responsibilities and realities of full-time teaching in a classroom setting. The teacher candidate works under the direction and supervision of a successful and experienced classroom teacher. He/she may also be asked to assume responsibilities outside the academic classroom as part of the total experience. For elementary and secondary concentrations, the student teaching experience includes 16 weeks of increasing responsibility in the classroom culminating in an extended period of full-time teaching responsibilities. Teacher candidates adding additional endorsements such as early childhood or completing two field endorsements will student teach for a total of 20 weeks.
Successful completion of all MU Teacher Education Department requirements as outlined below qualifies a senior-level teacher candidate to apply for admission to student teaching. Acceptance into student teaching is not automatic.
To be considered for student teaching, a teacher candidate must have:
1. Completion of all requirements for admission and retention in the MU Teacher Education Program.
2.Attainment of a 2.75 cumulative grade point average. All courses in the MU Teacher Education Major; the elementary, secondary, K-6/7-12, or K-12 concentration; and the field/subject endorsement(s) must be graded on the A-F basis with no grade below C-.
3. Completion and submission of an application for student teaching on or before the deadline specified by the MU Teacher Education Department. This application will include written documentation of all criminal convictions and affirmation of no criminal history involving any felony convictions or any misdemeanor convictions related to abuse, neglect, or sexual misconduct; will verify that the candidate is not on MU social probation at the time of application; and will be supported by one letter of recommendation that meets specifications detailed in the application.
4. Development of an (electronic) portfolio that demonstrates satisfactory growth in meeting MU Teacher Education Program outcomes and learner competencies. All costs associated with development and presentation of the electronic portfolio is the responsibility of the candidate.
5.Completion of both a self-report, and campus student health check to verify physical and mental fitness for the demands of the P-16 classroom. In addition, an official background check will be completed. Costs associated with this background check will be the responsibility of the candidate.
6.Enrollment in SEA during the senior year. All costs associated with SEA membership
are the responsibility of the MUteacher candidate.
The MUteacher candidate must complete the application process in order to obtain a student teaching placement. Application information for student teaching is mailed the semester prior to the planned student teaching experience. Additional information is discussed with the course instructors of the elementary (EDU 340, EDU 398) or secondary (EDU 381, EDU 390) methods courses. Late student teaching applications may be processed after all other placement requests have been completed.
The student teaching application is reviewed by the MU supervising faculty. It is then sent to the MU Teacher Education Committee (TEC) for placement approval. The TEC reserves the right to judge the suitability of a candidate's application. If a candidate is not found to be an acceptable applicant for student teaching, his/her application and/or placement can be denied by the TEC. If denied acceptance into student teaching, the teacher candidate will be asked to meet with two members of the MU Teacher Education Department faculty to discuss the situation and determine an appropriate course of action.
In the student teaching application, each teacher candidate is provided an opportunity to suggest a cooperating school and/or cooperating teacher. To be considered the placement request must be:
1.within a 60-mile radius of campus;
2.outside of the MU candidate’s home school building (i.e., the high school a candidate graduated from or elementary, middle school, or junior high the candidate attended); and
3.outside the building where the MU candidate’s parents and/or other family members are employed or attend.
Once a school has accepted the placement for the teacher candidate, the teacher candidate cannot request that the placement be changed. The final decision regarding the student teaching placement is made by the MU Coordinator. Since student teaching is capstone of theMU Teacher Education Program, the Teacher Education Department strongly recommends that MU teacher candidates do not hold employment during the student teaching experience.
FOR ELEMENTARY, SPECIAL EDUCATION K-12, AND SECONDARY, the student teaching assignment runs all day for 16 weeks. The student teacher is expected to abide by the cooperating school's calendar and the cooperating teacher’s (s’) schedule, and not have their supervised teaching sequence interrupted by college holidays.
FOR ELEMENTARY/EARLY CHILDHOOD, ELEMENTARY/SPECIAL EDUCATION, K-6 OR TWO FIELD ENDORSEMENTS, the student teaching assignment is all day for 20 weeks a semester. Candidates seeking certification in early childhood will complete half the experience (10 weeks) in a pre-kindergarten through grade 3 classroom and the other half of the experience (10 weeks) in a grade 1-6 classroom. The student teacher is expected to abide by the cooperating school's calendar and the cooperating teacher’s (s’) schedule, and not have their supervised teaching sequence interrupted by college holidays.
DIRECTIONS to COMPLETE the APPLICATION:
Download the application to your desktop orzip drive and complete the required information. Use this page as a checklist to ensure a “complete” application.
1) _____Print out a copy of completed application.
2) _____Obtain the appropriate signatures. Do not wait until the last minute as advisors, Student Health and Student Development are not always on campus.
3) _____Attach your latest Degree Progress Report-Audit (Not the Unofficial Transcript.); you will need to print this from your account on Campus Connect.
4) _____Attach the Field Based Experience (FBE) Log Sheet to your application. This was mailed with your student teaching application letter.
5) _____Complete the Personal and Professional Fitness Statement that was mailed with your student teaching application letter. If you have already completed one thisSping semester, you will not need to complete this form.
6) _____Complete the official background check applicant disclosure and authorization form that was mailed with your student teaching application letter. You will pay the $15.00 (or $25.00 if you lived out state in last 5 years) fee when you turn this form in along with the completed application.
7) _____Ask someone to complete the Recommendation to Student Teach. (This form appears at the end of this document.) This recommendation should come from someone who knows your capabilities as a potential teacher and feels comfortable stating that you are ready for the student teaching experience; this letter is NOT a letter of recommendation for a teaching job. If you are a secondary applicant, the Recommendation to Student Teach must come from a faculty member in your content/endorsement area. The Recommendation to Student Teach cannot come from faculty in the MU Teacher Education Department. Please make sure that you or the person you asked to complete the recommendation submits it in a sealed envelope with the appropriate signature written across the seal to Ms. Bobbie Barton on or before the due date.
8)_____Attend a one-hour Teacher Candidate Portfolio Live Text training and create or update your TCP.
9) _____Submit one copy of the application and all of the accompanying materials to Dr. Keith Rohweror Ms. Bobbie Barton (AND 422) on or before 4:00pm Monday, February 6, 2012. As per TEC policy, should a late application be received, the teacher candidate must appear before the Teacher Education Committee (TEC) to seek approval for a student teaching placement. Please honor the due date so the placement process can begin as soon as possible.
MIDLAND UNIVERSITY TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAM
STUDENT TEACHING APPLICATION – FALL 2012/INTERTERM 2012
- GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT APPLICANT
Candidate’s Full Name:
Current Mailing Address:
Current City/State/Zip:
Phone Number:
MU E-mail Address:
Current Cumulative G.P.A.:
MU Academic Advisor:
Anticipated Graduation Date:
2. TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAM INFORMATION ABOUT APPLICANT
Place an X by the state approved field and subject endorsement(s) you are completing:
___ Art, K-12___Elementary Education, K-8___ Mathematics, 7-12
___ Basic Business, 7-12___English, 7-12___ Natural Science, 7-12
___ Biology, 7-12___ ESL, K-12___ Physical Education,
___ Chemistry, 7-12___ Foreign Language, 7-12 K-6, 7-12 ___ Coaching, 7-12 ___ History, 7-12 ___ Social Science, 7-12
___ Early Childhood Education, B-3___ Special Education, K-12___ Special Education, K-6
___ Special Education, 7-12
2a. Field-based Experience Hours
Please review the FBE Hours Log Sheet that was included in your mailing. Note any necessary corrections on the Log and contact Ms. Bobbie Barton in the Teacher Education Department. Attach the FBE Hours Log Sheet to this application.
1. List below any FBE hours in progress this semesterand placement information.
Course Title or #: #of HoursLocation of Experience
1. ______
2. ______
3. ______
2. Add the completed hours from the FBE Hours Log Sheet to the hours currently being completed for a total number of FBE hours:
______+ ______= ______
Completed hours in progress Total FBE hours
3. For ECE endorsement only: Total the number of FBE hours completed in a Birth through Grades 3 placement.
Total ECE endorsement FBE hours = ______
3. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION TO BE CONSIDERED
DURING THE PLACEMENT PROCESS
3a. MU Course # and Title WHILE student teaching. If not applicable, leave blank.
COURSE #/TITLE
1.
2.
Comments:
3b. MU Activities Involved in WHILE Student Teaching. If not applicable, leave blank.
MU ACTIVITIES# OF HOURS PER WEEK
1. 1.
2. 2.
3. 3.
4. 4.
Comments:
3c. Off-campus Employment Commitments WHILE Student Teaching
If not applicable, leave blank.
EMPLOYER# OF HOURS PER WEEK
1. 1.
2.2.
Comments:
3d. Transportation Arrangements WHILE Student Teaching
Type an X in front of the statement below to indicate status.
_____I will have reliable transportation to reach my school each day.
_____I will NOT have reliable transportation to reach my school each day.
3e. Which School(s) Did You Attend for Elementary, Junior High or Middle School, and High School?
3f. Type an X in Front of Any of the Following Statements Which Apply:
_____I DO NOT have a family member teaching, attending, or working in the school building(s) I prefer for student teaching.
_____I have a family member teaching or working in the school building(s) I prefer for student teaching. If this statement was marked, please explain the relationship.
_____I currently have a Personal and Professional Fitness Statement Form for this current semester on file in the Teacher Education office so I do not have to attach one.
_____I have attached a Personal and Professional Fitness Statement Form to this application.
3g. School Building/District Preferred for Student Teaching- Elementary, Special Education, K-12, and Secondary placements.
Type the school building name, name of school district, and preferred grade level(s). A teacher may also be requested but it is not required for completion of the application. NOTE: STUDENT INPUT IS SOUGHT IN THE PLACEMENT PROCESS, BUT THE FINAL PLACEMENT DECISION RESTS WITH THE MU COORDINATOR.
First Choice
School Name/District:
Grade Level:
Teacher: (optional)
Second Choice
School Name/District:
Grade Level:
Teacher: (optional)
Third Choice
School Name/District:
Grade Level:
Teacher: (optional)
Additional comments to assist in the placement:
3h. Early Childhood Education and Special Education, K-6 Placement Request (if applicable)
First Choice
School Name/District:
Grade Level:
Teacher: (optional)
Second Choice
School Name/District:
Grade Level:
Teacher: (optional)
Third Choice
School Name/District:
Grade Level:
Teacher: (optional)
Additional comments to assist in the placement:
4. SIGNATURES FOR VERIFICATION
I affirm that, to my knowledge, ______has completed the MU's
(Print student name)
required health record and that this record was dated ______. I also affirm that I have provided the student named above the opportunity to speak with me in confidence about any mental or physical health problems that might impact his/her ability to be accepted into or potentially complete the MU Teacher Education Program.
______ ______
(Director of Student Health or designee) Today's Date
I affirm that ______is not currently on MU social probation.
(Print student name)
______ ______
(Student Development Staff Signature) Today's Date
I affirm that, to my knowledge, the applicant is ready to apply for the student teaching experience in the MU Teacher Education Program.
______ ______
(Academic Advisor's Signature) Today's Date
I affirm that, to my knowledge, the information provided on this application is accurate and complete and that I possess the mental and physical health and academic potential necessary to be admitted to and successfully complete the MU Teacher Education Program. By signing below, I also understand that all (or a portion) of this application and materials will be sent to school district personnel for the purpose of requesting a student teaching placement.
______
(Applicant's Signature) Today's Date
REFLECTIVE ESSAY
5. INFORMATION ABOUT APPLICANT
Submita reflective essay that introduces you to your cooperating teacher(s) which contains three sections.
The first section contains basic information about you such as information about your family, your hometown, volunteer or employment experiences related to working with young people, and your participation in college organizations.
The second section should reflect on the personal qualities (dispositions) you believe are strengths or areas in which you’d like to grow including the following:
- Caring for others
- Respect of others
- Enthusiasm
- Collaboration
- Responsibility
- Ability to reflect
- Flexibility
- Integrity
The third section is Professional Growth Self Reflection. Consider the artifacts included in the Teacher Candidate Portfolio thus far. Reflect on the growth you’ve demonstrated from your freshmanyear until now. Identify areas where you have grown. Explain the evidence you see, based on the Teacher Education Goals of Planner of Effective Instruction, Builder of Learning Communities, and Model of Professional Development. Identify areas where you still wish to grow.
PLEASE use your best writing skills in paragraph format. Double-space your essay and limit your responses to no more than three pages. Remember, this essay will be sent to your Cooperating Teacher(s) as an introduction.
Introduction, Dispositions, and Professional Growth Self Reflection
by
MIDLAND UNIVERSITY TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAM
RECOMMENDATION TO STUDENT TEACH
Applicant, please fill in your name and the due date prior to giving to the person selected to complete this form.
Applicant Name ______Due Date ______
Directions to Person Completing the Form - Please provide your candid evaluation of the applicant’s ability to student teach as reflected in the statements below. You may type or handwrite the information. Submit the application in an envelope with your signature across the seal to Dr. Keith Rohwer on or before the stated due date.
1. What is your relationship to this applicant?
2. How long have you known the applicant?
3. Please check the degree to which you feel the candidate possesses the following dispositions:
AdvancedProficientProgressingBeginning No Basis to Judge
Caring______
Respectful of
Others______
Enthusiastic______
Collaborative______
Responsible______
Reflective______
Flexible______
Has integrity______
4. Are you aware of any reason why this applicant should not be allowed to student teach? Place a
checkmark by your response._____Yes _____No If yes was checked, please explain. Use the backside of this form if needed.
5. Additional information you would like to share. Use the backside of this form if needed.
Please print your name here ______
Please sign and date here ______Signature Date
1/2012