Cooperating Teachers, thank you for hosting a teacher candidate during this first placement! You are investing in the future of education and we deeply appreciate your partnership!
First Placement Schedule (11-16 hours per week)
Secondary Teacher Candidates will create a consistent weekly schedule in partnership with their Cooperating Teacher and University Supervisor that meets the needs of the classroom and the Teacher Candidate's academic schedule. The first placement begins during teacher in-service week before school starts and ends in alignment with the OSU academic calendar.
Part-time student teaching experience
Teacher Candidates will begin their part-time student teaching experience before school starts to participate in site trainings and learn more about classroom set-up. During student teaching, Teacher Candidates should begin with some observation and then quickly be introduced to teaching or co-teaching small lessons. This gradual release model of professional development works well to scaffold TC's growth as an emerging teacher.
Observations and Evaluation
Summer Term
August
- Before school: Help during in-service week and classroom set-up
Fall Term
September
- By end of September: Meet and Greet - University Supervisor will visit the classroom with Cooperating Teacher and Teacher Candidate present
October
- By end of October: Informal Joint Observation of same lesson with lesson plan and rubric, completed by University Supervisor and Cooperating Teacher individually and discussed together for calibration
November
- Anytime in November: Individual Cooperating Teacher Formal Observation
- Anytime in November: Individual University Supervisor Formal Observation
December
- By OSU winter break: Team meeting to end out placement #1 with Cooperating Teacher, University Supervisor, and Teacher Candidate
Policy For Teacher Candidate (TC) Absences
Any school day that a TC misses because of an emergency or illness must be reported to you before 7:00 a.m. on the day they will be missing. However, we encourage our students to try to notify you well before 7:00 a.m., if possible. The manner of how the Teacher Candidate reports the absence to the Cooperating Teacher should be agreed on before the student teaching placement begins. Teacher candidates are allowed 5 excused absences during their first placement.
Inclement Weather Policy
If a school is closed due to inclement weather, TCs do not report to school. If a site is on a two-hour delay, TCs will connect with their Cooperating Teacher to clarify what time to report to school (often two hours later than normal, but not always). These hours are not counted as part of the excused absences.
If TCs live in an area where the schools are closed due to weather, but teach in a district where schools are open,TCs will not report to their assigned school. The closure in the TCs residing school district determines that it is not safe to drive. In this case, TCs will connect with their Cooperating Teacher and University Supervisor, and record a snow day/ school closure on their log of hours. If the residing school district is on a two-hour delay,TCs will connect with their Cooperating Teacher on the anticipated arrival time.
First Placement Goals
During the first placement, Teacher candidates will work with their Cooperating Teacher by observing them or other teachers, assist/co-teaching with small groups of students or the whole class, and attending meetings.
Teacher Candidates will:
- Work with Cooperating Teacher to establish introductions with parents/guardians of students in classroom. Observe parent conferences.
- Submit a Log of Hours at the end of the placement.
- Work with Cooperating Teacher to prepare classroom environment for students, establish assessment and management plans.
- Attend orientation activities, on-site seminars, and school staff meetings.
- Talk to Cooperating Teacher about special needs students in the classroom. Review student files and attend IEP meetings.
- Talk to Cooperating Teacher about how they plan curriculum for the year.
- Establish collaborative relationships with Cooperating Teacher and other colleagues at school site.
- Maintain a standard of professional ethics demonstrated through words and actions, and maintain professional relationships with faculty and staff.
- Engage immediately in regular classroom activities.
- Apply knowledge of lesson plan design to the teaching of lessons in small and large group situations.
- Ask Cooperating Teacher to observe informally while you teach and provide feedback on your teaching. Discuss the format/model for the Formal Observation Process with University Supervisor and Cooperating Teacher well in advance of first Formal Observation.
- Collect a student roster and video release forms.