Selection
of Cooperating Teachers
To fulfill its intention to develop skilled professional educators,
the University of Delaware must take great care in selecting cooperating
teachers for its field placements. Initially, the districts or organizations
employing these teachers must embrace policies that complement the
University's conceptual framework. Then, the teachers selected from
these districts for this important task must reflect the attributes
expected of our teacher candidates: reflective practitioners serving
diverse communities of learners as scholars, problem solvers, and
partners. The following criteria, affirmed by an appropriate aggregation
from the evidentiary options, help guarantee an appropriate selection
process:
| Scholar |
Problem
Solver |
Partner |
| Possess
knowledge of basic principles of supervising student teachers
or be willing to accept such an academic learning experience
to prepare herself/himself for this responsibility |
Contruct
practical, effective approaches to professional challenges |
Particpate
as an effective team member broadly defined (e.g., with students,
professionals, families, and community members) |
| Hold
academic prepartion and teacher licensure/certification /experience
appropriate for level, age, and subject matter placements. |
Help
practicum students identify and learn how to sove their professional
challenges. |
Demonstrate
ability and willingness to mentor and effectively communicate
with teacher education candidates. |
| Demonstrate
commitment to professional development. |
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Some criteria,
like the following, require a synthesis across the roles of scholar,
problem solver, and partner:
Demonstrate
high quality teaching performance.
Exhibit
professional and ethical behavior.
Exhibit
personal and professional attitudes desirable for one in an educational
setting.
Evidentiary
Options for the Selection of Cooperating Teachers
Evidentiary
options that are used to support the criteria for the actual selection
of cooperating teachers include the following:
- Recommendations
from university and school personnel familiar with the selection
criteria forwarded to the Director of Clinical Studies
- Observations
in classrooms of potential cooperating teachers by field experience
supervisors
- University
supervisors' ratings of cooperating teachers
- Self-report
data submitted by nominated teachers
- Confirmation
by an administrative representative that the cooperating teacher
meets the criteria
- To make
this judgment, the administrative representative is familiar with
the University criteria and has access to the following evidence:
personnel records, informal observations, and results of teaching
performances
- Other
Additional
Criteria for Selection of Cooperating Teachers
A cooperating
teacher should:
- be recommended
and approved by his/her administration, as well as by the University
of Delaware clinical staff, and selected on a volunteer basis
only after the professional responsibilities associated with this
position are discuss and agreed upon by the prospective cooperating
teacher.
- be fully
certified in the area and level in which s/he will supervise
- have completed
a minimum of three years of successful teaching experience with
a minimum of one year of successful teaching experience in the
area/level at which s/he will supervise.
- be a good
role model who consistently demonstrates high quality teaching
performance.
- possess
knowledge of the basic principles of supervising student teachers
or be willing to accept such an academic learning experience to
prepare herself/himself for this responsibility.
- be willing
to devote the time required to adequately supervise, counsel and
evaluate the student teaching experience. This may include attending
meetings before, during, or after school.
- demonstrate
evidence of continuous professional growth.
- demonstrate
personal professional attitudes desirable for one in a leadership
role in teacher education
- exhibit
professional and ethical behavior.
- be an effective
team member.
Teachers willing
to accept student teachers should agree to:
- provide
an opportunity for the student teacher to assume total teaching
and planning responsibility of the full class or classes for a
period of approximately two weeks.
- allow the
student teacher the necessary latitude to employ his/her own ideas,
strategies, and/or materials to achieve the curriculum objectives
of the school and/or district
- provide
opportunities for and/or require elementary student teachers to
teach in all of the curriculum areas required of the school district
or included in the University of Delaware required program (math,
science, social studies, reading, language arts, etc.). All elementary
student teachers are required to plan and implement one or more
instructional units in each placement with at least one unit having
an integrated theme. Students teachers in special education must
develop an IEP for one student, implement a behavior intervention
project in their classroom, and complete an academic assessment
and remediation project or develop and teach an instructional
unit.
- conduct
an appropriate number of observations of the student teacher for
the purpose of providing information and evaluation of the student's
progress toward the development of teaching competencies.
- provide
an opportunity for the student teacher to demonstrate the ability
to assess the pupils' level of functioning, and plan and implement
learning experiences based on this assessment.
- provide
an opportunity for the student teacher to demonstrate the ability
to plan and carry out an experience for positive parent-teacher
relationships.
- provide
an opportunity for the student teacher to participate in professional
activities, e.g., attending faculty meetings, PTA meetings, meetings
of professional organizations, inservice meetings, etc.
- encourage
the student teacher to continue to grow professionally by reading
professional journals, taking courses and participating in professional
activities.
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