1. QUESTION: Why should I volunteer to be a cooperating teacher?

ANSWER: By volunteering your services you are demonstrating your sincere interest in the teaching profession and your willingness to contribute to the growth of young, inexperienced teachers.

You also make a valuable contribution toward the solution of broader educational problems through your constructive interaction with student teachers that will, as citizens, affect public school programs in their local communities.

2. QUESTION: What is the long-term impact of my contribution to the student teaching program?

ANSWER: Each day you work with college students you are making a vital contribution to their future teaching ability, which will in turn gradually influence the lives of hundreds of children and youth.

3. QUESTION: How will a student teacher e of benefit to me in my classroom?

ANSWER: Many teachers have expressed the idea that they profited professionally through interaction with a young, enthusiastic person who brought fresh ideas and ways of working. A student teacher also provides the opportunity to reduce the adult-pupil ratio in the classroom, thus allowing for greater individualizing of your program.

4. QUESTION: What information should I give the student teacher in our first meeting?

ANSWER: The student teacher needs to know and to understand you, just as you need to know and understand him/her. What will you expect of him/her - do you expect him/her to use his/her initiative and do the jobs that he/she sees need to be done, or do you want him/her to do only those things that you specifically identify for him/her to do? What standards do you hold for pupils and yourself? What are your special interests, personality characteristics, your likes and dislikes, views about everyday things on which you have strong feelings? What do you conceive a teacher's role to be? Leave the student teacher with the understanding that he/she can question "why" any time he/she wonders about your programs and procedures.

5. QUESTION: How do I prepare my class to receive a student teacher?

ANSWER: Before the student teacher arrives it is important to convey the idea to the pupils that they should look upon the student teacher as another teacher, rather than as a student. Your attitude in making plans for the young teacher is more important than what you say. Your eagerness, or your reluctance, your willingness to take time to discuss and make plans for the new arrival will tell pupils your real attitude toward the student teacher.

6. QUESTION: Can pupils share in the preparation for a new student teacher?

ANSWER: Pupils should share responsibility for preparing your young teacher. They may take part by preparing a list of room policies, a handbook of school practices and policies, or even thumb nail sketches of themselves as notes of introduction.

7. QUESTION: Where does the student teacher live in the classroom?

ANSWER: Before the student teacher arrives, a desk or table of his/her own should be provided. This gives the student teacher a certain amount of status and establishes the student teacher as a co-worker in the classroom.

8. QUESTION: What is the procedure for the first day?

ANSWER: Whatever your situation may be, three major guides should be kept in mind in working through the first day:

• When the pupils have all arrived and the work of the day is about to begin, your new colleague should be introduced to the entire class. This is an important step in helping the student teacher get off to a good start in building respect and confidence in the minds of the pupils. Provide each pupil with a clear-cut pronunciation of the young teacher's name and its spelling and stimulate a feeling of "it's good to have an added teacher in our room who.."
• Your plans should provide for his/her involvement from the beginning.
• You should take time at the end of the day to talk with the student about what has happened and share with him/her your planning for the next day.

9. QUESTION: Why is it important for the student teacher to make a contribution on the first day?

ANSWER: When the student teacher makes a contribution on the first day that he/she is with the group, it at once establishes him/her as a co-worker, a second teacher. If his/her first several days are used to observe only, in the minds of some pupils he/she comes to be a Awatcher@ who is trying to find out how to teach, rather than a person who has reached a stage of readiness to begin teaching.

10. QUESTION: At what rate should my student teacher assume responsibility for instruction?

ANSWER: Your student teacher is not expected to observe for a fixed number of days or to take full responsibility at a given time. The determiners of the pace are the student teacher=s readiness to assume the leadership required by the pupils and how he/she and you can best achieve the desired goals of your curriculum. The decision in each case is made in terms of what is the most positive contribution to the teaching-learning situation in which the student teacher is engaged. You must provide for individual differences in student teachers much as you would in your pupils.

11. QUESTION: What do I need to tell the student teacher about my curriculum?

ANSWER: Your student teacher will need to become familiar with the particular units of work in which the pupils will be engaged when he/she begins his/her student teaching. He/she should have an opportunity to review your unit plans and to know how far the work will have been developed when he/she becomes a member of the teaching team.

12. QUESTION: What school procedures should I acquaint my student teacher with?

ANSWER: Assuming that the principal has helped the student teacher to become acquainted with the school staff, it is important that during the first few weeks of student teaching the young teacher should learn about the following:

• Daily schedule
  
• School calendar, school hours
  
• Fire and air-rail drills
  
• Playground rules (teacher=s responsibilities)
  
• Reporting accidents, first-aid service, health services
  
• Enrolling new pupils, readmission of pupils who have been ill
  
• Attendance records, register keeping
  
• Group movement within the building
  
• Use of duplicating equipment; requisition of supplies and equipment
  
• Lunchroom regulations, policies regarding the noon hour
  
• Testing programs
  
• Teacher=s meetings (student teacher=s part in them)
  
• Parent-teacher meetings
  
• Home invitations, pupil gifts
  
• Reports to parents
  
• Rules regarding field trips
  
• Special school services
  
• Supervisory policies B principal, central office personnel
  
• Reporting pupil and teacher absence

13. QUESTION: Should I share home-school contacts with the student teacher?

ANSWER: One of your very important responsibilities is to help student teachers understand pupils better through contacts with home and family. Student teachers can share in contacts such as planned conferences, visiting days, PTA meetings, field days, field trips, and home visits.

14. QUESTION: What should I expect of my student teacher in terms of planning?

ANSWER: At the elementary level your student teacher is expected to prepare and teach an integrated unit of at least one week in duration in one of the following content areas: science, social studies, language arts, or mathematics. The topic of the unit should be decided upon by you and the student teacher and approved by the University supervisor. Each student teacher has suggested outlines that he/she should use in the preparation of the unit. Sufficient notice and access to resources should be given to the student teacher. You should receive a draft copy of the unit, including the general goals, specific objectives and initiating activities, for your approval at least one week before the student teacher actually begins teaching his/her unit.

At the secondary level the student teacher is expected to prepare and teach a unit in each class he/she is assigned to teach following the recommended guidelines stated above at the elementary level.

15. QUESTION: What about lesson plans?

ANSWER: The student teacher should maintain written plans that include objectives, materials, and implementation strategies. University students are familiar with performance based objectives. All plans should be checked and approved by you prior to instruction.

16. QUESTION: What about block planning at the elementary level?

ANSWER: If programs and schedules allow it, the student teacher should be given the opportunity to plan a full week=s schedule.

17. QUESTION: How about solo teaching?

ANSWER: It is expected that the student teacher will solo teach in all subject areas that he/she teaches unless program or extensive grouping makes solo teaching unfeasible. The student teacher should solo teach for a period of approximately two weeks including at least five consecutive days. Prior to the five consecutive days, the solo period might consist of a combination of solo half days and full days.

18. QUESTION: Am I suppose to be out of the room during the solo teaching period?

ANSWER: Yes, unless your grouping in certain subject areas requires your assistance. During your time out of the classroom you can render special help to pupils in an area outside the classroom develop curriculum and materials or visit other classrooms. You will, however, want to observe a few times during the solo period, as this very important period of time can provide you with some valuable assistance in evaluating your student teacher=s progress and writing the final evaluation report.

19.QUESTION: Why should the student teacher have a solo teaching experience?

ANSWER: You have the obligation to prepare the student teacher for the full class responsibility he/she will assume upon successfully attaining employment.

20. QUESTION: Has the approach to student teaching changed since I was in school?

ANSWER: Yes. Traditionally the student teacher observed and then gradually assumed complete control of the schedule while the cooperating teacher observed his/her performance. The emerging concept of student teaching is for the student teacher and the cooperating teacher to work together in the classroom as an instructional team for the purpose of reducing the teaching-pupil ratio and maximizing the opportunity to individualize the instructional program. The student teacher will, however, still work toward gradually assuming total control of the schedule by the solo teaching period.

21. QUESTION: How can I team-teach and supervise the student teacher at the same time?

ANSWER: It is your professional responsibility as a cooperating teacher to provide feedback to the student teacher on his/her performance. There are several ways to accomplish this objective:

• Careful guidance and checking of the student teacher's plans.
  
• Observing the student teacher informally in the team teaching situation.
  
• Formally observing a solo lesson or two each week.
  (A suggested procedure is attached.)
  
• Evaluation of pupil progress.

22. QUESTION: What is the role of the University supervisor?

ANSWER:

• The University supervisor serves as a liaison between the major University departments and all involved personnel at the school.
• The University supervisor observes the student teacher on a regular basis.
  
• The University supervisor will confer with the student teacher and cooperating teacher regularly. At least two three-way conferences are required.
  
• The University supervisor will provide consultation to the student teacher and cooperating teacher.
  
• The University supervisor will seek feedback from all district personnel concerning the student teaching program.

23. QUESTION: What should I do if the student teacher experiences difficulty?

ANSWER: As soon as you sense a problem, share your concern with the student teacher and the University supervisor. Together attempt to develop strategies to alleviate the situation. Do not avoid the problem. This will only create more difficult problems at the end of the semester.

24. QUESTION: Who determines the student teacher=s grade?

ANSWER: The University of Delaware course in student teaching is graded on a pass-fail basis. Two final reports are submitted to the Director of Clinical Studies, one from the cooperating teacher and one from the University supervisor. With student teachers experiencing difficulty, alternative measures are usually employed before final grades are due. If, however, the University supervisor and the cooperating teacher submit conflicting grades, the Director of Clinical Studies determines the final grade.

25. QUESTION: Why do both the cooperating teacher and the University supervisor use the same report form?

ANSWER: The same report is used by both to provide prospective employers with the University=s and public school=s perception of the student teacher=s performance on a single set of criteria.

26. QUESTION: What happens to the final evaluation reports?

ANSWER: These reports are placed on file in the Office of Clinical Studies and at the option of the student teacher a copy can be released to the University Career Services Center.

27. QUESTION: Upon what do I base my evaluation of the student teacher?

ANSWER: You should base your final evaluation report on the growth of the student teacher throughout the semester. The growth should be seen as a result of your observations and conferences with the student teacher throughout the semester. Conferences with the University supervisor are also helpful in gaining perspective on your student teacher's progress. A mid-term evaluation using the final evaluation report form has been found helpful in focusing the final evaluation.

28. QUESTION: What should my student teacher do if he/she is going to be absent?

ANSWER: The student teacher has two obligations in this regard:

• Notify you as early as possible.
• Notify the University supervisor.

PERFORMANCE CHECKLIST FOR COOPERATING TEACHERS

1. Make suggestions concerning instructional materials and techniques.
2. Encourage flexibility in instructional techniques.
3. Make suggestions concerning grouping and individualizing techniques.
4. Make suggestions concerning classroom control and management.
5. Demonstrate lessons when appropriate.
6. Serve as a sounding board for student teacher suggestions and recommendations.
7. Provide necessary moral support.
8. Anticipating student teacher anxiety concerning observation and critique, foster the attitude that observation will result in constructive suggestions for instructional improvement.
9. Substantiate all critiques.
10. Discuss grading philosophy and procedures with the student teacher early in the marking period.
11. Discuss professional performance in private conferences.
12. Sensitize the student teacher to his/her professional responsibilities.
13. Be available for consultation concerning unique situations.

GUIDELINES FOR COMMUNICATING WITH THE STUDENT TEACHER

1. Focus feedback on behavior rather than the person.

It is important that we refer to what a person does rather than comment on what we imagine he/she is. This focus on behavior further implies that we use adverbs (which relate to actions) rather than adjectives (which relate to qualities) when referring to a person. Thus, we might say a person "talked considerably in this meeting" rather than that this person is "a loudmouth."

2. Focus feedback on observations rather than inferences.

Observations refer to what we can see or hear in the behavior of another person, while inferences refer to our interpretation of the behavior (as in "you were defensive," or "you are a driver"). The sharing of inferences or conclusions may be valuable, but it is important that they be so identified.

3. Focus feedback on description rather than judgement.

The effort to describe represents a process for reporting what occurred, while judgement refers to an evaluation in terms of good or bad, right or wrong, nice or not nice. The judgements arise out of a personal frame of reference or value grid, whereas description represents more neutral reporting.

4. Focus feedback on descriptions of behavior, which are in terms of "more or less" rather than in terms of "either-or."

The "more or less" terminology implies a continuum on which any behavior may fall, stressing quantity, which is objective and measurable, rather than quality, which is subjective and judgmental. Thus, participation of a person may fall on a continuum from low participation to high participation, rather than "good" or "bad" participation. Not to think in terms of "more" or "less" and not to use a continuum is to trap ourselves into thinking in categories, which have different values for different persons and as such, provide "blocks" in leveling.

5. Focus feedback on behavior related to a specific situation, preferably to the "here and now" rather than to behavior in the abstract, placing it in the "there and then."

What you and I do is always tied in some way to time and place, and we increase our understanding of behavior by keeping it tied to time and place. Information is most meaningful if given as soon as appropriate after the observation or reactions occur.

6. Focus feedback on the sharing of ideas and information rather than on giving advice.

By sharing ideas and information we leave the receiver free to decide for himself/herself in the light of his/her own goals, in a particular situation at a particular time how to use the ideas and information. When we give advice, we tell him/her what to do with the information, and in that sense we take away his/her freedom to determine what for himself/herself is the most appropriate course of action as well as reducing his/her personal responsibility for his/her own behavior.

7. Focus feedback on exploration of alternatives rather than answers or solutions.

The more we can focus on a variety of procedures and means for the attainment of a particular goal, the less likely we are to accept prematurely a particular answer or solution B which may or may not fit a particular problem. Many of us go around with a collection of answers and solutions for which there are no problems.

8. Focus feedback on the value it may have to the recipient, not on the value or "release" that it provides the person giving the feedback.

The information provided should serve the needs of the recipient rather than the needs of the giver. Help and feedback should be given and perceived as an offer, not an imposition.

9. Focus feedback on the amount of information that the person receiving it can use, rather than on the amount that you have which you might like to give.

To overload a person with information is to reduce the possibility that he/she may use what he/she receives effectively. When we give more than can be used, we are satisfying some need for ourselves rather than helping the other person.

10. Focus feedback on what is said rather than on why it is said.

Because the reception and use of personal feedback involves many possible emotional reactions, it is important to be sensitive to when it is appropriate to provide information. Excellent information presented at an inappropriate time may do more harm than good.

11. Focus feedback on what is said rather than on why it is said.

The aspects of information that relates to what, how, when, where, of what is said are observable characteristics. The why of what is said takes us from the observable to the inferred, and brings up questions of "motive." To make assumptions about the motives of the person giving information may prevent us from hearing or cause us to distort what is said. In short, if I question "why" a person gives me feedback, I may not hear what he/she says.

SUGGESTED PROCEDURE FOR SUPERVISING STUDENT TEACHERS

Material is modified from model developed by Dr. Robert Goldhammer, Clinical Supervisor.

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