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Dear Cooperating Teachers:

Thank you for agreeing to host an NKU student in your classroom. This experience will prove to be a valuable opportunity for students to get their first taste of what teaching is all about. Not all of you have hosted students before, so here is some information about what to expect from our students and NKU. 

Field Experiences:  The purpose of this assignment is for students to experience school and classroom culture first-hand.  They will be placed in a school setting where they will be expected to complete various assignments.  Field experiences are two (2) days a week for approximately (2) hours. Documentation of time/effort will be recorded both on a time sheet and uploaded electronically. Students are required to attend ALL assigned days of field placements (refer to Course Calendar).  Students who have missed TWO (2) Field Experiences will result in a failing grade. *Unless these days are made up. *

An absence must be made up as two hours on any school day that can be arranged between the teacher candidate and teacher, not by adding additional minutes to other scheduled days; it is also acceptable to add a one hour block of time to a scheduled observation if approved by the Cooperating Teacher.

If teacher candidates are absent or tardy, they must contact the school office by phone, and the Cooperating Teacher and University Supervisor by phone and/or e-mail, in a timely manner (ahead of scheduled observation time if possible). 

Lesson Plans:  The following are the key assignments the student is expected to complete with your assistance.

1. Lesson Plan #1 (Emerging).  During the semester, you will be exposed to the Kentucky lesson plan, in a modified format.  For the assignment, you will be asked to observe your PK-12 Clinical Educator and fill in aspects of the lesson plan, before/during/after, s/he teaches a lesson and then write a reflection. Please be thorough in completing all aspects of the lesson plan, including the reflection.  Refer to Blackboard for the Rubric and assignment details.
2. Lesson Plan #2 (Emerging).   For the second assignment, you will work with your CT to write and co-assist/teach a lesson plan, incorporating technology from your EDU 313 course and then complete a reflection. Please be thorough in completing all aspects of the lesson plan, including the reflection.  Refer to Blackboard for the Rubric and assignment details.

Foliotek:  As a pk-12 clinical educator, you are expected to complete a disposition evaluation for your student. These dispositions will be sent by email, they may go to your junk folder so please check there if you don’t get them. You can expect disposition evaluations to be sent out during the midpoint of the placement, in addition to the end (final evaluation).

Professional Behaviors Checklist

Instructions: For each of the following professional behaviors, rate this teacher candidate's trajectory toward becoming first-year profession-ready. For purposes of this evaluation, a teacher candidate who is First-Year Profession-Ready is prepared to accept and successfully perform the duties one would reasonably expect of a newly-hired, first-year educator.

1.      Displays positive attitude.

2.      Takes initiative.

3.      Demonstrates enthusiasm for the work of teaching.

4.      Shows respect for families, colleagues, and/or communities.

5.      Maintains confidentiality.

6.      Demonstrates flexibility.

7.      Maintains professional boundaries.

8.      Build rapport with students.

9.      Demonstrates punctuality in all professional responsibilities.

10.  Dresses professionally.

Roles and Responsibilities

PK-12 Clinical Educator

The University Clinical Supervisor and/or Director meet with each PK-12 Clinical Educator to explain his/her responsibilities and to offer support. The PK-12 Clinical Educator will be responsible for collaborating with the teacher candidate to plan activities for experience in the classroom.  The activities should not only be meaningful to the teacher candidate’s learning, but also be authentic activities. For example, the teacher candidate may be assigned to work with small groups or individuals, or to introduce activities or parts of lessons designed by the teacher to the whole class.  The teacher should offer constructive feedback.  The teacher should not view teacher candidates as simply messengers, clerk-typists, or paper-graders, though teacher candidates may assist with some of these teaching-related duties.  The major focus of the PK-12 Clinical Educator should be to help the teacher candidate become familiar with the roles of the teaching profession, while being actively involved.  The teacher also is responsible for preparing the P-12 students to accept the teacher candidates as adults and future teachers; they should be introduced to the classroom of students as pre-service teacher candidates.  The way a classroom of students perceives teacher education students and their role is an important factor in establishing a comfortable and rewarding relationship.  The PK-12 Clinical Educator will also complete a PK-12 Clinical Educator Midpoint Checklist and Professional Dispositions Survey evaluating the professional dispositions of the teacher candidate, which will be collected by the University Clinical Supervisor and given to the Director as part of the teacher candidate’s overall course performance evaluation. 

If you have any questions concerning your responsibilities, or what is expected of your students, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Sincerely,

Ryan Alverson

Assistant Professor

Department of Teacher Education

College of Education

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Math-Education-Psychology Center (MEP) 273

Telephone: (859) 572-6580 

alversonj1@nku.edu