To: Cooperating Teachers
From: UCSB MST Program Coordinator and Supervisors
STUDENT TEACHING TIME COMMITMENT AND BENCHMARKS
FALL 2011
Time Commitment
• During the first week of school when teacher candidates are with you for the full day, August 23-27, the teacher candidates will not have any classes other than a small group meeting after school on either Thursday or Friday.
• MST candidates are expected to be at their elementary school sites at least 1/2 hour before the start of school, Monday through Thursday.
• On Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, candidates leave for the University at 12:00 as University coursework begins at 1:00 p.m. This allows candidates time to drive to UCSB, park, and walk to the new education building.
• On Wednesday, candidates remain at the school site for the entire teaching day. They also are to stay for a one hour planning meeting with you after school.
• On Friday, candidates are at the University all day.
Benchmarks
August / September
• From August 22 through September 1, candidates will be at their school sites full-time. Once school begins, candidates should facilitate routines such as morning opening or story-time. They should have multiple opportunities to observe you teaching both language arts and mathematics before they are expected to teach these curricular areas by themselves.
• After the first week of school, candidates are expected to teach two lessons per week.
• Candidates have their first lesson planning seminar on September 2nd. After this seminar, lesson plans are to be submitted to you 24 hours in advance of teaching. These plans should follow the guidelines for the informal lesson plan outlined in your Expectations Folder.
• By the fourth week of the month, candidates are expected to teach one lesson per day that requires preparation.
October
• By Thursday, September 29th, candidates are to have had a minimum of three experiences teaching the entire class.
• In mid-to-late October, three-way professional growth conferences are to be held between student teacher, cooperating teacher, and supervisor.
• By late October, candidates are expected to teach two lessons per day that require preparation.
• As appropriate, teacher candidates and their CTs could begin co-teaching lessons.
November
• During this month, teacher candidates are to teach two lessons per day that require preparation.
• Candidates should schedule one day in November (before the Thanksgiving vacation) when they plan and teach the whole morning. This provides them with the experience necessary to successfully plan for their four-morning take-over in either the first or second week of December.
December
• For four consecutive mornings in either late November or early December, the teacher candidate is to take-over all teaching responsibilities, including planning and teaching, as well as assessment of student work and maintenance of the classroom environment. This is to happen in either the first or second week of December.
• All take-over materials are to be submitted to you 10 days in advance of the four-morning take-over. These materials must include:
(1) a block plan,
(2) a complete set of lesson plans/outlines,
(3) take-over management plans,
(4) a letter to parents,
(5) related handouts, powerpoint presentations… and homework assignments.
*See letter regarding four-morning take-over for more specifics.
• After the take-over, candidates go back to teaching two lessons per day that require preparation.
• Also after the take-over, candidates prepare a portfolio addressing what they know and are able to do in relation to three of the six California Standards for the Teaching profession and Teacher Performance Expectations. A conversation to discuss this portfolio is to take place before the end of the fall placement. Conversation participants include the candidate, fall cooperating teacher (you), the University supervisor, and the candidate’s winter/spring cooperating teacher. The candidate is to bring the completed Teacher Candidate Performance Record to this meeting.
• Each cooperating teacher writes a letter of assessment for the candidate s/he has worked with. This letter should be shared with the candidate before the end of the placement.
