Time Commitment and Absences
Student teaching is an intense experience. Student teachers are expected to start and end each working day at the same time and in the same manner as their cooperating teachers. If the cooperating teacher is required to teach in person, the student teacher is required to teach in person. If the cooperating teacher is teaching remotely, the student teacher will teach remotely. In addition, it is important to remember that the method of teaching could change during any given semester. Student teachers should plan to adjust accordingly, as the student teacher stands to gain the most from the experience by working directly with, and being under direct supervision of, their cooperating teacher.
When they are not teaching, student teachers are expected to engage in planning, observation, conferences, meetings, in-services and professional development programs required of cooperating teachers. Cooperating teachers may assign or request additional responsibilities, as appropriate.
If a student teacher is absent from his or her placement for three or more days, for any reason, the missed days must be made up at the end of student teaching. Absences totaling more than ten days may result in removal or dismissal from student teaching.
Weekly Seminars
In addition to time in the classroom, student teachers participate in weekly, two-hour Zoom seminars led by a university supervisor. Over the duration of the 15-week experience, all student teachers are expected to attend a minimum of 12 seminars for the purpose of discussing the experience and what is being learned. Typical assignments include lesson and unit planning, journaling, and the edTPA assessment. More information about assignments and expectations is conveyed to student teachers at the first seminar meeting and in the seminar syllabus.
Communication Requirements
Because student teaching is an intense and complex experience, good communication between student teachers, cooperating teachers, and university supervisors is vitally important. In general, the Department of Teacher Preparation expects that all issues and questions related to student teaching will be resolved through direct communication among these individuals. Email addresses and phone numbers should be exchanged prior to the start of the student teaching experience, and all stakeholders should make room in their schedules for any face-to-face or Zoom meetings that may be requested or needed to address unresolved issues or concerns.
All student teachers are expected to use and monitor their Roosevelt University email at all times. Important items are sent to student email accounts with great regularity. Failure to communicate, monitor, or respond to email with university or school site personnel can result in a Student Performance Review due to a failure to demonstrate professional dispositions.
Professional Dispositions
All Roosevelt student teachers are assessed for professional dispositions throughout the student teaching experience using the Educator Disposition Assessment (EDA) and following the Department of Teacher Preparation – Educator Disposition Assessment (EDA) Policy. Here is a non-exhaustive list of the professional dispositions that we expect of Roosevelt student teachers:
- Attendance at the orientation for student teaching and all required seminars.
- Dress, actions, talk, and conduct consistent with the Illinois Educator Code of Ethics.
- Compliance with the regulations of the host school at all times, including reporting on time and without inconsistency to school and classes.
- Preparation and submission of lesson plans and assessment instruments in accordance with cooperating teacher and university supervisor expectations (typically, one week in advance of actual classroom teaching).
- Active participation in extracurricular and professional activities, such as staff meetings, committee meetings, departmental and grade meetings, lunchroom duties, sports, dances, and celebrations.
- Referral of parental requests for pupil data or evaluation and progress to the cooperating teacher.
- 24 hour advance notification to both the cooperating teacher and the university supervisor in case of illness or other unavoidable absence.
- Facilitation of university supervisor observations with the cooperating teacher. Once scheduled, it is expected that these observations will rarely and only in extreme situations be canceled.
- Timely arranging of conferences with the university supervisor and cooperating teacher after each observation to discuss the classroom activities observed.
- Completion of all assignments and assessments required for the seminar.
- Facilitation of open, honest, and regular communications with both cooperating teachers and university supervisors.