Dr. David Raker

572-5293

draker@wsc.ma.edu

http://www.wsc.ma.edu/draker

Schools in American Culture is a pre-practicum course which requires a minimum of 15 hours field-based work. Students will use this opportunity to establish their competencies for certification. In the prepared portfolio for the pre-practicum you will note that specific standards required by the state are cited. We appreciate the efforts of the cooperating practitioners in assisting our students in developing these competencies.

Students are responsible for fulfilling the following responsibilities to the cooperating practitioner and to the college:

• Appear in the classroom at their scheduled times, neatly groomed and appropriately attired. If a student is ill, he/she must report the illness to the cooperating practitioner and reschedule the visit.
• A minimum of fifteen (15) clock hours must be spent in field-site classroom setting. All activities listed in the course outline portfolio must be completed regardless of the fifteen (15) hour minimum requirement. Individual student schedules are to be negotiated between the student and the cooperating practitioner.

During the field experience, students should keep detailed notes. The contents should include:

• The date and time of each visit.
• Activities engaged in for the day and a personal reaction to the types of activities in terms of their benefit to the student.
• Activities which are assigned in the course outline.
• All observation lessons.
• All the completed forms of the activities required in the guide.
• Comments by the student regarding their observations of children's learning behavior.
• Comments on creative teaching, i.e., activities, bulletin board displays, learning center activities, etc.
• Classroom management procedures which are positive and effective.
• Cooperating Practitioner's signature upon completion of hours.

The college makes the following suggestions to the cooperating practitioner in this field experience:

• This is one of the student's first education courses; therefore, we request that the pre-practicum student work with individual pupils and small groups only.

• Students are required to observe and record their observations of lessons in various curriculum areas. (A minimum of at least one observation per school or teacher; combined total not less than two observations).
• Students are required to complete the activities in the pre-practicum guide as assigned by the professor.

• Students are to assist the practitioner in the use of audio-visual materials in the classroom.

• The Education Department would like to be informed of any problems which may occur during this field experience as soon as possible.

STUDENTS AND COOPERATING PRACTITIONERS ARE REQUESTED TO HEED THE CERTIFICATION STANDARDS LISTED IN THE PRE-PRACTICUM EXPERIENCES. IT IS EXPECTED THAT THE STUDENTS WILL DEMONSTRATE A DEGREE OF PROGRESS TOWARD ACHIEVING THE CERTIFICATION STANDARDS SO THAT BY THE TIME THEY HAVE COMPLETED THEIR PRACTICUM (STUDENT TEACHING), ALL THE DESIGNATED COMPETENCIES WILL HAVE BEEN OBTAINED.

Schools In American Culture

Dr. David Raker

1. PRE-PRACTICUM FIELD-BASED EXPERIENCE SIGNATURE SHEET:

Name of Student: _____________________________________________

School(s) Visited _________________________________________ Grade(s): ____

_________________________________________ Grade(s): ____

_________________________________________ Grade(s): ____

_________________________________________ Grade(s): ____

I attended field day events in Westfield

Holyoke Please remember to include all attendance forms

Gateway

Other

Cooperating Practitioners:

Signature: Hours:

1. ____________________________________ 1. ____________

2. ____________________________________ 2. ____________

3. ____________________________________ 3. ____________

4. ____________________________________ 4. ____________

5. ____________________________________ 5. ____________

To be completed by the student:

A total of ____________ hours were completed in this pre-practicum. Attending two field day events is equivalent to 15 hours.

Every student is required to maintain a record of his/her experiences on this log form.

You will probably need to add additional pages. Please provide at least 3-4 sentences for each day of activities.

DATE	LOCATION	TIME SPAN	PURPOSE or ACTIVITY

For this exercise, you will interview at least one administrator, one teacher, and one student. Following are lists of questions that should help guide you through the interview process. In certain cases, some questions may not be applicable. Please state briefly why this was the case.

The purpose of this exercise is, while visiting a school campus, to interview one or more administrators, using the question format that follows. Appointments should be prearranged. Follow-up thank-you letters are in order. Share with your colleagues the results of your interviews.

1. Name and location of school:

2. Date of visitation

3. What is your administrative title? Your functions?

4. Where do you fit in the chain of command, and how did you get this job?

5. Is this your first administrative experience? How many years have you been working in the schools, and in what capacities?

6. What is your academic preparation? Were you adequately prepared to administer?

7. Is this where you intend to remain for your career?

8. What do you like most about your job? the least?

9. What advice can you give with respect to my own preparation to teach at this level?

For this exercise, you are to interview one or more elementary teachers, perhaps one who is new to the profession and one who has been in teaching for ten years or more. Use the following questions to guide the interview.

1. Why did you select teaching as a career?

2. Why are you teaching at this grade level?

3. What training did you have?

4. What advice in terms of preparation can you offer me?

5. What do you like most about teaching? the least?

6. What other specific advice do you have for those of us entering the profession?

For this exercise you are to interview one (or more) middle/junior high school teacher(s). You may decide to interview a middle/junior high school teacher who is in his or her first year of teaching, or one who has been teaching for ten or more years. Use the following questions to guide the interview.

1. What subject(s) and grade levels do you teach?

2. Why are you teaching at this level?

3. What training did you have for teaching this subject and this grade?

4. How many years have you been teaching?

5. About how many hours a week do you spend on school-related matters?

6. What do you like 'most about teaching secondary school students? the least?

7. What advice can you give me with respect to my own preparation?

8. Is classroom management a problem for you? Why or why not?

9. Do you have any advice for me with respect to professional organizations?

10. What kinds of student teaching experience did you have? What advice would you give to student teachers?

For this exercise you are to interview one (or more) secondary school teacher(s). You may decide to interview a high school teacher who is in his or her first year of teaching, or one who has been teaching for ten or more years. Use the following questions to guide the interview.

1. What subject(s) and grade levels do you teach?

2. Why are you teaching at this level?

3. What training did you have for teaching this subject and this grade?

4. How many years have you been teaching?

5. About how many hours a week do you spend on school-related matters?

6. What do you like 'most about teaching secondary school students? the least?

7. What advice can you give me with respect to my own preparation?

8. Is classroom management a problem for you? Why or why not?

9. Do you have any advice for me with respect to professional organizations?

10. What kinds of student teaching experience did you have? What advice would you give to student teachers?

The purpose of this exercise is to visit an elementary school, and interview one or more students. Use the question format that follows. We suggest that you privately interview one student at a time.

1. Name and location of school:

2. Date of visitation:

3. What grade are you in?

4. Have you attended other schools? When and Where?

5. What do you like most about your teachers? the least?

6. What do you like most about other students? the least?

7. What do you like most about being at this school? the least?

8. What grade (or class) have you most enjoyed? Why?.

9. What grade (or class) have you most disliked? Why?

10. Is there anything else that you can add that would help me understand your experiences and feelings about being a student at this school?

Instructions: The purpose of this exercise is to visit a junior high or -middle school campus and interview one or more students, using the question format that follows.

1. Name and location of school:

2. Date of visitation:

3. How old are you (optional)? male or female?

4. What do you like most about your teachers? the least?

5. What do you like most about other students? the least?

6. What do you like most about junior high (or middle) school life? the least?

7. What class have you most enjoyed? Why?

8. What class have you most disliked? -Why?

9. While in junior high (or middle) school, have you received academic or personal counseling? Can you describe the nature of that experience?

10. With what student activities have you been involved?

11. Is there anything else that you can add that would help me understand your experiences and feelings about being a high school student?

Instructions: The purpose of this exercise is, while visiting a high school campus, to interview one or more students, using the question format that follows. Share with others the results of your interviews.

1. Name and location of school:

2. Date of Visitation:

3. How old are you (optional)? male or female?

4. What do you like most about your teachers? the least?

5. What do you like most about. other students? the least?

6. What do you like most about high school life? the least?

7. What class have you most enjoyed? Why?

8. What class have you most disliked? Why?

9. While in high school, have you received academic or personal counseling? Can you describe the nature and quality of that experience

10. What are your career aspirations?

11. With what student activities have you been involved?

12. Is there anything else that you can add that would help me understand your experiences and feelings about. being a high school student?

To familiarize yourself with the routine procedures of a teaching schedule, please record a typical daily schedule in the life of your cooperating practitioner.

Time of Day	Activity

The educational purpose of this exercise is to assist you in furthering your understanding that teaching is a full-time job. One week in the life of a teacher can be safely divided into five categories: time spent on instructional activities; time spent in reading papers, time spent preparing lessons, and time spent generally readying for classes.

Try to predict how much of a Beginning Teacher's time is spent in each of the items listed in the chart that follows. Compare your estimate (column 1) with your cooperating practitioner's estimate (column 2). I understand that for some teachers certain sub-categories may not apply. Do your best.

Estimated Number of Hours Spent

									in One Seven-Day Week

									(Column 1)   (Column 2)
									Student's     Teacher's
									Estimate:     Estimate:

A. Time spent in clerical and maintenance functions

1. attendance checking and reporting

2. preparation of budgets and schedules

3. ordering, using, and maintaining AV

materials and equipment

4. ordering, using, and maintaining textbooks,

curriculum materials and supplies

4a. other (specify)

B. Time spent advising, supervising, sponsoring

5. supervision of halls, cafeteria, assemblies..

6. supervision of homerooms and activity periods.....

7. supervision of intramural contests

8. advising and sponsoring plays, concerts,

and other events and productions..

9. advising and sponsoring student government

10. support of athletic program

(e.g., ticket taker, supervision, serving as scorer)

11. sponsoring and-arranging for guest speakers

and campus visitors

12. advising, guiding, and counseling of students..

13. responsibility of student safety

14. chaperoning student dances and bus trips

15. other (specify)

C. Time spent in school-community activities

16. attendance-participation at PTA

17. attendance-participation in community events

18. supporting local bond issues

19. parent conferences

20. representing the school at social gatherings

21. establishing rapport with other adults

(e.g., administrators, teachers, paraprofessionals,

clerical, and custodial staff)

21a.. other (specify)

D. Time spent in professional activities

22. school and district-wide committee work

23. continued study and development in your field

24. support of professional associations-local, state, and national

25. responsibility to professional Code of Ethics

25a. other (specify)

E. Time spent in instructional activities

26. preparation and implementation of daily instruction....

27. reading and grading student work

28. preparing classroom

29. giving time for individual students outside of regular class time

29a. other (specify)

TOTALS:                                 _______  _______

• An approximate average is 52 hours per week. How do your averages compare?

6A. The purpose of this exercise is to closely examine an instructional plan (lesson plan) created by your cooperating teacher. Please describe what is included in the plan in the space provided and a brief evaluation. Also please inform the cooperating teacher that the purpose of the review is not to judge the plan, but rather to observe the scope of inclusions and the way the plan is organized.
Remember this exercise looks at a lesson plan, not an actual lesson.

6B. If your cooperating teacher does not use a lesson plan, please explain why and provide your opinion on the subject.

6C. Also, please tell me if you feel that a new teacher should be required to make and use written lesson plans and why.

The purpose of this lesson is to observe and think carefully about learning environments. While observing a lesson, please identify how the following seven categories are expressed by the teacher. You may use the space provided under comments to take your notes. Please type these notes out before handing in the final pre-practicum manual. Also, please make sure you detail your answers. (i.e. it is not enough to state yes or no)

Teacher:                                 Grade:                        Students:                   Minutes:

Date:                                    Lesson Topic:

A. LEARNING ENVIRONMENT                                        COMMENTS

1. Presence:

a. The teacher display a sense of self-confidence

in the classroom.

b. The teacher is businesslike and authoritative

in the conduct of the class.

c. The teacher consistently monitors the

progress of the students.

2. Organization:

a. The teacher presents a lesson that has a clear,

logical structure.

b. The teacher is well organized throughout the lesson.

c. The teacher has available well-prepared or

well-chosen materials for students.

3. Clarity:

a. The teacher speaks in a clear, easily understood voice.

b. The teacher tells the students what is expected of them.

c. The teacher gives clear and easily understood

feedback to students.

d. The teacher's directions to students are clear and

easily understood.

4. Enthusiasm:

a. The teacher makes the lesson interesting.

b. The teacher seems to enjoy the lesson.

c. The teacher displays a personal interest in the lesson.

d. The teacher displays a sense of humor in a

positive manner.

5. Student Dignity:

a. The teacher provides a good support of

student dignity.

6. Academic Learning Time:

a. The majority of the students are engaged in learning

tasks which are related to goals and objectives

from the curriculum.

7. Discipline:

a. The majority of the students are responsible for

their behavior.

b. The teacher's management of the students is

clearly established.

c. The teacher consistently monitors the behavior

of the students.

8. Other:

Draw a diagram of the classroom physical arrangement.

• Does this organizational structure contribute to the learning of students and permit the teacher to effectively interact with all students?
• Are small groups ever used for instruction?
• What factors are used to group students (i.e. teacher determination, student choice, etc.)?

• Does the school attempt to group students based on ability?
  • (i.e. college track vs. non-college track)
• What rationale is given for grouping practices?

Respond to the following questions after discussing with one of your cooperating practitioners:

• How many children have been mainstreamed into this classroom? (If there are none than you need to find another classroom.)
• What special needs do these students have? (Be sure to protect student privacy.)
• How has the teacher adapted instruction to meet the needs of these students?

• Find out the names and occupations of members of the School Board or Committee in your home community. (You may substitute a school you are visiting if that is more convenient.)
• How often does the school board meet?
• How are members elected and what is the length of their term?
• If possible talk to one of the School Board members and find out what kinds of issues they have voted on recently.

• Make a list of curriculum materials used by students in the class. Be sure to note the publication dates.
• Do they support a multicultural approach to education?

Please write a statement that reflects your educational philosophy. You might include information about why you think education is important, what the focus of education should be, who should have access, why students succeed/don't succeed, what types of educational environments we should provide for young people, how we should evaluate student work, and who should determine classroom curriculum. Remember, there is no right answer here, this is your opinion. Think carefully before completing this section.

Please take some time to reflect on your observations in school and describe what you learned during this pre-practicum experience.

Please include copies of your letters of appreciation to each cooperating practitioner or staff person who assisted you in collecting information for this manual.