Clinical Experiences & Student Teaching

 

Each PTE major is required to complete 100+ clock hours of in-school

clinical experiences before embarking on the student teaching experience.

Thirty-five clock hours of clinical experience are associated with PHY 301,

and all PTE majors must complete these clinical experiences. The remainder

of the clinical experiences are parceled out among professional sequence and

psychology courses. PTE majors are also required to complete 8 semester

hours of student teaching. These valuable experiences are fully described in

the Clinical Experiences & Student Teaching Handbook. The Handbook is a

174-page manual designed specifically for student use. It is divided up into

eight helpful sections.

 

Section 1

 

The first part of the Handbook introduces the student to clinical and

student teaching experiences. It introduces the student to the fact that

successful teachers do more than simply deliver instruction. Educators need

to establish challenging but attainable goals for themselves and their

students. Guidelines for quality science teaching have been established by

the National Science Teachers Association, American Association for the

Advancement of Science, the National Research Council, and the National

Board for Professional Teaching Standards. In this introduction the student

comes to realize that the Alliance for Scientific Literacy's goals are

aligned with these established, well-respected movements. Roles of the

participants are then discussed. This includes the role of the

pre-professional teacher, the cooperating teacher, the cooperating school

administrator, and the university supervisor.

 

Section 2

 

Section 2 establishes the framework of the clinical and student teaching

experiences. It clearly defines the role of these activities and

differentiates between on-campus and off-campus experiences. The

relationship of the respective methods courses to the clinical and student

teaching experiences are also detailed. Students are given general hints

about how to use the Handbook and manage the numerous experiences. The

framework for the clinical and student teaching experiences is clearly

illustrated through the use of a matrix. Since pre-professional activities

should be progressive and sequential, a matrix shows the relationship

between the various parts.

 

There are twelve parts to this section. The topics of the twelve parts are

as follows:

 

1. On-Campus Demonstrations of Fundamental Skills

2. Fundamental Teaching Skills

3. Understanding Students

4. Knowing and Understanding of Science/Technology

5. Learning Environment

6. Student Engagement/Equitable Participation

7. Student Inquiry

8. Student Assessment

9. School & Community Outreach

10. Professionalism/Collegiality

11. Reflective Teaching Practice

12. Recommended Activities

 

Sections 3 and 4

 

Sections 3 and 4 are the heart of the clinical and student teaching

experiences. Each activity from the matrix in Section 2 is restated, along

with an explanatory goal, general procedures for carrying out the

experience, and criteria for assessing whether or not the experience was

carried out in appropriate fashion. For example, clinical experience #1d is

defined as follows:

 

ACTIVITY: The clinical student will compare and contrast teaching styles

used at both high school and university levels.

 

GOAL: to provide clinical student the opportunity to reflect on the

similarities and differences in teaching at university and high school

levels

 

PROCEDURE:

 

1. Begin this experience by observing two introductory classes at the

university level and two corresponding classes at the high school

level.

2. Conclude this experience by preparing a written report that details

similarities and differences at the levels in question. See criteria

below.

3. Place written materials in clinical experiences documentation folder.

 

CRITERIA:

 

* This activity must be performed successfully before completing other

off-campus clinical experiences.

* Observations at both university and high school level should be made of

introductory classes in the student's major.

* Provide examples in written evaluation.

* Look for and identify similarities and differences in the following

areas:

o use of inductive reasoning versus deductive reasoning

o use of expository approaches versus inquiry approaches

o depth of content

o pace of delivery

o consideration for student attention span

o provisions for in-class work

o provisions for cooperative learning

o discipline procedures

o teaching in context

o use of alternative classroom approaches such as discussion and

group work

o utilization of one-way versus two-way communication

 

Section 5

 

Section 5 deals with student teacher/cooperating teacher conferences. Seven

conferences are mandated since the relationship between these individuals

will generally develop for good or ill if certain groundwork isn't covered

at the outset. These eight conferences deal with expectations and bring up

for discussion the seven following topics:

 

* Expectations

* School Policies / Administrative Tasks

* Course Content

* Lab Procedures and Safety

* Classroom Management

* Time Management / Organization

* Parental Contact / Parental Involvement

 

Section 6

 

Three reference appendices are provided for the student. Appendix A provides

two examples of "idealized" lesson plans, whereas Appendix B provides an

example of a more pragmatic lesson plan. Appendix C provides a sample unit

plan outline.

 

Section 7

 

This next-to-last section of the Handbook deals with documentation of the

clinical and student teaching experiences. This section consists mostly of

forms, but provides the structure that students must follow to create two

important documents. Clinical students are required to create a

"Documentation Folder" as part of their experiences. This includes a

Clinical Experiences Log (to by signed by the cooperating teacher to verify

that a particular experience did indeed take place), a Clinical Student

Experience Checkoff List (for those activities that do not require a written

report but, rather, merely the signature of a cooperating teacher), and a

Clinical Experiences Documentation Folder Content List (to be used as a

checkoff list). Similarly, student teachers are required as part of their

student teaching experience to prepare a Professional Teaching Portfolio. As

part of their documentation the must complete a Student Teacher Experience

Checkoff List, and a Student Teacher Portfolio Content List. Both clinical

students and student teachers are required to include in their documentation

a Feedback Form which will be utilized to improve future editions of the

Handbook. Additional self-evaluation forms are also provided.

 

Section 8

 

The final section of the Clinical Experiences & Student Teaching Handbook

contains optional assessment forms to be used by the university supervisor.

 

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