College Responsibilites

Responsibilities and Roles of the Simpson College Teacher Preparation Program

General Responsibilities

The Simpson College Teacher Preparation program aims to facilitate the most productive student teaching experience for all concerned. It has the ultimate responsibility for selecting student teacher candidates, arranging appropriate student teaching placements, facilitating communication about students teachers' progress and, ultimately, choosing to recommend that a student teacher for educational licensure.

The college supervisors will be members of the Simpson College faculty with expertise in the grade level(s) to which respective student teachers are assigned.

The College Supervisors Should:

Work with the student teacher to insure that the student teacher is clear regarding her or his role and responsibilities.

Monitor and actively facilitate the progress of the student teacher.

Observe the student teacher a minimum of four to six times during the student teaching placement and discuss these observations with the student teacher (supervisors are aware of specific minimum observations in each setting – shorter placements have less observations).

Facilitate “three-way” conferences between the student teacher, the mentoring teacher and themselves. These conferences will allow all parties concerned to share their overall observations and recommendations for continuing progress on the part of the student teacher. The student teacher and mentor should each complete this form before conferencing with the college supervisor.

Respond to the mentoring teacher, the building principal, or student teacher if concerns arise.

Monitor and assess the student teaching notebook and competency portfolio.

Consult with the student teaching coordinator if a student teacher's performance in a placement is of concern. If a student teacher is struggling in significant ways, compose a performance contract that outlines targeted growth areas/teacher performances that must be demonstrated in order to pass student teaching. Have the coordinator of student teaching review the contract. Date this document and have all parties sign it. If the stipulated terms are not met (growth is not made), the student teaching placement will be terminated. (The contract is usually created by mid-assignment)

The college supervisor will recommend a final grade (pass/not pass) for the student teaching experience to the Coordinator of Student Teaching. The Coordinator assigns the final grade.

Observations and Assessment of the Student Teacher

The term assessment originally meant to "sit beside." Thus, observations about and assessment of student teaching performance should be largely formative in nature and draw whenever possible on the strengths of the student teacher. The observations and the assessment derived from them thus occur quite frequently and in a number of circumstances. For example, the mentoring teacher might observe a lesson and critique it or she or he might observe a series of lessons and focus on a particular component of pedagogy, e.g. the facilitation of guided discovery or the nature of the questioning. The college supervisor will also provide ongoing observations, assessments, and conferences for the student teachers. These observations, assessments, and conferences should occur at least four to six times during the student teaching placement, but may need to be conducted more frequently.

The student teacher should make the following preparations before the college supervisor arrives for an observation/feedback session. The student teacher should prepare an additional copy of the lesson plan so the college supervisor can peruse it and write comments on it while the student teacher is teaching. The student teacher should also identify and reserve an unobtrusive place in the classroom where the college supervisor can sit while making observations. Last, the student teacher should have his or her student teaching notebook and reflective journal placed with that day’s lesson plan for the college supervisor to peruse.

In addition to the observations and assessment mentioned above, the mentoring teacher, the student teacher, and the college supervisor will conduct “three-way” conferences (usually) twice during the student teaching placement. The mentoring teacher should complete the assessment form designed for this purpose, and so should the student teacher (final page only) both working independent of the other. They should then share their assessments with each other prior to the three-way conference that involves the college supervisor. These conferences will focus on bringing out strengths and areas of growth for the student teacher, and the last one, at least, will address the issue of the student teacher's potential as a professional. In the case where a given student teacher is working under more than one mentoring teacher, certain adjustments will be made in the timelines and manner of contact allowed for these conferences. The guiding principle is that the college supervisor will assure that all parties concerned share their perceptions and expertise so that the student teacher learns as much as possible from the student teaching experience and that the students involved gain as much as possible from their contact with the Student teacher.

The summative assessment of the student teaching experience will be completed by the college supervisor who will rely heavily on the information provided by the host mentor and school, as well as her or his observations, and the student teaching notebook. The student teacher will receive a "pass/no pass" grade.

Role of Department Chair and Coordinators

The coordinator of student teaching serves as resources to student teachers, college supervisors, and mentoring teachers. She or he will ultimately assign a "pass" or "no pass" grade for each student teachers, facilitate the student teaching seminar, and attempt to mediate differences if such occur between student teachers, college supervisors, and mentoring teachers. The education department chairperson will also often assist in difficult situations.

Teacher Education Committee

The teacher education committee, upon advice from the education department and other faculty involved in the preparation of teachers, monitors the progress of all students in the program.


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College Responsibilites Responsibilities and Roles of the Simpson College Teacher Preparation Program General Responsibilities The Simpson College Teacher Preparation program aims to facilitate the most productive student teaching experience for all concerned. It has the ultimate responsibility for selecting student teacher candidates, arranging appropriate student teaching placements, facilitating communication about students teachers' progress and, ultimately, choosing to recommend that a student teacher for educational licensure. The college supervisors will be members of the Simpson College faculty with expertise in the grade level(s) to which respective student teachers are assigned. The College Supervisors Should: Work with the student teacher to insure that the student teacher is clear regarding her or his role and responsibilities. Monitor and actively facilitate the progress of the student teacher. Observe the student teacher a minimum of four to six times during the student teaching placement and discuss these observations with the student teacher (supervisors are aware of specific minimum observations in each setting – shorter placements have less observations). Facilitate “three-way” conferences between the student teacher, the mentoring teacher and themselves. These conferences will allow all parties concerned to share their overall observations and recommendations for continuing progress on the part of the student teacher. The student teacher and mentor should each complete this form before conferencing with the college supervisor. Respond to the mentoring teacher, the building principal, or student teacher if concerns arise. Monitor and assess the student teaching notebook and competency portfolio. Consult with the student teaching coordinator if a student teacher's performance in a placement is of concern. If a student teacher is struggling in significant ways, compose a performance contract that outlines targeted growth areas/teacher performances that must be demonstrated in order to pass student teaching. Have the coordinator of student teaching review the contract. Date this document and have all parties sign it. If the stipulated terms are not met (growth is not made), the student teaching placement will be terminated. (The contract is usually created by mid-assignment) The college supervisor will recommend a final grade (pass/not pass) for the student teaching experience to the Coordinator of Student Teaching. The Coordinator assigns the final grade. Observations and Assessment of the Student Teacher The term assessment originally meant to "sit beside." Thus, observations about and assessment of student teaching performance should be largely formative in nature and draw whenever possible on the strengths of the student teacher. The observations and the assessment derived from them thus occur quite frequently and in a number of circumstances. For example, the mentoring teacher might observe a lesson and critique it or she or he might observe a series of lessons and focus on a particular component of pedagogy, e.g. the facilitation of guided discovery or the nature of the questioning. The college supervisor will also provide ongoing observations, assessments, and conferences for the student teachers. These observations, assessments, and conferences should occur at least four to six times during the student teaching placement, but may need to be conducted more frequently. The student teacher should make the following preparations before the college supervisor arrives for an observation/feedback session. The student teacher should prepare an additional copy of the lesson plan so the college supervisor can peruse it and write comments on it while the student teacher is teaching. The student teacher should also identify and reserve an unobtrusive place in the classroom where the college supervisor can sit while making observations. Last, the student teacher should have his or her student teaching notebook and reflective journal placed with that day’s lesson plan for the college supervisor to peruse. In addition to the observations and assessment mentioned above, the mentoring teacher, the student teacher, and the college supervisor will conduct “three-way” conferences (usually) twice during the student teaching placement. The mentoring teacher should complete the assessment form designed for this purpose, and so should the student teacher (final page only) both working independent of the other. They should then share their assessments with each other prior to the three-way conference that involves the college supervisor. These conferences will focus on bringing out strengths and areas of growth for the student teacher, and the last one, at least, will address the issue of the student teacher's potential as a professional. In the case where a given student teacher is working under more than one mentoring teacher, certain adjustments will be made in the timelines and manner of contact allowed for these conferences. The guiding principle is that the college supervisor will assure that all parties concerned share their perceptions and expertise so that the student teacher learns as much as possible from the student teaching experience and that the students involved gain as much as possible from their contact with the Student teacher. The summative assessment of the student teaching experience will be completed by the college supervisor who will rely heavily on the information provided by the host mentor and school, as well as her or his observations, and the student teaching notebook. The student teacher will receive a "pass/no pass" grade. Role of Department Chair and Coordinators The coordinator of student teaching serves as resources to student teachers, college supervisors, and mentoring teachers. She or he will ultimately assign a "pass" or "no pass" grade for each student teachers, facilitate the student teaching seminar, and attempt to mediate differences if such occur between student teachers, college supervisors, and mentoring teachers. The education department chairperson will also often assist in difficult situations. Teacher Education Committee The teacher education committee, upon advice from the education department and other faculty involved in the preparation of teachers, monitors the progress of all students in the program.
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