Field Experience Descriptions and Expectations

1. Overview for Teacher Candidates

During each term you will be expected to engage in field experiences. Teacher candidates will be assigned to school placements by the program. If you are serving as an emergency hire teaching at the secondary level in your licensure area (i.e., math, science, social studies, etc…), your job can serve as your field placement however, you must complete and submit an “On the Job Training” (OJT) form to the Secondary Program each term. OJT forms are reviewed to confirm the teaching position meeting field experience requirements and must be approved by the program director.

• Term 1: Spring
  • Field – Participatory Observation – STE 402N
  • Seminar – Introduction to teaching theory and practice seminar – STE 401 and STE 440
• Term 2: Fall
  • Field – Field Practicum – STE 402
  • Seminar – Methods seminar – STE 404 and SPED 445
• Term 3: Spring
  • Field – Student Teaching – STE 405
  • Seminar – Student Teaching Seminar – STE 406

2. Field Expectations for Term 1 & Term 2

Participatory Observation – STE 402: Teacher candidates are required to spend a minimum of 2 full days per week or the equivalent thereof (15 hours/week for a total of at least 200 hours) in the classroom plus a mandatory seminar that meets approximately twice a month. You are required to keep at minimum teacher contract hours and to stay on campus the entire day. In other words, you cannot go out to lunch or run errands during the teacher’s preparation/option period.

Teacher candidates learn to demonstrate their professional growth through an array of assignments and reflective practices that link professional readings and coursework to classroom practice. During this field experience candidates focus on observing teaching practices in a variety of contexts (different content areas, various grade levels and multiple schools), building positive relationships with 6-12th grade students and teachers, learn about the students structures, and explore the broader context for learning. During this semester, teacher candidates will be assigned a University Coordinator (UC) and a school-based liaison but will not yet be signed an official teacher mentor.

Teacher Candidate Expectations

Throughout the semester teacher candidates should

• Demonstrate professionalism(see Ho‘oulu: Growing as a Professional) by being on time, staying for the entirety of scheduled observations, being prepared for school, providing written lesson plans in advance, and maintaining confidentiality.
• Attend all field experience seminars.
• Build positive relationships with teachers, students, peers, school staff, and parents and caregivers.
• Take initiative to assist teachers when appropriate and welcomed by the teacher (work with individuals and small groups, facilitate a discussion, prepare lesson materials, assess student work).
• Take responsibility for ongoing communication with School Liaison and UC (phone calls, email, lesson plans, scheduling, lesson plans). If you are going to be absent, leave late or early, you must contact the school, your mentor teacher and your UC.
• Observe and reflect on the classroom and community assets;
• Teach and reflect on the required amount of lessons for each term (see course syllabus (STE 402N & STE 402(alpha) for specific required teaching observations);
• Prepare self-assessment evidence for evaluations, and set up conferences with mentor teacher;
• Demonstrate knowledge, skills, and dispositions required to proceed to student teaching;
• If required, study for, register and take the Praxis II content knowledge exam(s) and submit official passing scores to UHM.

Mentor Teacher Responsibilities

Throughout the semester mentor teachers should

• Provide teacher candidates access to classes to observe, assist and teach one to two lessons (depending on Term 1 or 2) if and/or when it feels appropriate.
• Provide an orientation to the school/classroom and its policies and procedures.
• Promote an atmosphere of mutual respect and open communication.
• Help teacher candidate focus on both the cognitive and affective needs of the diverse student population.
• Assist teacher candidate in engaging and reflecting on the art of teaching.
• Provide and discuss your curriculum map, curriculum materials, lesson plans, and other relevant resources.
• Provide written or oral feedback on their formal lesson plans.
• Participate in Post-Enactment Conferences.
• Work with the teacher candidate’s UC to evaluate teacher candidate’s growth, ability to plan instruction, dispositions, and readiness to advance to field practicum.

3. Field Expectations for Student Teaching Term 3

Student teachers are expected to be in their field placements Monday through Friday for the entire semester. Be on time, sign in/out at the office, and remain at your placement for the entire day. Maintain teacher hours, which for DOE teachers extend from at least 7:45 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. each day (these may vary school-to-school). Student teaching includes all professional development (PD) days, planning/collaboration days, teacher workdays, Teacher Institute Day, faculty meetings, IEP meetings, etc., that take place during the semester. In addition, student teachers are highly encouraged to participate in other school-based activities that may extend beyond normal hours, such as school-community events and meetings, extended field trips, parent/student conferences, and professional meetings, conferences and workshops, which often are held on weekends.

If a student teacher is ill and unable to be in school, it is his/her responsibility to notify both the mentor teacher and university coordinator. Absences other than illnesses must be cleared with the mentor teacher in advance. If a student teacher is absent for a total of more than five days, it may be necessary to extend the student teaching semester. The decision to extend the experience will be made jointly by the mentor teacher and university coordinator.

Excessive and/or habitual tardiness and absences negatively affect the students in the teacher candidate’s classroom and reflects the teacher candidate’s lack of professional responsibility. Teacher candidates may be put on a Plan of Action or dismissed from the placement and program if not compliant.

Teacher candidates may not work during the hours in which they are assigned to student teaching. Student teaching is a demanding full-time experience both during the official school day in addition to planning and preparation outside of class. As such, external employment is discouraged during the this final term.

The University of Hawaii and the Hawaii Department of Education [HIDOE] academic calendars are not the same. Student teaching officially begins with and follows the university schedule, not the school calendar of the school in which you are placed. The HIDOE teacher “report back to work” date and the “student’s first day of school” are before the first official day of UHM’s semester. The student’s final day of school and the teachers last on duty day occur after the last official day of UH. Because student teaching involves working relationships with mentor teachers and other faculty and responsibilities to the students they are teaching, teacher candidates are highly encouraged to begin and end student teaching following the HIDOE’s academic calendar. Teacher candidates who begin before or continue beyond the university semester must obtain official permission from the school principal designating the student as a school volunteer during these times by completing a Volunteer Form.

Teacher Candidate Expectations

• Demonstrate professionalism by being on time, staying for the entirety of the school day, being prepared to teach, providing written formal lesson plans in advance of teaching, and maintaining student confidentiality.
• Build positive relationships with mentor teacher, faculty in your content area, students, peers, school staff, and parents/caregivers.
• Plan and teach classes (as specified in STE 405 course syllabus).
• Teach and reflect on the required amount of lessons (see STE 405(alpha) course syllabus for specific required formal teaching observations);
• Plan and teach a “mini” unit along with Ho‘opa‘a: Growing as a Professional.
• Take responsibility for ongoing communication with mentor teacher and UC Coordinator (phone calls, email, lesson plans, scheduling, lesson plans).

Mentor Teacher Responsibilities

• Promote an atmosphere of mutual respect and open communication.
• Help teacher candidate focus on both the cognitive and affective needs of the diverse student population.
• Provide and discuss the curriculum map, curriculum materials, lesson plans, and other relevant resources.
• Observe student teacher’s teaching.
• Provide feedback and help candidate reflect on their teaching practice.
• Provide written or oral feedback on up to five formal lesson plans (negotiated with University Coordinator expectations for ITE 405 course syllabus).
• Participate in Post-enactment Conference.
• Work with UC to evaluate teacher candidate’s growth, ability to plan instruction, dispositions, and readiness to advance to student teaching.
• Complete Mid-term and Final Evaluations.