Congratulations:

You have been accepted into our competitive program. Our program is designed to accomplish several goals, such as preparing you to be: 1) active members of the community who value diverse learners, 2) collaborative practitioners with the wisdom and capacity for leadership, 3) caring and effective educators who inspire wonder and imagination, 4) innovative designers of learning experiences, and 5) reflective about the practice and craft of teaching.

In order to deliver on these goals the program has certain requirements and expectations that each candidate needs to be cognizant of outlined below. Candidates are responsible for knowing all the expectations of the program and for each course. Please read this entire website carefully.

We are a professional program:

Candidates grow into successful teachers by establishing and maintaining dispositions that reflect the norms of the profession. Dispositions are “tendencies for individuals to act in a particular manner under particular circumstances, based on their beliefs,” (Villegas, 2007, p. 373).  Establishing and maintaining appropriate professional dispositions is essential to being a successful teacher and teacher candidates must demonstrate appropriate dispositions (values and behaviors) in all aspects of their professional lives, including: UHM classes, field-based courses, public settings, private settings, face-to-face interactions and online interactions. 

We assess professional dispositions:

The COE Professional Dispositions reflect the standards and expectations of the College of Education, The School of Teacher Education, and the Secondary Education Program. Establishing and maintaining professional dispositions are essential to being a successful teacher and candidates are evaluated each term for professional dispositions. The COE Professional Dispositions assessment tool, Hoʻoulu: Growing as a Professional, is used to support candidates in reflection on performance, engage in relevant discussion about dispositions, and help candidates maintain and/or develop appropriate dispositions. Candidates, UHM faculty, and applicable school partner personnel (e.g., mentor teachers, principals) may initiate the use of this assessment tool at any time and as program policies dictate. Teacher candidates must demonstrate professional behavior during all program related activities (i.e., coursework, field experiences, meetings, and conferences). The COE Professional Dispositions include: 

  • Kuleana: right, privilege, concern, responsibility
  • Pilina: relationship, connection
  • Alu Like: striving together, to cooperate
  • Ha‘awina Noʻonoʻo: thought, reflection
  • Aloha ʻĀina: love of the land and its people

Require early advising: 

Candidates are expected to make an appointment with the Office of Student Academic Services (OSAS: osas@hawaii.edu). You must satisfy all requirements on your discipline’s Program Sheet prior to the Student Teaching Semester. No other courses other than STE 405 and STE 406 are permissible during Term 3. 

We expect you to read the program handbook and each course syllabi:

Candidates are responsible for knowing all the expectations of the program and for each course. Please read each of these documents carefully. Our program handbook is a website (link to site) that is readily available to you. Course syllabi will be distributed at the start of each class.

You will have mandatory weekends (Face to Face) over three terms:

We require you to attend special weekend program orientations and conferences in person up to six (6) times over the 18 month program. If you live on the neighbor islands you will receive a stipend to help with your travel costs. These meetings are typically held the weekend before or after the first official class session begins. The orientation agenda items include, but not limited to: 1) program expectations, 2) community building activities, 3) technology workshops, and 4) meeting your instructors for first class sessions. We also require you to attend and present at our end-of-the-semester conference which is held during Term 1 and Term 3 only. These conferences are typically held near the last week of classes.

We will make arrangements for your teaching practicum field placements

There shall be no guarantee for where your teaching practicum/field experience will be located. Our program takes great pride in placing you where we have vetted and secured school partnership relationships that we believe will be the best learning context for you. The only guarantee we can make is, you will be placed on the island you reside on. For example, if you live on Oahu, you will be placed on Oahu. 

If you are serving as an emergency hire (EH) teaching at the secondary level in your licensure area (i.e., general education math, science, social studies, etc.), your job may be able to serve as your field placement. Students interested in using their teaching position as their field placement 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 meets field experience/licensing requirements and are approved by the program director.

Teaching practicum field hours:

During each term you will be expected to engage in field experiences:

  • Term 1 (Spring): STE 402(N) – This course requires 2 full days a week in the field (in a variety of secondary (6th-12th) classroom settings);
  • Term 2 (Fall): STE 402(Alpha) – This course requires 2 full days a week in the field (in your discipline/content area); 
  • Term 3 (Spring): STE 405(Alpha) – This course requires 5 full days a week in the field (in your discipline/content area). 

Special Note about Term 3 student teaching: Student teachers are expected to be in their field placements Monday through Friday for the entire semester. Student teachers must be on time, sign in/out at the office, and remain at your placement for the entire day. Student teachers maintain teacher hours, which for DOE teachers extend from at least 7:45 a.m. until 2:45 p.m. each day. 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. 

Stance on working while student teaching: Teacher candidates may not work during the hours in which they are assigned to student teaching. Field experiences in Terms 1 and 2 require two full days in classrooms during the official school day. 

Student teaching (Term 3) 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 this final term. 

However, if you are serving as an emergency hire (EH) teaching at the secondary level in your licensure area (i.e., general education math, science, social studies, etc.), your job may be able to serve as your field placement. Students interested in using their teaching position as their field placement 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 meets field experience/licensing requirements and are approved by the program director.

If you are a licensed HIDOE Substitute Teacher, please speak to your University Coordinator regarding the STE Secondary Program Substitute Teaching Policy.

Technology/Computer requirements:

Candidates shall have a laptop computer and a hands-free headset. This is required for all teacher candidates in COE programs. This requirement is especially crucial for candidates taking online courses. Not having access to a computer, at any point during your experience in the program, puts your successful completion of required courses in jeopardy.

As part of the School of Teacher Educationʻs (STE) commitment to fostering a professional and engaging learning environment, we expect all students in STE teacher preparation programs to have their cameras on during all program-related Zoom experiences, including classes and meetings. This policy supports active participation, collaboration, and professional presence, which are essential skills for educators.

Technology Support:

The University provides technology assistance via their help desk for all students and faculty within the UH system.

In addition, you may find these resources helpful when using the following tools:

Technology Integration:

Teacher candidates have responsibility to:

  • use technology as a tool for thinking, learning, collaborating and writing;
  • bring a laptop computer to every seminar to fulfill class requirements;
  • while in class use technology only as it pertains directly to class. Absolutely no emailing, texting, or working on non-course related work;
  • use Laulima and/or Google tools as professional communication tools with peers and instructors and as a site for collaborative interaction and reflection.
  • integrate technology in student teaching placement in support of student learning, i.e., in original unit or lesson plans or presentations (e.g., construct graphic organizer for long-term plan; use a web-quest in a student lesson).
  • consider technology as a tool for creating equitable learning environments;
  • access and share relevant professional websites and information to extend professional knowledge, effectiveness, and caring;
  • establish knowledge of and communication with families and communities using technology;
  • participate equally through face-to-face or online modes with all program staff and classmates.

Online Program:

Succeeding in online courses requires consistent participation. Candidates must have reliable access to the Internet. If you lose consistent access to the Internet at any point during your experience in the program, you put your successful completion of required courses in jeopardy. In contrast with face-to-face classes, where instructors and students regularly interact in person, it could be perceived that you could easily “hide out” in online classes. However, this is not the case in our program. We expect you to turn on your camera the entire time, participate, attend class alone, and act and behave as you were face-to-face. Please note, due to FERPA laws you are to be the only person present in each class. Family members or friends are not permitted to attend your classes due to these laws. 

Research Institution:

As the sole Research I university in the State of Hawai‘i, UHM’s teacher preparation program is heavily involved in educational research. Instructors continually reflect and redesign as they develop their pedagogical practices for face-to-face and online courses. As such, candidates may be asked to participate in research. While you may ultimately decline to participate in particular studies, be aware that research is a primary mission of our university.