University Supervisor Responsibilities
The role of University Supervisor is outlined in the Student Teaching Handbook. Please review each responsibility carefully and contact the Student Professional Experiences Coordinator or Education Coordinator/Advisor with any questions or for further clarification.
Students
Once you have been assigned to a particular student, please be sure to make contact with him/her. You have been provided information for each student you are to supervise. They have been provided with your information also. Please be sure to introduce yourself and review your role with them, especially the open communication the two of you will have with this experience.
Cooperating Teacher/Student Teacher Meetings
Depending on the site and the number of student teachers, there may be an opportunity to attend a cooperating teacher/student teacher meeting. These meetings typically are a time for the student teacher, cooperating teacher, and university supervisor to be introduced to one another and to review student teaching requirements with a BVU staff member. This meeting is not to be considered the initial visit for the student teaching placement.
Student Teaching Evaluations & Canvas Requirements
Our program Teacher Education Program (TEP) utilizes Canvas, an electronic learning management system. A Canvas account is provided to all Buena Vista University students, faculty, adjunct faculty, cooperating teachers, and university supervisors free of charge.
This requirement affects all students seeking licensure. University Supervisors and Cooperating Teachers will be using Canvas for student teaching evaluations. In addition, student teachers will be responsible for uploading their Weekly Reflections and the Student Teaching Experience Checklist to Canvas.
Assistance with Canvas is provided in various ways. On the BVU Teacher Education Program website (http://www.bvu.edu/bv/teachered) information is provided for university supervisors, cooperating teachers, and student teachers. Leah Schimmer, Data and Assessment Manager for the School of Education, provides assistance with Canvas as well. She can be contacted at 712.749.2156 or . University supervisors, cooperating teachers, and student teachers are encouraged to contact Leah if they have any questions regarding Canvas.
Classroom Visits
The state of Iowa requires the following, “Involvement of the college or university supervisor in the formative evaluation of practitioner candidates through a minimum of biweekly observations and consultations.” Therefore the number of visits you will complete will depend on the length of the student teaching placement.
Placement Length / Visits4 weeks / Initial visit/consultation + 1 or 2 Formal Observations
8 weeks / Initial visit/consultation + 3 Formal Observations
14 weeks / Initial visit/consultation + 6 Formal Observations
16 weeks / Initial visit/consultation + 7 Formal Observations
**Please note that additional visits may be required and are considered necessary if the student teacher is struggling. Additional visits should be discussed with the Student Professional Experiences Coordinator or Education Coordinator/Advisor.
Before entering any classroom, go to the office and identify yourself and let them know you are there for a student teacher visitation.
1. Initial Visit/Consultation: This visit needs to be scheduled during the first week of the experience. It is a time for you, the student teacher, and the cooperating teacher to have the opportunity to sit down together to meet, to review the student teaching handbook, to explain policies and procedures, and what will happen when you come to visit. Also, it is a good time to answer any questions the student teacher or cooperating teacher may have. Please make sure to thank the cooperating teacher for allowing the student teacher to have the opportunity to work with him/her during this important experience.
During this initial visit/consultation you will need to complete the Initial Visit/Consultation Form. This will represent Report #1. Please write on the form what you discussed with the cooperating teacher/student teacher. Before you leave, be sure to have the student teacher and cooperating teacher sign and date the form. When the form is complete, you will also need to sign and date it.
Also be sure to review each of the forms the cooperating teacher will be responsible for completing for the student teacher. These forms include the Student Teaching Experience Checklist, 2-week Progress Report, Mid-Term Evaluation, Final Evaluation, and Final Grade Sheet. Share with the cooperating teacher that some forms will be completed in Canvas and that login information and instructions for Canvas will be emailed to their school email account. Login assistance can be provided by Leah Schimmer at 712.749.2156 or .
oHH
Next you will need to make an attempt to meet the principal of the building. Please be sure to introduce yourself and thank him/her for allowing BVU to place a student in the building.
This may be a good time to remind the cooperating teacher to complete the 2-week evaluation. Evaluation descriptors can be found within the student teaching handbook for you to discuss with the cooperating teacher. The 2-week Evaluation is completed within Canvas.
2. Formal Observations: These visits will need to be scheduled between the student teacher and you. During these visits, you will need to complete a Lesson Observation Form. The Lesson Observation Form and a copy of the student’ lesson plan will be need to be submitted to the BVU Office. The number of formal observations will depend on the length of the student teaching placement.
During each formal observation visit, the University Supervisor should take time to review lesson plans for other subjects the student has assumed responsibility for teaching. These lesson plans do not need to be submitted, but reviewed to ensure that the student is completing lesson plans in accordance with BVU expectations and standards.
The second or third formal observation would be a good time to remind the cooperating teacher to complete the Mid-Term evaluation. Evaluation descriptors can be found within the student teaching handbook for you to discuss with the cooperating teacher. The Mid-Term Evaluation is completed within Canvas.
3. Final Formal Observation: This visit will be scheduled between the student teacher, the cooperating teacher, and you. During this visit you will need to complete the Lesson Observation Form and the University Supervisor’s Observation Form. At this meeting, you and the cooperating teacher can complete the final evaluation and final evaluation grade sheet. The Final Evaluation is completed within Canvas. The Final Grade Sheet is a hard copy form that is turned into the BVU office.
Upon arrival for each of the visits, please take a moment to meet with the cooperating teacher to ask if he/she has any questions/concerns, areas of improvement the students needs to focus on, etc. Please feel free to take notes and report back to the University.
Any time a concern arises, please contact the Student Professional Experiences Coordinator or Education Coordinator/Advisor immediately.
At the conclusion of each observation you will sit down with the student teacher one-on-one to go over the results of the lesson. Carefully review how the lesson plan compared to the actual lesson, questions/concerns you had with the lesson, and always encourage reflective questioning. Remember, your job is to be a positive motivator and yet be able to provide constructive feedback to the student teacher. Always give suggestions on how to improve and be sure to highlight items the student teacher did well.
Supervision Time Line
This is an example of a supervision timeline for a typical 8 week placement.
o 1st Visit: Initial Visit/Consultation- Completed during the 1st week of student teaching. Be sure to answer any questions or concerns the cooperating teacher may have at this visit.
o 2nd Visit: Formal Observation- Completed during the 3rd or 4th week of the placement.
Give a reminder about the Mid-term evaluation.
o 3rd Visit: Formal Observation- Completed during the 5th or 6th week of the placement.
o 4th Visit: Formal Observation- Completed during the 7th week of the placement.
Give a reminder about the Final Evaluation. Discuss and complete Final Grade Sheet with Cooperating Teacher.
Student Teaching Documentation
Throughout the placement the following items will be completed or submitted to Canvas:
· Two Week Evaluation – completed by Cooperating Teacher
· Mid-Term Evaluation - completed by Cooperating Teacher
· Final Evaluation- completed by Cooperating Teacher and University Supervisor
· Student Teaching Experience Checklist- submitted by student teacher
· Weekly Reflection- submitted by student teacher
If there is an absence of documents uploaded to Canvas, please provide assistance as needed or direct questions to Leah Schimmer.
At the end of the placement, the following items will need to be submitted to the BVU office:
· Initial Visit/Consultation Form
· Lesson Observation Forms (required) and Student Lesson Plans (required) for each Formal Observation - completed by University Supervisor
· Final Grade Sheet - Completed by University Supervisor and Cooperating Teacher
Conclusion
As a conclusion, please remind the student teacher that it would be appropriate to send a thank you card to the cooperating teacher for sharing his/her experience. At this time, you will probably be asked by the student teacher to write a recommendation. It is up to the university supervisor’s discretion to write a recommendation.
Important Reminders
· When setting up observation dates and times, it is imperative that you arrive as scheduled. It takes much effort on the student’s part to have a lesson plan prepped and prepared for you. If you are unable to keep a scheduled appointment, contact the school and ask that the cooperating teacher and student teacher be notified. Set up a new appointment as soon as possible.
· If, at any time, there are questions or concerns that have been raised either by you or the cooperating teacher, contact the Student Professional Experiences Coordinator or Education Coordinator/Advisor immediately. Our job is to make sure we have professionals who are ready to go out into the teaching profession with skills, qualities, and attributes that will allow them to be professional and successful teachers in our local communities.
· Please be aware of the handouts that have been provided to all student teachers prior to their experience, including those with specific directives and regarding professionalism.
School of Education Faculty Requirements
School of Education Faculty Orientation
The School ofEducation has developed an orientation course that guides faculty through 4 modules to understand more about our program, our mission, and the expectations for faculty and students. All faculty willreceive an invitation to the Faculty Orientation through their BVU email.
40 Hour Rule & Policy
According to Iowa Code79.12(5):
Faculty members engaged in professional education maintain ongoing involvement in activities in elementary, middle, or secondary schools. For faculty members engaged in teacher preparation, activities shall include at least forty hours of teaching at the appropriate grade level(s) during a period not exceeding five years in duration.
Each spring, all faculty (adjunct, full-time, part-time) will be asked to submit documentation of hours served in this capacity. Instructions and forms for documentation can befoundathttp://www.bvu.edu/bv/teachered/resources/university-supervisors.dot
Professional Development
According the BVU Faculty Handbook, "Buena Vista University faculty members are expected to be teachers, scholars and community servants; however, their primary commitment is to teaching excellence." Key to maintaining excellence and striving for innovation is ongoing professional development. The School of Education has made acommitmentto support SOEinitiatives. Support includes courses allowing faculty to earn graduate credit as wells as faculty development grants.
Faculty Evaluation
Faculty at all sites andteaching in all mode are evaluated through a common process, this includes university supervisors. For more information regarding the faculty evaluation process, please reach out to the Student Professional Experiences Coordinator or Regional Director.
Thank you for your time and commitment in helping prepare our pre-professional teacher before they embark on their new careers.
1