Student Teaching Guide
Philosophy of Teaching Program: Student teaching is the most important experience in teacher education.
Goals of the Student Teaching Program: Provide student teachers a challenging, relevant and rewarding experience, which will allow them to acquire professional competence.
------Timeline------
First day of student teaching
Introduce student teacher as a professional to school and community
Provide professional work space for student teacher
Provide seating chart and necessary student information
Engage student teacher in meaningful activities immediately
First week of student teaching
Allow opportunities to observe your class, other teachers, and become oriented to the school
Have student teachers begin the following: work with one group, teach one class, administer tests, perform routine duties, teach one class, practice classroom control.
Weeks 2-6
Gradually increase responsibilities and decrease dependency on supervising teacher
Evaluate student teacher's daily plans for approval and improvements
Evaluate progress and give frequent feedback
Have student teach a full day within the first four weeks before turning in first progress report.
Develop a professional development plan with the student teacher
Continue to model effective teaching techniques/strategies.
Weeks 6-8
Have student complete one week of full-time teaching
Complete mid-term evaluation based upon their current performance and share concerns
Weeks 8-12
If student is beginning a new placement, follow the orientation for a beginning student teacher, including the submission of a the first Early Observation Report.
Continuously evaluate progress and give feedback as they assume more duties
Weeks 12-16
Have students complete two full weeks of teaching
Have student teachers gradually return teaching responsibilities to teacher and observe in other classes
Complete final evaluation and discuss with student teacher
------Job Descriptions ------
JOB DESCRIPTION - Cooperating Teacher
General Description of Duties of Cooperating Teacher:
The cooperating teacher mentors a student teacher during their final semester. A cooperating teacher welcomes a student teacher to the classroom/school community and encourages them to work with students. The cooperating teacher is a role model who provides guidance and feedback during their time in the classroom/school setting.
Job Requirements – Confirmed with the building or district level administrator responsible for teacher evaluation
- A minimum of three years of teaching experience.
- Be in good standing on current teacher evaluations with ratings of “effective” or “highly effective”.
- Excellent organization and time management skills.
- Excellent oral and written communication skills.
- Attend to the information provided in the monthly NMU Teacher Education Advisory Council meetings (on-campus, email, virtual, or phone) in support of the evaluation process, collegiality, teacher candidate support, and program support and improvement..
Payment & Reimbursement of Cooperating Teacher:
Cooperating teachers receive an honorarium payment from NMU for mentoring a student teacher. There are three choices: (1) Use your credits to take a course while you have a student teacher, ED586 Supervision of Student Teacher, (2) Bank your credits to use within three years for future NMU graduate courses, or (3) Receive a cash stipend of $100 for a 16-week placement or $50 for a half-time placement. All cash stipends are processed through your school district’s payroll system through a transfer of funds to your district’s business office.
Job Duties of Cooperating Teacher:
- Guide the Student Teacher in preparing plans and teaching lessons and to invite them to become part of the school community in support of the domains outlined in the Final Evaluation (Danielson Framework).
- Engage in frequent mentoring conversations with the Student Teacher to ensure continuous progress and/or early identification of concerns. Provide feedback, guidance, and assistance to enhance performance.
- Require the Student Teacher to be solely responsible for the planning, preparation, and instruction for a minimum of two weeks.
- Complete three (3) online evaluation reports; Charlotte Danielson Framework Early, Mid-Term and Final Evaluation.
- Complete all required Michigan Department of Education and NMU surveys in a timely manner.
- Monitor and document Student Teacher’s attendance and leave requests. Discuss attendance concerns with the Director of Field Experiences.
- Promptly communicate any emerging issues and potential concerns to the Director of Field Experiences.
- Complete a letter of recommendation for each Student Teacher.
- Complete and submit all observation reports and evaluations according to the Student Teaching Calendar.
JOB DESCRIPTION – University/Field Supervisor
General Description of Duties of University/Field Supervisor
The field supervisor is coach, mentor and evaluator for student teachers. The field supervisor provides feedback, guidance and assistance during the performance in the classroom/school setting. The field supervisor supports the student teacher throughout the semester providing feedback and goal setting in writing and verbally during post-conference conversations. The field supervisor collaborates with the cooperating teacher and the NMU Director of Field Experiences in support of the student teacher.
Job Requirements of University/Field Supervisor – Submission of a current resume or vita
- Previous teaching experience (elementary or secondary)
- Previous supervisory experience in providing feedback in the content or specialty area(s)
- Excellent organization and time management skills
- Ability to work a flexible schedule
- Excellent oral & written communication skills
- Computer proficiency
Payment & Reimbursement of University/Field Supervisor:
Field supervisor will receive a stipend at the completion of student teaching when all evaluations are submitted. This is to include the four observations; the early, mid-term, and final evaluations; and all Michigan Department of Education surveys. NMU will reimburse Field Supervisors’ mileage at the current rate (.54 per mile as of 1/1/16)
Job Duties of University/Field Supervisor:
- Attend to the information provided at the monthly NMU Teacher Education Advisory Council meetings (on-campus, email, virtual, or phone) in support of the evaluation process, collegiality, teacher candidate support, and program support and improvement.
- Visit the student teacher two (2) times for a split placement and four (4) times for a full placement at the school site throughout the semester, provide written observational feedback, and conduct debriefing sessions with the Student Teacher and Cooperating Teacher.
- Complete four (4) observation reports and provide a copy to the Student Teacher and Cooperating Teacher within 24-48 hours of the observation visit. Provide written feedback on focus areas, strengths, goals and a summary of the post-conference. Student teachers will submit each observation report to EduCat.
- Complete three (3) online evaluation reports; Charlotte Danielson Framework; Early, Mid-Term and Final Evaluation.
- Recognize the Student Teacher’s accomplishments and create a positive mentoring experience
- Provide appropriate feedback, guidance, and assistance to the Cooperating Teacher and Student Teacher to enhance performance
- Respect the judgment of the Cooperating Teacher in matters affecting the instructional program.
- Follow the school’s guest visitation policies. Sign in and ask for a visitor badge.
- Monitor and document Student Teacher’s attendance and leave requests. Discuss attendance concerns with the Director of Field Experiences.
- Promptly communicate any emerging issues and potential concerns to the Director of Field Experiences.
- Complete a letter of recommendation for each Student Teacher.
- Complete and submit all observation reports and evaluations according to the Student Teaching Calendar.
About our NMU Student Teacher Placements
Required 16-week student teacher placement
Student teachers are assigned a cooperating teacher and field supervisor
Field supervisors will visit four (4) times and complete four (4) observation reports.
Three (3) Charlotte Danielson Framework online evaluations are completed by the student teacher, cooperating teacher and field supervisor
Student teachers are enrolled in ED450 Student Teaching Seminar (in-person or online). The in-person courses are on NMU’s campus and meet four (4) days.
Students obtain a substitute-teaching permit for the district they are student teaching.
Student teachers follow the calendar of the school in which they are placed
Student teachers will follow the same rules and guidelines of all staff at the school.
------Evaluation Procedures ------
FOUR (4) OBSERVATIONS / VISIT REPORTS:
-Field/University Supervisors will observe Student Teacher a minimum of four (4) times during the semester. For student teachers on split assignments a minimum of two (2) observations will occur during each eight-week placement.
-Student Teachers should submit any pre-observation materials (lesson plans, assessments, guiding questions, requested focus areas for the observation, etc.) to the Field/University Supervisor prior to the visit so as to provide context for lesson to observed.
-The observation is three parts: observation of teaching, debriefing the observation with the student teacher, written feedback to the student teacher and cooperating teacher on the observation and debriefing.
-An observation is typically a 45-60-minute teaching episode. Each observation requires a 15-20 minute debrief with the student teacher.
-The Field/University Supervisor will submit a written VISIT REPORT within 48 hours of the lesson observation to the student teacher and cooperating teacher.
-Student teacher respond by answeringthree questions on the VISIT REPORT and uploads the report toEducat.
-These four(4) VISIT REPORTS are assignments for ED450 Student Teaching seminar.
ONLINE EVALUATIONS. The evaluation tool that NMU uses is the Charlotte Danielson Framework. There are three evaluations: Early, Midterm and Final evaluations. Theevaluations are online at We partner with the NMU Technology team and questions about the online evaluation can be directed to Chris Lewis at . The student teacher begins the evaluation by logging into the system with their NMU username/password and continues to the cooperating teacher and university/field supervisor. The student teacher has the initial voice on the evaluation. NOTE: You cannot login into the system until the student teacher completes the evaluation.
Step 1: Thestudent teacherlogs into the system (using their NMU user/password) and completes their part of the evaluation. Upon hitting submit, an email is sent to the next person, thecooperating teacher.
Step 2: Thecooperating teacherlogs into the system and completes their part of the evaluation. Upon hitting submit, an email is sent to the next person, theuniversity supervisor.You will create an account by going to:Click on Forgotten User Name or Password.
Step 3: Theuniversity/field supervisorlogs into the system and completes their part of the evaluation. Upon hitting submit, the report is sent toNMU Director of Field Experiences.You will create an account by going to:Click on Forgotten User Name or Password.
------Honorarium Payment for Cooperating Teachers------
Thank you for your willingness to supervise a student teacher from Northern Michigan University. Because of your fwillingness, we would like to provide you with an honorarium payment to show our appreciation for mentoring our student teacher. Below are three options for you.
1-Use your credits to take a course while you have a student teacher (ED586)
You can register for ED586: Seminar for Supervisors of Student Teaching. You can register for 1 credit if you have a student teacher for 8 weeks (section 1) and 2 credits if you have a student teacher for 16 weeks (section2). To register for ED586 for this semester you need to do things in this order so you do not receive a bill in the mail:Complete the request for information at the end of this letter and send it to Paula Contact the Student Service Center at or 906-227-1221 to register for ED586
2-Bank your credits to use for future NMU graduate courses OR assign these credits to another graduate/undergraduate student at NMU
A cooperating teacher is given a tuition credit honorarium of 2 credits for full-time supervision or 1 credit for half-time supervision. Please keep in mind that if the credit hour honorarium is preferred, this credit is to be used in taking classes at NMU. It may also be given to a person completing hours in a teacher preparation program (undergraduate or graduate). Credits expire after three years. Credit transfer must be done upon initial receipt of credit. To register for a class and put your credit honorarium toward your tuition bill, contact the Student Service Center at , 906-227-1221.
3-Cash Stipend
A cooperating teacher is given an honorarium of either $100.00 for 16 weeks full-time supervision or $50.00 for half-time supervision. If you choose to accept the monetary honorarium, NMU will send a check in the name of your school district. The honorarium will then be disbursed by your school district’s business manager.
------FAQ------
Can student teachers substitute teach?
Yes, student teachers can substitute teach during student teaching. They can only substitute in the classroom that they are currently student teaching. Student teachers are not to sub more than 10 days during their student teaching. The cooperating teacher and school administration must approve of the substitute teaching. The student teachers will be paid the same as a regular substitute teacher and meet the necessary requirements for substitute teaching by the district.
The student teachers will be available to cover the supervising teacher's classroom on those days, such as TEAC meetings, where the absence of the supervisor from the classroom is necessary for the promotion of the student teacher program. These days are not considered substitute teaching for which they would not be paid.
What is the attendance policy for student teachers?
Student teachers are expected to be in attendance every day, all day. Daily arrival and departure times will follow the daily schedule of the cooperating teacher. Only two absences, whether for illness or personal reasons, are allowed. All other absences must be made up. Absences for personal business are discouraged. Students are expected to have affairs in order before student teaching begins. Student teachers are allowed two additional days for absences for teaching job interviews, if needed, and approved by the cooperating teacher.
Can student teachers work during student teaching?
Students are to free themselves of work responsibilities during the week while student teaching to allow for a full-time commitment to teaching. Student teachers may work Friday evening (6:00 PM) to Sunday evening (6:00 PM). However, student teachers may be asked to terminate work should the activities interfere with their performance in school. Students may be involved in volunteer school activities that are commonly done by teachers such as coaching and tutoring.
Can student teachers take additional classes?
Students are encouraged to enroll in ED 451 Classroom Management or ED 452 Multicultural Education during student teaching. These classes are usually scheduled during the same days as student teaching seminar. For student teaches who are out of the area, these courses may be taught online. Other than these two classes, additional coursework is discouraged, but students meeting several criteria may request an exception to this policy.
Is there a student teaching calendar?
Yes, there is a Student Teaching calendar available online. During student teaching, all students are expected to begin with and adhere to the school calendar in the school district to which they are assigned. Vacations are scheduled according to the school district calendar. The final date of student teaching is generally the Wednesday before the end of NMU's semester. Other dates related to student teaching are listed on the Student Teaching Calendar given to each student and supervising teacher.
Do students need to go to student teaching seminar?
Yes. Student teachers are required to attend all seminars, which are generally held on four Fridays during the student teaching semester.If you are student teaching out of the area, you will be involved in an online seminar course. Seminars will include topics such as human relations, classroom management and organization, effective planning and teaching, placement, employment, certification, as well as other topics that address the needs and concerns of student teachers. Seminar dates are listed on the Student Teaching Calendar and in the schedule of classes. Student teachers will need to be excused from their classroom duties in time to attend these classes.
Where do we go if there is a problem during student teaching?
1.Conference with the cooperating teacher and student teacher as soon as possible.Early identification and addressing of problems aids in their solution.
2.If not resolved, contact the university supervisor and arrange a conference with relevant parties.
3.If still not resolved, refer to the Director of Field Experiences who will seek resolution and determine what action is needed.
Where do I get the Student Teacher Handbook?
The Student Teacher Handbook is online. It is 36 pages long and filled with valuable information. Please print it out and go over it together you’re your cooperating teacher.
What are the responsibilities of the student teacher?
Fingerprinting. It is a requirement for employment as a substitute teacher. This must be done before your first week of student teaching is complete. Information needs to be sent to Nancy Carter at
Take the MTTC Subject Area Tests in your major and minor. Local testing schedule available at
Take CPR Course (Adult and Child)- American Red Cross or American Heart Association .Available at NMU-PIEF
Take First Aid Course. American Red Cross or American Heart Association
- Available at NMU-PIEF. Online List of CPR and First Aid providers in the state or Michigan:
Send a copy of your CPR and First Aid cards to Nancy Carter at
Keep the original copy for your records.
The requirements of obtaining a Michigan Teaching Certificate will be explained during the student teaching seminar.