Student Teaching

Student teaching is the capstone experience to the teacher preparation program at Iowa State University. The experience provides students with the opportunity to implement many of the strategies and techniques they have learned about in their professional course work. During student teaching they layer an additional dimension and range of experiences to their background. Because the student is in an unfamiliar setting, both the supervisor and the cooperating teacher take on special importance.

Depending on the academic major and the grade level of certification, student teaching sessions vary in length. Elementary education majors and early childhood education majors student teach for two eight-week sessions at different grade levels. For elementary majors, this must be a kindergarten through third grade placement and a fourth through sixth grade placement. For early childhood education majors, one placement is preschool, and one is kindergarten through third. Some secondary majors student teach for fourteen weeks. However, secondary students wanting kindergarten through twelve certification in a special area such as physical education or music, student teach two eight week sessions - one in grades kindergarten through six and one in grades seven through twelve.

The supervisor is particularly important in the professional growth and development of the student. Because the student is some distance from campus, the supervising role may be complex and diverse. Students are adjusting to the role of a professional but also adjusting to a new community. Assistance in meeting the many diverse needs of the student teacher will be an important factor in the student's success.

Further, the cooperating teacher has an important role in assisting students. Research shows that the classroom cooperating teacher is the most important contributor to an emerging educator’s professional growth and development. The professional expertise provided and the time and effort devoted are critical to the success of the student teacher.

Student teaching is a significant aspect of teacher preparation. Therefore, the Iowa State University supervisor will make frequent visits to the classroom. The purpose of the visitations is to help ensure success in this experience. All Iowa State University staff involved will do their best to make student teaching a most rewarding experience.

Student Teaching Locations:

Sites for student teachers are within driving distance of campus or at approved out-of-state and international locations. Local sites are utilized because of the easy access for students and supervisors and the quality of cooperating teachers and educational programs in central Iowa.

Locations outside of the state are selected to give students experiences that they could not obtain locally. One of these experiences is student teaching in a large metropolitan school district and working with students from diverse social, economic and ethnic backgrounds. Current sites being used are Houston, Texas (Aldine Independent School District), Omaha, Nebraska (Omaha Public School District), Cedar Rapids, Iowa (Cedar Rapids Community School District) and Chicago, Illinois (Chicago Public School District). For all of these sites, a cooperative agreement is developed to assure quality supervision by on-site personnel as well as accessibility for ISU supervisors to visit periodically.

International locations are utilized to give students experiences in other cultures, to add to their global awareness, and to provide experiences with a diverse student population. These experiences are available selected semesters to students who have met all other qualifications for student teaching and, in addition, who have high recommendations from the block and practicum supervisors. A stringent application and interview process is also involved in selection.

All student teaching assignments are made through the University Teacher Education Program in 0133 MacKay Hall. At all locations, placements vary by semester and year. Not all academic areas are used within each district and districts restrict the number of placements accepted. Districts may require an interview and have the right to accept or reject a student teaching application. The University Teacher Education Program at Iowa State facilitates the placement of student teachers, but the final decision is that of the school district. Students may not contact schools directly to facilitate either a practicum or student teaching placement.

Assignments are made by the Field Experiences Coordinator with the assistance of university faculty from various subject areas. Students generally indicate several geographic and grade level preferences and, whenever possible, those wishes are given serious consideration. Students are assigned within commuting distance of the ISU campus whenever possible. If commuting is not feasible, it will be the student’s responsibility to secure a suitable place to live during the student teaching experience. Student teachers are always responsible for transportation to the student teaching location. Students who change their mind on preference of location (i.e. a center to the Ames area) may experience a one semester delay in receiving another placement if the request comes later than mid-term of the full semester preceding student teaching.

Extreme circumstances may arise such that a student needs to request an alternative student teaching placement. Such requests will be considered only if they are truly beyond the requester's control. Students who would like to submit a Special Site Request must follow the procedures that are outlined. The following criteria are used to determine approval for Special Site Requests that involve placement in a school district that is in the vicinity of a Regent's institution.

Student Teaching Length of Involvement:

The length of student teaching varies among departments and grade levels.

• Elementary Education student teachers teach one full semester, 16 weeks, divided between primary grades (K-3) and intermediate grades (4-6).
• Early Childhood Education student teachers teach one full semester, 16 weeks, divided between primary grades (K-3) and a pre-school setting (birth-age five) with one of those settings working with children with special needs.
• Family and Consumer Sciences student teachers are involved in two half-semester student teaching experiences.
• Physical Education (K-12) student teachers will teach the entire semester with experiences at both elementary and secondary levels.
• Music Education (K-12) student teachers will teach the entire semester with experiences at both elementary and secondary levels.
• History-Social Sciences (5-12) student teachers will teach the entire semester with experiences at both middle school and high school levels.

Requirements for Student Teaching (Checkpoint 2):

Student teaching is the culminating experience to the Iowa State University Teacher Education Program. To ensure that students are prepared for this experience, the following requirements must be met prior to student teaching (at the time for "Request for Student Teaching Placement" described below):

1. Full admission to the University Teacher Education Program is required a minimum of 1 year before the start of the student teaching semester. Students in accelerated graduate programs must be fully admitted by mid-semester prior to the student teaching semester.
2. Completion of the 'Request for Student Teaching Placement' by the deadline in the fall semester for spring student teaching and by the deadline in the spring semester for fall student teaching. Details regarding this application are available in the University Teacher Education Program Office.
3. A minimum 2.5 cumulative grade point average.
4. A passing grade as determined by the licensure area must have been earned in all required professional teacher education courses and selected courses in the student’s licensure area. All Curriculum and Instruction (C I), Human Development and Family Studies (HD FS) and Special Education (Sp Ed) courses required for licensure have a minimum grade requirement of a C (pedagogy coursework). Courses in the department of the major specifically required for teacher licensure have a minimum grade requirement of a C- (content coursework). Please note: Departments may have higher eligibility requirements (see licensure area coordinator for more information).

Questions concerning Checkpoint 2 can be referred to Gayle Huey, Director of Field Experiences, 0133 MacKay Hall, phone: 294-1915, email: ghuey@iastate.edu

Request for Student Teaching Placement (Checkpoint 2):

Submission of the "Request for Student Teaching Placement" occurs the semester before you plan to student teach (during the first three weeks of the fall and spring semesters). At this time, students need to have the "Student Teaching Requirements (Checkpoint 2)" described above completed.

There are two parts to the Request for Student Teaching Placement:

1. The first part of the Request for Student Teaching Placement is an online form that you complete and submit the semester before you plan to student teach. The online form is accessible for a designated time period (during the first three weeks of the fall and spring semesters). Click on the link below and complete the form. Please Note: Complete ALL the Fields and PRINT Before You Submit the Form. You will not be able to print the form after you click "submit." If you can not complete the form at one time, then note that you will have to start over the next time you begin. Be sure to click "submit" at the end of the fully completed form. Do not "submit" a partially completed form. Click "submit" only once.

Print the completed form as follows:

Early Childhood Education: 2 copies

Elementary Education: 1 copy

Secondary Education: 2 copies

Link to Request for Student Teaching Placement Form

2. The second part of the Request for Student Teaching Placement is titled Personal and Professional Information form.

Print the completed form and submit 5 copies.

Personal and Professional Information Form

Please note: If you need more space then allotted to fully answer a question, please attach a separate sheet of paper.

Student Teaching Documents/Handbooks:

The documents related to the student teaching experience are located online. Please feel free to download any of these documents for later use.

Acknowledgement

We would like to thank the departments and offices that contributed to the preparation and editing of this manual: University Teacher Education, Curriculum and Instruction Department, the Secondary Education Content Departments, Special Education Team, the College of Human Sciences Student Services Office, and the Human Development and Family Studies Department.

Non-discrimination Statement

Iowa State University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, sex, marital status, disability, or status as a U.S. veteran. Inquiries can be directed to the Director of Equal Opportunity and Diversity, 3680 Beardshear Hall, (515) 294-7612.