A Book for Cooperating Teachers

A Book for Cooperating Teachers

Chapter 1-Your First Week

This chapter is about the CT introducing the Student Teacher to the classroom. During this first week, the student needs to be introduced to classroom policies, the grading system, and daily routine for the class. The CT will inform the student teacher of the strengths and weaknessess of all students, and what their role will be in that classroom this semester. This first week is important for the CT to build initial rapport with the student teacher, and to decide what their roles will be this semester. This initial framework is the key to a successful semester for the student teacher.

Chapter 2-Teaching Strategies

This chapter outlines specifically how the student teacher will be involved. This entails what units/lessons the student will teacher, co-teaching strategies, and group strategies for the class. Chapter 2 is very important because it shows how the CT and student teacher will co-exist and work together through the semester. It's important that this is detailed and planned, because lack of preparation will result in lost teaching time. This chapter will show not only how they will be involved, but HOW the teacher and student teacher should communicate.

Chapter 3-Organization

This chapter is for the student teacher to learn the organizational ways of the CT. This includes detailed grading procedures, filing of records/reports/ etc. This chapter is crucial to the success of a student teacher, and must be shown effectively by the CT. This is important for the CT so that the student teacher is on the same page as the CT when it comes to organizational procedures in the classroom. This will make for a much more time utilized class period, rather than a disorganized, clustered mess.

Chapter 4-Contact with Parents/Colleagues/Etc.

Its very important for the student teacher to have professional relationships with parents, fellow teachers, administrators. This needs to be taught and demonstrated by the CT. This chapter outlines how to make that call home, how to ask for suggestions for lesson plans, and how to conduct yourself in professional meetings. This unit at times is often overlooked, but is the difference between having positive working relationships with these individuals, and not. The CT will emphasize the importance of these relationships, and even how to deal with angry, upset, or irrational parents/fellow teachers/administrators.

Chapter 5-The Last Four Weeks

This chapter outlines the difficulties of the last four weeks of classroom. The CT will discuss the significance of inservice days, field trips, competitions, athletic events, etc. This chapter will show how to adjust to the crazy last four weeks of school, and how to slowly transisition to a closing for the semester. The CT will show the student teacher how to set goals for the end of the semester, start training for the next school year, etc.  They will show the importance of ending the year on a strong note; instead of coasting until the last day.