Role of Cooperating Teacher
Cooperating teachers are considered implementing colleagues with university supervisors during the student teaching experience. Their professional judgment will determine the extent of participation by candidates. They communicate school and classroom expectations to candidates, regularly critique their performance, develop plans for improvement, and submit weekly evaluation forms to the Greenville University online web reporting system.
The student teaching experience should allow candidates to gradually assume the responsibilities of the classroom teacher.
The following progression is generally followed for a full 15-week placement:
Acclimation Phase (week 1) – Candidates participate in planned, brief teaching activities, become acquainted with students’ instructional resources, begin to plan for teaching, and start to work on school-based assignments.
Initial Teaching Phase (weeks 2-3)– Candidates assume responsibility for teaching a small group, work with individual students, and complete instructional-related assignments for the cooperating teacher. The candidate should also assume responsibility for teaching one or two classes to begin preparation for edTPA.
EDTPA Preparation and Recording Phase (weeks 4-5) – Candidates continue teaching classes or subject areas related to edTPA activities and complete requirements of edTPA Task 2.
EDTPA Reflection and Commentary Phase (week 6) – Candidate continues teaching classes or subject areas related to edTPA and completes the remaining portions of the edTPA. Candidates should not acquire new subjects or move into the next phase until edTPA is complete; however, candidates should communicate regularly with the cooperating teacher to plan for full teaching/intensives.
Increased Teaching Phase (week 7-8) – Candidate continues with already acquired subjects and begins to prepare and transition into full responsibility of classroom instruction.
Full Teaching Phase (weeks 9-11) – Candidates assume the major portion of the cooperating teacher’s instructional activities. A minimum three-week intensive is required.
Transition Phase (weeks 12-13) – The candidate should continue to teach at least two classes or subject areas but begin to gradually release responsibilities back to the Cooperating Teacher.
Concluding Phase (weeks 14-15) – Candidates begin phasing out instructional activities and completing school-based assignments.
The following progression is generally followed for a split 10-week/5-week placement:
Acclimation Phase (week 1) – Candidates participate in planned, brief teaching activities, become acquainted with instructional resources and with students, begin to plan for teaching, and start to work on school-based assignments.
Initial Teaching Phase (weeks 2-3) – Candidates assume responsibility for teaching a small group, working with individual students, and completing instructional-related assignments for the cooperating teacher. The candidate should also assume responsibility for teaching one or two classes to begin preparation for edTPA.
edTPA Preparation and Recording Phase (weeks 4-5) – Candidates continue teaching classes or subject areas related to edTPA activities and complete the requirements of edTPA Task 2.
edTPA Reflection and Commentary Phase (week 6) – Candidates continue teaching classes or subject areas related to edTPA and complete the remaining portions of the edTPA. Candidates should not acquire new subjects or move into the next phase until edTPA is complete; however, candidates should communicate regularly with the cooperating teacher to plan for full teaching/intensives.
Increased Teaching Phase (week 7-8) – Candidate continues with already-acquired subjects and begins to prepare and transition into full responsibility of classroom instruction.
Full Teaching Phase (weeks 9-10) – The candidate assumes full teaching responsibilities for all subjects/content areas, but a gradual decrease of teaching responsibilities must begin during Week 10 to avoid an abrupt end of the placement.
Transition Phase (weeks 11-13) – Candidate acclimates to the classroom and established rapport with students; an assists-cooperating teacher with various tasks; works with individual students, and small groups, and co-teaches various subjects when possible. The candidate should assume full responsibility for teaching for at least one week OR manage most subjects/content areas for as long as possible.
Concluding Phase (weeks 14-15) – The candidate continues to work with individual students and small groups as well as co-teaching, but full teaching responsibility should be given back to the cooperating teacher.
To provide sufficient preparation to ensure a successful experience for the candidate, the proposed schedule may at times require flexibility on the part of the candidate, the cooperating teacher and the supervisor; however, the proposed timeline has been developed as a guideline to ensure that the candidate completes necessary requirements in a timely manner. Therefore, it is important to carefully consider pacing and understand how any modification of this proposed schedule would impact the candidate’s ability to complete required tasks.
Evaluations of all candidates must be completed and submitted electronically five times. The Educator Disposition Assessment evaluation will be completed twice for a 15-week placement, at week 3 and week 13(final); and three times for a split placement: at week 3 and week 10(final) for placement #1 (host teacher #1) and week 5(final) for placement #2 (host teacher #2). The Danielson Assessment will be completed three times for the single placement, weeks 5, 10, and 13(final); for the split placement, weeks 5 and 10(final) for placement #1 and week 5(final) for placement #2. Face-to-face meetings should be held with the candidate on a weekly basis to discuss their performance and each evaluation. The final evaluations are to be completed promptly and submitted electronically during the 13th week of the experience as it is needed to issue a final grade. The student self-evaluation form may be used by candidates for introspection and self-analysis. Cooperating teachers may wish to review the self-evaluation form with candidates in order to assist them as they attempt to alter practice.