Guidelines for Field Experience: Intern Semester II

Welcome to Intern Semester II of your Professional Development Sequence. The following guidelines are essential to your success this semester.

Read and follow all written policies provided by UT College of Education http://www.edb.utexas.edu/education/edservices/fieldexperiences/5183/policies/.
Follow all stated or written guidelines provided by your cooperating teacher, school, and district. Seek clarification promptly when needed. Demonstrate consistent effort, enthusiasm, and concern for the success of your students.
Respect the importance o professional confidentiality in schools.
Review §247.2 The Code of Ethics and Standard Practices for Texas Educators, available at http://www.edb.utexas.edu/education/edservices/fieldexperiences/5183/policies/ and abide by this code throughout your internship.
(Sample) From September 2 through November 20, you will report to your elementary classroom on Tuesdays and Thursdays and remain on campus from 7:30-3:30. On any date that your field supervisor will be present at your school, please leave a note on your intern notebook if you will be in a location other than that indicated on the class schedule you submitted during the first week.
Use the sign-in/sign-out procedures in your school office each day of your fieldwork.
Wear your official intern badge whenever you are on your school placement campus. Be responsible for the security of your badge.
Perfect attendance is expected during the internship. If you must be absent due to illness or an emergency, you must contact your cooperating teacher and your field supervisor by no later than 7:30 a.m. on the day of your absence. Failure to provide such notice may jeopardize your internship.
If you are absent from your field experience, you MUST make up the missed hours to receive credit for completion of your internship. Please e-mail your field supervisor to let her know of arrangements to make up the time lost prior to the last class day. Your cooperating teacher must approve these arrangements.
Punctuality is critical. If you experience a problem getting to your classroom on time, contact your cooperating teacher immediately. Repeated tardiness to your placement will be reflected in your evaluation and may jeopardize the completion of your internship.
Arrange a back-up plan so you can reach your placement should you experience automobile problems. Discuss such a possibility with other interns at your school or at nearby schools. A printed copy of your cohort contact list will be helpful. If necessary, use public transportation or call a taxi.
Seek cooperating teacher and principal permission to photograph/videotape your students for specific assignments. Some principals consider course work photography/videotaping performed under cooperating teacher supervision to be covered adequately by the general school photography parent permission form since it is connected to instructional activities. However, others prefer that you obtain separate parent permission. If this is required at your school, adapt the forms available in the cohort folder and seek approval before making copies and sending them home to parents. You must avoid photographing students whose parents refuse permission.
Your field supervisor will be on your campus regularly for observations and conferences. Your field supervisor will provide you with observation schedules for selecting formal observation times. In addition, field supervisors will perform informal observations and notebook checks. In your personal notebook, jot down questions or concerns to discuss with your field supervisor. Also include in your notebook any observations done by your supervisors, as well as the lesson plan that is currently being observed. You may request additional private conferences, as needed. You have the right to expect university support!
Maintain timely, accurate, and courteous communications with your cooperating teacher, field supervisor and program coordinator.
Direct, honest, and calm communication is the first step in resolving professional misunderstandings or conflicts. Practice the professional assertiveness that you are going to need as a teacher. If additional assistance is needed, seek help from your field supervisor first, and then your coordinator if the situation has not been resolved.
Each lesson plan must be approved by your cooperating teacher prior to implementation.
Complete all fieldwork components for Intern Semester II course work. Written directions for such assignments will be provided by your instructors and will be sent electronically to cooperating teachers.
School computers may be used with cooperating teacher permission, but interns may use them only for professional communication related to fieldwork.
The formative evaluation is research-based and corresponds to teaching competencies published by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, TEA-endorsed TxBESS, and PDAS. Objective data for evaluations include:

direct observations of exhibited behaviors; and
artifacts (e.g., intern prepared materials, technology integration products, and student work samples)

With cooperating teacher and parent permission, take the opportunity to sit in on parent conferences. Refer to Parent Conference Observation Form available in your Cohort Documents.
Demonstrate the ability to accept suggestions and/or constructive criticism from your cooperating teacher, field supervisor, cohort coordinator, or any other professional in your school. In addition, you must demonstrate an effort to overcome any identified deficiency in your performance. Your cooperating teacher and field supervisor are your primary support professionals, so call on them whenever extra assistance is required.
Maintain a positive attitude, and always speak professionally about students and school staff members. Confine discussion regarding specific students to those who have professional contact with the student. When discussing classroom incidents in university classes, do not use student names.
School secretaries, custodians, food service personnel, and crossing guards play essential roles in making the school a good and safe place for children. Introduce yourself cheerfully and offer assistance readily.
Interns will use Mac laptops in the classroom at their schools. Plan carefully so that your laptop will be secure when you are out of the classroom. Introduce your laptop to students and clearly state that it is an important work instrument to use for teaching – not a toy, and off-limits to students without permission. Explain that the laptop will help "us" do some special learning activities this year.
Interns will use their laptops at their school setting and in academic classes. Interns should not use laptops to surf the Internet, participate in chat, or use e-mail while they are supposed to be attending to lectures and presentations. Taking notes and recording observations are allowed.

Interested in Substitute Teaching Next May?

Plan ahead. You may wish to substitute teach after your spring semester ends, while school is still in session. If so, learn about the application process and required substitute teacher training sessions for districts in which you may wish to substitute teach. You will not be excused from your placements next semester in order to attend such training, so find out when sessions will be offered and attend if possible between the last day of fieldwork this semester and before next semester begins.

Intern Checklist

Update your Autobiographical Sketch and send it to your cooperating teacher and field supervisor.
Complete the Intern Contact Form and provide copies as instructed by your program coordinator.
Use the Cooperating Teacher Contact Form (available in Cohort Documents). As soon as you obtain the required information from your cooperating teacher, type and send copies to your field supervisor and program coordinator.
Use a school district calendar to mark holidays, staff development, and parent conference days on your own calendar. Bookmark your school district calendar. Mark student holidays and early release days in your planner.
1. Austin ISD: http://www.austinisd.org/academics/calendar/
2. Pflugerville ISD: http://www.pflugervilleisd.net/calendar.cfm
3. Round Rock ISD: http://www.roundrockisd.org/index.aspx?page=737
Obtain a copy of your cooperating teacher’s schedule and complete a Class Schedule Form. Provide copies as instructed by your program coordinator.
Carefully study each cluster of the formative evaluation instrument. This document should guide your professional development. Be sure that you and your cooperating teacher have a clear understanding of the standards, skills and practices on which you will be evaluated.
Download and thoroughly examine the TEKS for your grade level. Go to http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index2.aspx?id=6148 and click on your grade level.
Read your school’s teacher handbook (if available). Obtain as much information about the school as possible, using the school and district Web sites if available.
Download a STAAR booklet from
Familiarize yourself with school emergency procedures.
Obtain a map of the school and tour the building.
In your car, tour the school attendance zone.
Introduce yourself to a school administrator.
Discuss briefly with the school counselor, nurse, and assistant principal such topics as student records, routine and emergency referrals and school safety.
Clarify procedures for your use of library/media center materials.
Diagram the classroom and playground. Label areas for clarity. Date your diagram.
Examine district curriculum guides and/or district scope and sequence for language arts, mathematics, social studies and science. Ask your cooperating teacher to assist you in locating these materials. Complete the forms for your school’s teaching texts and materials (see form in Documents).
Use your Guide to Lesson Planning and the Lesson Plan template provided in the cohort folder.
Direct several activities planned by your cooperating teacher to help you get to know your students.
Observe your students during one Art, Music, PE, library and lunch period.
Accompany your cooperating teacher during recess supervision and other supervisory assignments.
Note your cooperating teacher’s classroom management strategies (e.g., prevention, intervention, redirection, natural consequences).
Note your cooperating teacher’s procedures involving: morning greeting, attendance, collection and distribution of materials, nurse, playground, transitions between activities, cafeteria, restroom, assembly, field trip, nap, clean-up, lining up, and moving through school.
Attend at least one faculty meeting, one staff development session, and one team planning session. Schedule these with your cooperating teacher in advance
Observe at least one other classroom at your grade level and two other first- through fourth-grade classrooms. Do these observations at your school site if possible.
Integrate technology!

Discuss with Your Cooperating Teacher

Discuss as many of the following items as possible this semester:

School safety issues (in the classroom, playground, hallways, cafeteria, parking lot, and bus/car zones)
School emergency procedures (drills, evacuation plans, dangerous weather, intruders)
Classroom and school-wide behavior management systems
The use of signal systems (indoor, outdoor) to gain immediate student attention.
Teaching for individual differences
Technology resources available at the school
Children with special needs, noting accommodations/modifications (IEPs and 504, ADD/ADHD, health concerns)
Learning assessments, grading, records, documentation, computerized systems, and spreadsheets
Dealing with death, divorce, family violence, abuse, and tragic current events
Keeping families informed, involved and empowered through ongoing contact
Setting developmentally appropriate, realistically high learning and behavioral expectations
Determining student needs and interests
Communicating behavioral and academic expectations to students
Intern’s role when a substitute teacher is present
Conducting class meetings
Any rubrics, checklists or rating scales you plan to use
Involving students in limit-setting
Involving students in maintaining the physical classroom environment
Classroom live animal and plant care
How to access teaching materials, such as living materials for science
Plans for addressing multicultural interests, needs, and perspectives
Learning and behavioral contracts
Welcoming and accommodating classroom visitors
Welcoming and assisting new students
Health and sanitation practices (emergency assistance, medication policies, medical gloves)
Homework (traditional and nontraditional)
Changing room arrangements for specific activities
Standard school supplies
Requesting items from home for particular lessons
Forgotten lunches or learning materials
Specialists, paraprofessionals and volunteers who may assist in the classroom
Field trips planned for the semester
School assemblies