Arranging the Hours It is required that the Practicum I hours are spread across the term to provide a framework for developmental learning and completion of specific class assignments. Candidates will be required to prepare and teach a minimum of one lesson to the entire class during their classroom time. A grade of B or better must be received in Practicum I to continue in the program. It is the candidate’s responsibility to arrange the placement for the ELE500 Practicum I preclinical experience. Below are the recommended procedures for securing a placement. 1. Identify a school that is known for excellent teaching practices. This may be done through discussion with friends, colleagues, teachers, the NLU academic advisor, or the seminar leader. Personal contacts are a good place to begin the search. 2. Schedule a meeting with the principal [or the person designated to work with preservice teachers] to explain the Practicum I requirements and to request a placement in the school. 3. At the meeting, present your Letter of Introduction and the Guidelines for the Principal form. Be sure to follow appropriate registration procedures when you arrive at the school. 4. A specific teacher will be assigned. Candidates must work with one teacher for this experience. The classroom must be a regular elementary school classroom. Special education classrooms, fine arts, ELL/bilingual resource settings are not appropriate for thisexperience. Share the Guidelines for Cooperating Teachers and Suggestions for Participation in the classroom. 5. A professional appearance and disposition during all school visits is required at all times. Practicum I Requirements Professional Demeanor : The faculty in Elementary Education is dedicated to preparing skilled and caring future classroom professionals. Teacher candidates must demonstrate behaviors that support their own professional development as well as the high achievement of children in the classroom. These behaviors and dispositions must demonstrate commitment to high academic, professional, and ethical standards which include wearing appropriate professional attire for school settings. Reflective Journal : Teacher candidates are encouraged to write a reflective journal during the time they spend in the elementary classroom. In some cases, a journal will be a required seminar assignment. This journal can provide an important record of personal and professional growth and document understanding of what the teacher candidates are learning in that experience. Log Sheets: Teacher candidates are required to document the hours they are completing in the Practicum I classroom. They need to use the ELE MAT Log Sheet for the day-to-day hours. At the end of the term, teacher candidates need to document the total hours on the NCE Online Log Sheet found in Sonia (sonia.nl.edu). Attendance in the Practicum Placement: A regular schedule in the classroom should be established with the cooperating teacher. Teacher candidates must complete a minimum of 30 hours while enrolled in Practicum I. Appropriate arrival and departure times should be discussed with the cooperating teacher as well as procedures for signing into the schools as visitors. Additionally, since meetings are part of the real world of schools, teacher candidates should take advantage of meetings held at the school that are approved by the cooperating teacher; for
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