Specialist 1 endorsement. All student teaching placements must be approved by the Office of Field Experiences. Candidates in the MAT program must register for 5 semester hours of experience (required for licensure) and complete a full-day student teaching experience. This experience is designed to involve the student teacher in all dimensions of teaching responsibility. Students enter into partnerships with the cooperating teachers to plan, organize, develop and implement IEPs, lesson plans, learning environments and instructional materials. Student teachers are afforded opportunities to work with the materials and physical resources of a school district and are expected to actively collaborate with supporting personnel. Student teachers are typically welcomed to faculty meetings and are frequently allowed to participate in other professional responsibilities such as parent conferences and district-wide meetings. The corresponding course seminars are an integral and required part of this experience and provide the student teachers with a framework for support, reflection, and instruction. Starting and ending dates for student teaching are dependent on the needs of the school district and placement site and will generally follow the district’s schedule. Candidates are required to student teach 5 full days a week for 10 consecutive weeks. The placement must end no later than the end of the university’s quarter. It is important that candidates check their NLU email accounts daily for important information and updates. Course Seminars During student teaching there will be weekly seminars. The syllabus and course schedule will be shared with specific dates and times. Attendance is mandatory, even in the event of parent conferences, school meetings, coaching, spring break etc. Seminars offer many learning opportunities and are forums for sharing ideas and challenges from the field. Important information about meeting seminar requirements, completing the PTA assignment, job applications, and the procedures for attaining licensure will be discussed. Student Teaching Requirements 1. Attendance: Daily attendance at school is mandatory . Student teachers are expected to be at school all day every day that teachers are expected to be in attendance. Student teachers follow the school calendar rather than the university calendar for holidays. Appropriate arrival and departure times should be discussed with the cooperating teacher and the university supervisor. Additionally, since meetings are part of the real world of schools, student teachers should attend all those that the cooperating teacher attends: grade level team, staffing, district, and faculty. If student teachers must be absent from school at any time, for illness, religious observances, or serious personal matters, their professional responsibility is to immediately contact the cooperating teacher, university supervisor and seminar leader through NLU email. Please note that after three days of absence, arrangements to make up missed days must be discussed with the cooperating teacher, university supervisor, and the seminar leader. 2. Reflective Journaling : The purpose of maintaining a reflective journal is to provide an important record of candidate growth and to give the supervisor and seminar leader a greater understanding of what the candidate is experiencing. The seminar leader will discuss his/her expectations regarding content and format of the journal.
3. Daily Planning : As a beginning teacher, development and competency in lesson planning is essential for teaching effectiveness and meeting goals. Teachers build lessons around
Special Education P2/ST Handbook 2025-2026
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