Characteristics of Single Subject Student Teaching

In the student teaching semester, your role will change from an observer/participant to student teacher. During the second half of the semester before student teaching, Dominican University of California’s placement coordinator (San Rafael campus)/ lead supervisor (Ukiah Center) will arrange for all field placements and student teaching placements. Student teaching candidates do not negotiate their own field placements.

The placement will have these characteristics:

1.  It includes teaching, conferencing, preparing and observing.

• Student Teaching Placement #1—one class under the direction of a directing teacher;
• Student Teaching Placement #2—a different class under the direction of a second directing teacher;
• Auxiliary Teaching Placement —5 hours per week in a designated instructional role;
• Observing other teachers 1 hour per week — (independently, outside your department}.
• Conferencing and Preparation—two periods/hours per day for conferring with your directing teachers and university supervisor and class preparation.

2.  It follows the public school semester (not Dominican’s), beginning on the first day of the public school semester and lasting until the final day of that semester.

3.  You must student teach in two different courses, each of which is supervised by a different directing teacher.

4. You must teach courses in which there are both English learners and students with special needs so that you can easily complete the differentiated instruction required in the CalTPA. If your student placement is in a school that does not meet this criteria your auxiliary placement will be at a school that meets this criteria.

5.  You will not be placed in “challenging” assignments as a student teacher. “Challenging” assignments include AP or Honors classes.

6.  You will arrange your schedule so that you can meet weekly with your directing teachers and university supervisor. This means that

•  You will arrange a schedule so that you are available to confer with your directing teachers during your directing teachers’ conference periods; and
• You will arrange a schedule so that you are available to confer with your university supervisor immediately after each student teaching period - this means that you should not schedule your student teaching periods back to back on any day of the week.

7.  You will complete an auxiliary teaching placement during the student teaching semester along with your two periods of student teaching. This auxiliary assignment provides you with an opportunity to get involved in another aspect of school life: yearbook, school newspaper, drama, clubs, ELD classes, tutoring, counseling, etc. (You may think about this as an opportunity to add experience and expertise to your repertoire.) This assignment must have these characteristics:

• It is student-centered;
• It is a situation in which you assist an experienced teacher or school staff member as he/she works with small or large groups of students; 
•  It involves at least five hours per week throughout the student teaching semester;
• It may occur during the school day or after school, but its timing may not interfere with your Dominican obligations.

8. Demonstrate professional conduct and obligations (see Professional Conduct and Obligations, Chapter 1).

9. Your seminar leader/ supervisor must approve any exceptions.