College of Education & Human Services
Field Experiences in Education

Cooperating Teacher Forms and Information

These forms are available to cooperating teachers only.  If you have difficulty logging in, please contact the Field Experiences office at 477-2217.

Student Teaching / Practicum Evaluations, and Dispositions Evaluation forms are now electronic and will be emailed to Cooperating Teachers.

Observation Form for Cooperating Teachers
(fillable Word 2007 form)

Observation Form for Cooperating Teachers
(Word 1997-2003-compatible document)

Dispositions Assessment Discussion Form

Sample Midterm Evaluation

Sample Final Evaluation (submitted electronically)

Sample Professional Dispositions Assessment (submitted electronically)

Sample Dispositions Self-Assessment (submitted electronically)

Frequently Asked Questions
for Cooperating Teachers

1. How much paperwork is involved?                      

You will be asked to complete a Final Evaluation of your Teacher Candidate's performance.  The evaluation consists of four main areas:  Knowledgeable, Humanistic, Reflective, and Creative.  There are several questions under each area.

There will also be a Dispositions Final Evaluation.  The main areas are:  Professional Commitment and Responsibility, Reflection and Self Improvement, Interpersonal Relationships, Effective Communication, Attitudes Toward Learners, and Respect for Diversity.

Your Teacher Candidate may also ask you to write a Letter of Recommendation for his or her portfolio.

2. What support will I get from MSUM if the student is not doing well?              

A university supervisor will be assigned to you and your student. This person will serve as a liaison to the university. The university supervisor will visit the classroom a minimum of 5 times, to observe the student teaching, to answer questions and help with problem areas. You may contact the supervisor at any time if you have concerns about your student teacher. The two of you can determine what course of action needs to be taken to help the student teacher with improvements. In extreme cases, the student may be removed from the classroom.

3. What type of lesson plan should the student teacher use?

Students have been taught how to write lesson plans using a particular format. However, if you have a certain type of lesson plan that you have found useful, feel free to pass it along to your student.

4. How often do I give feedback, written vs. oral?

We ask that you give both written and oral feedback as often as possible. Written feedback is only necessary when you are doing a formal observation of the student teaching. Discuss your written observations with the student in as soon as it is convenient. Oral feedback is ongoing throughout the student teaching experience. Students need to hear both positive comments and constructive criticism. If you have concerns about your student teacher, please share those concerns with the student and the university supervisor early on so that problems can be remediated.

5. How are cooperating teachers selected?

Each spring, a cooperating teacher survey is sent out to area teachers via email. The survey asks teachers if and when they would like to work with a Teacher Candidate or practicum student. Each school principal is given a list of the teachers who responded to the survey for approval. The campuses of MSUM, Concordia and NDSU use the surveys to determine where placements should be made. Sometimes we make personal contacts to ask a teacher if he or she would like to work with a student teacher or practicum student.

                                                            Mentor Teacher Checklist

Before Your Teacher Candidate Arrives

 ______Prepare your students for having a teacher candiate.

______ Set aside an area in the classroom for your teacher candidate.

______ Put together a teacher candidate survival kit, including the following.

*Daily schedules

*Class lists

*Fire drill procedures

*Classroom and school rules

*Discipline policies

*Particular student needs

*phone number to contact you in the case of an emergency

*Other things you think are important

Meeting With Your Teacher Candidate

 _____ Discuss the basic responsibilities of the teacher candidate.

       ______ Orient the teacher candidate to the classroom and the school.

______ Review any relevant special calendar dates. 

      ______ Discuss daily routine, schedules, duties

    ______ Review expectations for lesson plans.

                                            ______ Discuss the appropriate dress code for the teacher candidate.

 ______ Share the discipline plan for the classroom and the school. 

______ Discuss how you will observe your teacher candidate teaching. How often will you give feedback?

 ______ Discuss the timeline for the teacher candidate to take over responsibilities in the classroom. Together, organize a calendar of when and which subjects the student will be teaching.

During Student Teaching

______ Introduce your teacher candidate to the students.

______ Introduce your teacher candidate to the principal, faculty and staff.

______ Give regular feedback to your teacher candidate, with suggestions for improvement and recognition of positive aspects.

______ Be available to answer your teacher candidate's questions and provide moral support.

          *Additional guidelines can be found in the Student Teacher Handbook

Cooperating Teacher To-Do List

Observations

Your teacher candidate needs 3 written observations by you. These are observations of teaching 3 different lessons.

Observation forms are available online at www.mnstate.edu/fieldexp. Click on: *Cooperating Teacher Forms.

*Teacher Candidate/Practicum evaluations and disposition evaluation.

*Click practicum number or teacher candidate box.

*Scroll to the bottom for Lesson Observation Feedback form.

Midterm

The University Supervisor will have the Midterm Summary form.  You will have a three meeting bewteen the US, you, and your teacher candidate. This will be a valuable tool for discussing areas that need improvement early in the experience. If needed, set specific goals with your teacher candidate.

Final Evaluations

Fill out the Final Evaluation and the Dispositions Evaluation towards the end of student teaching. An email will be sent to you stating it is time to complete these forms.  These are electronic forms, located in Diary (Data Input And Reporting Repository). 

Your teacher candidate may also ask you for a letter of recommendation.

If you have questions, please contact the Field Experiences Office atr 218-477-2217.

Teacher Candidate Expectations

These are questions asked of the Cooperating Teacher to facilitate discussion with the Teacher Candidate.

1.  How far in advance should the teacher candidate give you lesson plans?How closely should the teacher candidate follow the adopted texts? May he/she try ideas that are not in the texts?

3. How much noise is acceptable in the classroom?

4. What should the teacher candidate be doing while you are teaching?

5. What will you be doing while the teacher candidate is teaching?

6. Will you ever intervene during a lesson? Under what conditions?

7. How and when will you give the teacher candidate feedback?

8. What other duties will the teacher candidate have? (lunchroom duty, playground duty, etc.) (It's ok to give these away!)

9. What is the procedure for tasks like having copies made?

10. What is the classroom/school behavior management plan? What is allowed/not allowed in the classroom? (gum, candy, bathroom breaks, pencil sharpening)

11. What special school-wide programs are in place? (AR, Guided Reading, Responsive Classroom, etc.)

12. What time should the teacher candidate be there in the morning?
13. How late should she/he stay after school?
14.  What is the procedure for calling in sick?

14. What is the dress code?

15. What do teachers typically do for lunch? When is lunch?

16. When is planning time? How do you plan for instruction? Will the teacher candidate be included in planning?

17. What other staff, teachers are in your classroom during the day?

18. Other………..