Field Experience Guide

Plan, prepare and teach a minimum of three lessons (e.g. planning a community building activity, leading a routine, facilitating a review activity, developing a mini-lesson) as directed by the mentor.

Plan, prepare and teach/co-teach a minimum of two lesson sequences. Each should be approximately two to four weeks in duration. In addition, each candidate should facilitate various routines and/or stand-alone lessons as directed by the mentor.

Plan, prepare and teach/co-teach units, lesson sequences, routines and stand-alone lessons. By mid-October and as directed by the mentor and field advisor, interns normally assume a 70-100% teaching load.

Candidates will reflect regularly on their experiences using the Reflection in Action document which is accessible to both the mentor teacher(s) and FA.
On a regular basis, candidates will update their Reflection in Action document with strengths, stretches, and general reflections that represent their emerging insights and understandings with respect to the learning outcomes (BCTC Standards) and their ongoing personal/professional competency development.

Candidates will ensure the Reflection in Action document is up to date and the Curation of Learning Summary is completed for each standard as well as the Growth Goals and Next Steps for the two-week experience by January 8 and email it to their mentor teacher(s) if necessary.

FAs will meet with candidates to discuss their Reflection in Action document.
FAs will check in with mentor(s) to discuss candidate progress to date and preparations for the six-week experience.

Six-week immersive formative experience (Collaborative Explorations II)

• Candidates will continue to reflect regularly using the Reflection in Action document.
• Mentors provide feedback directly to candidates (discuss with your mentor their preferred format)
• FAs will share lesson observation feedback on the Reflection in Action document or by email to the candidate and mentor(s).

By March 1
Working with your mentor(s), candidates will ensure their Reflection in Action document is up to date and the Curation of Learning Summary is completed for each standard as well as the Growth Goals and Next Steps. If necessary, this document could be emailed to the mentor teacher(s).

March

• FAs will review the Reflection in Action document and draft a final report with growth goals.
• Exit meetings held during which candidate, mentor(s) and field advisor discuss draft report and finalize growth goals.
• Following the exit meeting, the candidate and mentor(s) receive a copy of the final report.

Candidates and mentors will receive a link to an online survey to provide feedback about the field experience.

• Interns will reflect regularly on their strengths and stretches using the Reflection in Action Document.
• Field advisor will conduct regular observations.
• Interns and mentors connect on a weekly basis to discuss progress, refine goals and update Reflection in Action document.

• Mentors are encouraged to provide feedback directly to interns (feedback options provided on the Field Experience Guide webpage), cc field advisor.
• Field advisor will email comments and feedback from observations to the intern and mentor(s).

• Interns will ensure their Reflection in Action document is up to date and the Curation of Learning Summary is completed for each standard, as well as the Growth Goals and Next Steps for the Mid-Point Assessment. If necessary, this document can be emailed to the mentor teacher(s).
• Curation of Learning meetings are scheduled: intern, mentor(s) and field advisor will meet to discuss the intern’s assessment and goals.

Interns to complete Curation of Learning Summary sections for each BCTC Standard in the Reflection in Action document along with the Final Growth Goals and Next Steps. If necessary, this document can be emailed to the mentor teacher(s).

• Final meeting date/time set: Intern schedules a meeting based on mentor(s)’ availability.
• Late November: Mentor(s) will receive a draft copy of intern’s final report for review. Mentor(s) will send field advisor any suggestions, additions, or feedback regarding the report.
• The day before the final meeting: field advisor will send a ‘preview’ copy of the final report to the intern (cc mentor(s)) to read in advance of the final meeting.
• At the final meeting: Final discussion and signing of the report. The final meeting will take approximately 20 – 30 minutes.
• Following the final meeting, the field advisor will send mentor(s) and intern a scanned copy of the signed report.

Mentors will receive a link to an online survey to provide feedback about the internship.

Field advisors (FA) serve as key educators and mentors for you throughout your BEd program as you grapple with the complexities of teaching and learning. FAs strive to embody the attributes of scholar-practitioners, educators who understand the importance of discernment, care, relationality, community, professionalism, research, practice, equity, diversity, and inclusion. As you encounter new and familiar ideas throughout the program, our goal is to support you in reflecting deeply to develop a philosophical and pragmatic language that will serve as the foundation of your unique and ever evolving scholar-practitioner identity.

You should contact your field advisor whenever you are concerned with your mentor relationship, progress or have questions regarding expectations and assessment. If you have concerns, please do not hesitate to contact your field advisor. It is preferable to contact the advisor early when there is a concern.

We are here to support you!

Collaboration manifests in distinctive ways within each partnership context; examples include:

• Collaborative lesson/unit planning: Collaborating on the planning of a lesson or unit involves sharing ideas and incorporating them equally. This process can be a joint effort between you and your mentor, where both parties contribute insights and expertise.
• Co-teaching planned lessons: Co-teaching entails the joint implementation of a lesson that has been planned by either the mentor, yourself, or through collaborative efforts. In this approach, both you and your mentor actively participate in delivering the lesson, leveraging respective strengths and expertise.
• Feedback-based planning: You share your lesson plans with your mentor and receive constructive feedback before facilitating the lesson. This allows for a valuable exchange of ideas and suggestions, and ensures that the your planning aligns with your mentor’s instructional goals.
• Lesson observation and debriefing: You observe your mentor teaching a lesson and subsequently engage in a debriefing session. This collaborative discussion allows you and your mentor to reflect on the observed lesson, share observations, and discuss successful strategies/approaches used during instruction that you may add to your own teaching practice.

You are expected to work closely with your mentor to develop teaching plans and learning sequences/units. It is recommended that you share your plans with your mentor regularly. The timing for submitting your plans for review is at the discretion of your mentor. We recommend setting a schedule for the review of lesson plans, e.g., two days before instruction. Your teaching responsibilities will be based on your readiness to take on new challenges and responsibilities. While it is expected that you will teach within the responsibilities outlined, there is room for some discretion in assigning workload from your mentor and/or the field advisor. While it is understood that some preparation may be done at home, it is imperative that you are fully prepared for the following day before leaving school at the end of the day.

You are expected to work closely with your mentor to develop teaching plans and lesson sequences/units. It is recommended that you share your plans with your mentor regularly. The timing for submitting your plans for review is at the discretion of your mentor. We recommend setting a schedule for the review of lesson plans, e.g., two days before instruction. Your teaching responsibilities will be based on your readiness to take on new challenges and responsibilities. As each situation is unique, an exact percentage of teaching time is sometimes challenging to identify numerically. For example, in some collaboratively planned learning communities, the interns are 100% part of the planning and teaching teams; in other situations, there may be a portion of the day when some lessons are co-planned/taught and some lessons are planned/taught independently by the interns. To allow for flexibility in these unique situations, a guideline of 70-100% teaching load is appropriate for your certifying practicum. While it is understood that some preparation may be done at home, it is imperative that you are fully prepared for the following day before leaving school at the end of the day.

Candidates and interns are expected to attend all staff meetings, and school-based team meetings (at mentors’ discretion). They are expected to join their mentor(s) when they have supervision responsibilities, if applicable. They cannot supervise on their own and must remain with the mentor teacher. They may participate in or run clubs, or coach sports teams, if they are working with a supervising teacher.

Union Meetings
Candidates and interns cannot attend any union-related meetings.

Mentors may occasionally step out of the class for short periods if both of they and their candidates or intern feel confident and ready. It’s important to note that candidates and interns  can not be utilized as a Teacher Teaching on Call (TTOC) in their mentor’s absence. If there happens to be a TTOC present in the classroom, this can be a valuable opportunity for candidates and interns to assume a leadership role in teaching since you are familiar with the students and classroom routines. In such cases, the TTOC should remain in the classroom and can provide support as a co-teacher.

Candidates and interns are required to uphold the highest standards of punctuality and professional conduct. As a general guideline, they are expected to arrive at school at least thirty minutes before the start of the day and remain at school for a minimum of thirty minutes after the final bell.

It is important that they dress appropriately and present themselves professionally, recognizing that they are regarded as a junior member of the staff.