Field Experience Guide for Candidates & Interns
Initial conversations: Mentor teacher(s) & Candidates/Interns
Developing a collegial, constructive relationship is a core goal for any professional partnership. It is important to begin with this goal in mind and stay committed to fostering this relationship throughout each field experience.
- Get to know your new school community: peruse the school and district websites, drive around the neighborhood, have conversations with colleagues
- Think about ways that you can contribute to the class and school community
- Revisit your e-portfolio and other reflections (interns)
- Think about your growth goals (interns)
- Dress professionally (business casual) for your initial meeting.
- Take notes: Bring your padfolio and a pen and take notes during your conversation.
- Try to learn what is important to your mentor- their priorities need to be your priorities!
Here are some possible questions to ask your mentor(s):
- What are some core qualities of your class community? How do you cultivate these at the start of the year? … during the year?
- How do you approach instructional design and planning? (e.g. year overview, unit/project/theme planning, daily teaching)
- What kinds of initiatives or innovations are you trying/do you want to try next year? How can we work and learn together?
- In general, what does your weekly work schedule/work flow look like? What do you need me to do to complement your work schedule?
- What can our collaborative partnership look like? What is important to you in a collaborative partnership? What are your expectations re: my role in the class and school community?
- What are your expectations regarding my planning/preparation? How do you want me to share my planning with you?
- What do you need me to do to prepare for this field experience?
Interns – If time allows, discuss possible opportunities for collaboration prior to and/or at the start of the school year:
- Help with classroom set-up*
- Assist with school-based set-up*
- Help with student welcome/orientation events*
- Attend ProD with your mentor*
- Attend ProD on own
*at mentor and/or administrator’s discretion
Send a thank you note in which you summarize the discussion and your understanding regarding next steps.
Ideas for Candidate and Intern Responsibilities
Suggestions de responsabilités pour les candidats et internes
Developing a Teaching Responsibility Plan in Conjunction with your Mentor
A teaching responsibility plan is an overview of key dates and details in a term, semester or full year. Teachers have to keep track of a lot of information and the teaching plan is used as an organizer to record these important details in one location. This teaching plan is a working reference that is added to and revised on an ongoing basis as new details are known.
Knowing the key dates and details will enable you and your mentor to prioritize your work and be proactive in your planning and preparation. It will also help you stay aware of the important elements of your broader teaching context.
Develop a week-at-a-glance template. Make sure you have one page for each week of your field experience.
Some options: You can adapt your mentor’s weekly schedule as a starting point, share a planning document with your mentor, or create your own week-at-a-glance template.
Refer to your school calendar and your OSE field experience schedule and note the important dates and deadlines, key events and meetings on each week of your teaching summary.
School events might include: staff meetings, supervision, early dismissal, assemblies, ProD days, field trips, report card dates, parent/teacher meetings etc.
Field experience dates are any due dates for assigned tasks and scheduled appointments such as teaching summary submissions, ongoing weekly reflections, self-assessment/goals, observations, meetings etc.
In consultation with your mentor(s):
- Determine the lessons, lesson sequences and/or units** that you will teach/co-teach
- Note the dedicated class time in your week-at-a-glance schedule
- Discuss your role in communicating student learning (assessment) and note relevant key dates and details
- Note your prep time. Normally this is on the same days/times as your mentor
- Note collaborative time and/or time for reviewing working drafts of your planning with your mentor
**Teaching responsibilities by field experience:
- EDUC 440: plan, prepare and teach a minimum of 3 lessons (e.g. planning a community building activity, leading a routine, facilitating a review activity, developing a mini-lesson) as directed by the mentor.
- EDUC 441: plan, prepare, and teach/co-teach a minimum of two lesson sequences. Each should be approximately 2-4 weeks in duration. In addition, each candidate should facilitate various routines and/or stand-alone lessons as directed by the mentor.
- EDUC 444: 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.
Make sure you have set aside regular time for ongoing reflections and have scheduled these into your week-at-a-glance schedule.
Complete a teaching summary development checklist by using the template provided and submit it to your field advisor by the specified due date.