Master in Teaching Year 2

Description

Teacher candidates in the Master in Teaching program benefit from two full-time, 10-week, student teaching experiences. Consistent with our goals for graduate-level teacher preparation, the winter quarter is provided between the two student teaching assignments for personal reflection, continued growth in classroom teaching knowledge and skills, attention to professional activities and development of a professional growth plan.

The two student teaching internship placements are at different grade levels and in different schools, providing a well-rounded exposure to teaching in subject endorsement area/s with a variety of public school students. Candidates will be placed in classrooms where cooperating teachers have been identified by school districts as appropriate mentors for our teacher candidates. One student teaching placement is in a diverse, urban setting.

The first student-teaching experience begins in late August or early September in accordance with the public school calendar. This model is based on research indicating that having a student teaching experience in the opening weeks of the school year contributes positively to the success of a first-year teacher.

The second student-teaching assignment generally begins in early spring and continues toward the end of the academic year. With this second student-teaching opportunity, candidates will be able to (a) build upon previous teaching experiences, (b) gain an understanding of how teachers organize the curriculum in the closing months of the school year and (c) make comparisons between different school settings and grade levels.

The narrative evaluation of student-teaching performance is based on the Evergreen faculty supervisor’s observations in combination with the assessment of the cooperating classroom teacher. We use a nationally recognized assessment methodology that we have adapted for pre-service teacher education as well as the required Washington Evidence-Based Pedagogy Assessment Instrument. As required by the state of Washington, candidates must demonstrate a positive impact on their students’ learning.