Student Handbook for Teacher Education

Monitoring Student Progress in the Teacher Education Program

The student is responsible for monitoring his/her own progress toward completion of a teacher education program at William Jewell College.  The Department of Education (DOE) faculty and staff will assist the student by providing advising, and notices of deadlines, testing requirements, etc.  However, the student must monitor and MEET the requirements.  To complete a teacher education program within a four year degree program the student should consult and follow the “Teacher Education Timetable” and use the 8-semester plans as guidelines.

A student can declare a teacher education major upon entry into the College or at any time thereafter.  To declare a major a student can go to the WJC Intranet (jww.jewell.edu) to the “Online Forms” prompt and then select “Advising” and complete the Advising Form to request the education major and an education advisor.  You can declare either an elementary education or a secondary education major (K-12 program applicants declare a secondary education major – including music majors).  It is important that you complete and submit to the Department of Education a “Declaration of Intent to Complete a Teacher Education Program” Form at the same time you declare the education major.  You may complete and submit the form on-line or you can obtain a blank copy of this form in the Department of Education Office, Marston 110.  This form allows us to start an internal education file for each education major and helps us in planning future field placement numbers.  Declaration of a major and submission of the “Declaration of Intent” form DO NOT CONSTITUTE admission to a teacher education program.  Specific, state mandated and WJC adopted, admission criteria for teacher education must be met before a student can be admitted to teacher education.

Care Team

Although the student has primary responsibility for monitoring his/her own progress toward teacher education program completion, the faculty also monitor each student’s progress.  Because teacher education leads to entry to a profession the Department of Education faculty have a responsibility to monitor the progress of students in acquiring the knowledge and skills necessary to be an effective teacher.  To meet this obligation the faculty developed a “Care Team” procedure.

Care Team Form

Whenever a student does not demonstrate understanding of, or practice a key attribute of an effective teacher a faculty member will initiate a “Care Team” Form.  This form identifies the key attributes of an effective teacher.  If a “Care Team” Form is initiated the faculty member will identify the nature of the issue and action steps that the student must take to acquire or strengthen the attribute in question.  Once the form is completed the student will be counseled about the need for action, sources of assistance will be identified, and dates will be set to monitor progress toward acquisition of the needed attribute(s).

Progress toward effective teacher attributes will be one of the factors considered when the student applies for admission to teacher education and for student teaching.  If the student has unresolved “Care Team” issues at either checkpoint the student will not be admitted (to either the program or student teaching).

Portfolio – Developing as a Professional

One of the ways that students will monitor their own development as a teaching professional is through construction of a developmental portfolio.  Instructors in each education course will identify artifacts from that course that should be included in the teacher education student’s portfolio.  Each item will have been evaluated (graded) by the instructor of that course and the teacher education student should reflect if this is his/her best work or if the artifact could be improved and/or if additional study and/or tutoring/assistance is needed in this subject or skill set.  If the instructor believes the artifact does not demonstrate competency at the appropriate developmental level he/she will provide that feedback via written feedback, assignment score or on a care team form.

This process allows teacher education students to grow developmentally.  Students do pieces of analysis in specific courses, building their understanding of the teaching/learning process and teaching skills as they go.  This also provides the faculty with measures of student progress along the way.