STUDENT HANDBOOK FOR TEACHER EDUCATION                               

STUDENT  TEACHING 

Students must apply for student teaching one semester in advance.  Students planning to student teach during the fall semester must apply for student teaching by the third Friday in January of the preceding spring semester.  Students planning to student teach during the spring semester must apply for student teaching by the second Friday of September in the preceding fall semester.  The following criteria must be met by the application deadline to be considered for student teaching:

       1.    Admission to Teacher Education Programs

       2.    Completion of the Student Teaching Application Form

       3.    Three copies of a professional resume

The resume serves as the student's introduction to the administrators of the school district and the cooperating teacher.  It is important to note all experiences working with children including fieldwork assignments.  Any special interests, travel experiences, or other information of this type would be helpful to those planning to work with a student teacher.  Secondary and all-level student teachers should list all courses taken in the major.  Obviously, it is important that this statement be grammatically acceptable and contain no spelling errors.  A student teacher will be expected to model acceptable use of written language to students.  Districts have serious concerns about the qualifications of potential student teachers that demonstrate difficulty with this form of expression. (A resume workshop is conducted through Career Services at the beginning of each semester and again in the Spring.)

4.   One copy of your most recent transcript

5.     Overall grade point average (g.p.a.) of 2.50 or above

6.   Grade point average of at least 2.7 in the courses of the teaching field (area of concentration for Elementary Education students) with no grade lower than a "C." The grade of "C-" is considered lower than the grade of "C."

         7.   Grade point average of at least 2.7 in Education courses with no grade lower than a "C." The grade of "C-" is considered lower than the grade of "C."

        8.    Receipt of favorable written evaluations from all fieldwork.

9.      Demonstration of the personal responsibility, emotional stability and interpersonal skills needed to direct the learning of students, including resolution of Care Team issues.

        10.    Payment of a non-refundable placement fee of $50 is required.  This fee is applied to student teaching fee at time of registration.

The faculty of the Department of Education give final approval for admission to student teaching if the above criteria are met. The student will be notified of the department’s decision by letter.

Student Teaching Placement

Student teaching placements are made in the Kansas City area and initiated by the Director of Student Teaching.  Generally placements must be within a 30 mile radius of WJC. Student teaching placements will not be made in a school that the student attended.  STUDENTS ARE PROHIBITED FROM ATTEMPTING TO ARRANGE THEIR OWN PLACEMENTS.  TO DO SO MAY RESULT IN THE STUDENT BEING WITHDRAWN FROM STUDENT TEACHING.  As part of the student teaching placement process, students must submit an  FBI/Missouri Highway Patrol Fingerprint Check.  

Student Teaching Schedule & Campus Arrangements 

Student teaching is for the full semester and will range from 15-20 weeks in length.  Students are required to adhere to the public/private school's schedule during student teaching.  This may necessitate making alternative room and board arrangements for periods when dormitories are closed.  Each semester the Department of Education secretary will provide a list of student teachers living on campus to the Office of Student Affairs. Students should communicate any change in address as soon as possible to the Department of Education Secretary to be sure they have lodging in place if early arrival is required and during College breaks. Be aware that the College meal plan does not cover the time when dormitories are closed. 

Students with a WJC meal plan may request a sack lunch. Sack lunches can be picked up during breakfast hours in the cafeteria. Arrangements to receive sack lunches are made by contacting the cafeteria manager (Extension 5225).

Teacher education students are expected to function as a professional teacher in the school in which they are placed.  This entails dressing professionally, arriving early, being prepared each day (and each hour) and perfect attendance (barring physical incapacity or significant family trauma).  William Jewell College faculty members supervise student teaching experiences and are a resource for assistance and guidance at all times.

Internships

If an exceptional graduating student who has only student teaching to complete is offered a teaching position, the Department of Education will consider arranging an internship under the following circumstances:

In a written petition to the Department of Education faculty the student will:

·        Present official evidence in writing of potential employment offer from the district.

·        Request an internship placement.

·        Offer evidence that the applicant is an exceptional teacher education student by providing the following data:

1.      Evidence of 3.8 overall grade point average.

2.      Evidence of 3.8 content area grade point average.

3.      Evidence of 3.8 Education grade point average.

4.      Excellent evaluations from field experiences.

5.      Written commitment from student to pay mileage for college supervisor.

6.      Proposal for supervisor arrangements. Ordinarily, regular WJC Department of Education faculty will not supervise outside a 30 mile radius  of the William Jewell College  campus. College supervisor must possess a masters degree, teaching experience, supervision experience,  and be approved by WJC Department of Education. 

7.     No Care Team referrals.

Department of Education faculty will consider the petition at the next regularly scheduled faculty meeting and notify the student in writing of the Department’s decision about whether to sponsor the internship or not.  If the internship is approved the student is responsible for supplying the Department with the appropriate school district documentation to process the internship arrangements.

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