Orientation to Field Placement

Office of Field Placement Room 118 Hagedorn Hall Hofstra University School of Education, Health, & Human Services September 1, 2011

The Importance of Field Placement

Field placements are among the first elements of a continuum that leads an individual
from student status through student teaching to professional practice as a teacher

Provides an opportunity to put theory into practice

Gives pre-service teachers the opportunity to examine the learning process within the context of a dynamic learning environment Exposes pre-service teachers to various classroom settings, student learning styles, diverse populations, and multicultural/disability perspectives
Allows

for the development of reflective practitioners who think critically about what they have learned

Overview of the Field Placement Process

Many classes in the teacher education program have required field observation hours. You will learn more about this when you receive a syllabus from your professor. All placement is done through the Office of Field Placement. Field observations for methods classes are different and will be addressed later in the PowerPoint. You can check your own Plan of Study, the Hofstra undergraduate and graduate bulletins, or the Field Experiences tab above for more information on field placement requirements for specific courses. NYS requires that all pre-service teachers have a minimum 100 hours of participant-observation in a field setting, including a high needs experience. High needs experience is an economic designation.

Overview of the Field Placement Process

Joanne, Email registration process

Expectations
All students involved in the field placement experience will be expected to:
1)

Expand their knowledge of curriculum concepts associated with language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies. Design and implement a sequence of activities, with the same group of children, using the Hofstra Strand. explain Demonstrate a variety of teaching methods using materials associated with language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies. Work in school environments with children of differing ages, cultures, and stages of growth and development, supporting the cooperating teachers work.

2)

3)

4)

5)

Participate in individual and small group teaching activities, tutoring, small group discussions, grading papers, and preparing teaching materials.
Analyze, reflect, discuss, and evaluate educational experiences with peers, cooperating teachers, university field supervisors, and university faculty.

6)

Expectations continued
All students involved in the field placement experience will be expected to:
7)

Interact respectfully with teachers, school administrators, parents, and students in a total school environment.

8) 9)

Learn about and analyze the purposes and functions of the school.
Observe and analyze the content of the curriculum, methods of teaching, cooperative learning, classroom organization, questioning, materials, and resources in the anticipated area of certification.

10)

Invest themselves fully in the field experience, with a personal commitment to enhancing their own professional growth and serving the schools and their pupils

Field Placement will be expected to: Policies All students involved in the field placement experience
1) 2) 3) 4) 5)

Conduct themselves in a professionally-appropriate manner.

Wear professional clothing.

Arrive on time, being vigilant of school sign-in policies. Maintain an organized sign-in sheet. Notify cooperating teacher and any other important school personnel about absences. Provide the cooperating teacher with the appropriate handbooks, guidelines, and paperwork.

6)

7)

Maintain open communication with the field supervisor for observations, meetings, concerns, lesson planning, etc.

Field Placement Parts & Forms

For the cooperating teacher

A cover letter from the course professor providing background information on the course and required fieldwork.
A time sheet to document field hours to be signed weekly An evaluation form for each course

A return envelope for the time sheet and evaluation form for each course
Secondary education students must also provide a copy of the Blue Book

Basic Requirements for Methods Courses: Undergraduate Early Childhood/Childhood Participant- Observers ELED 135/136; ELED 127/128; ELED 128/129

1) Students are required to satisfy a minimum of 90 classroom hours of participation/observation (forty-five hours per course not including lunch), in assigned schools. 2) All students will spend a minimum of nine weeks in the field (three to five days per week) for a minimum of ten hours per week. Students need to schedule observational hours during times when the course subjects they plan on teaching are being taught. 3) A weekly record of field experiences must be maintained in order to verify your hours and the lessons you observe and teach. This log is to be signed by the cooperating teacher and maintained in a notebook so it can be reviews by your supervisor.

Basic Requirements for Methods Courses continued

4)

Participant observers should teach everyday in the field. The program is designed to have students work with a small group of children, daily, for a twenty to thirty minute lesson that you have planned based on activities developed and modeled in your methods classes.
It is not required that you teach unit blocks or engage in whole class instruction, as these will be components of your student teaching experience. However, a student may, in collaboration with the cooperating teacher and university supervisor, teach larger group or whole class lessons. This depends on a myriad of variables including, but not limited to, student readiness to the cooperating teachers program. The keys here is flexibility. Participant observers will be observed by university supervisors a minimum of four times (two times per course). University supervisors should be given a written lesson plan for each observed lesson.

5)

6)

7)

A rubric-based field observation report will be prepared by the supervisor regarding every student observed. Grades are based on these reports.

1)

The Interview Process for All Participant Observers You may be required to interview with administrators from the
school/district that you will be completing your field hours in. You should treat this interview as if it were an interview for a teaching position. Familiarize yourself with the district and its goals, the school, essential policies, curriculum, and the surrounding community. Arrive to the interview on time and in appropriate attire. Be cognizant of the fact that you are a representative of Hofstra University and that your impressions and future hard work may lead to important connections once you begin your search for a full-time teaching position.

2)

3) 4)

Other Thoughts for Methods Students

You will have the ability to have conferences before and after observed lessons with your supervisor. Use this time to reflect on the effectiveness of your lessons and how you will implement the constructive criticisms of your supervisor into your future lessons. The focus here is not on perfection rather it is on professional growth, reflection, development, and the refinement of your skills.

We hope that you will have the freedom to plan lessons that reflect the on-campus methods curse experiences in which you are engaged The Hofstra Strand.

The field should represent a learning laboratory this is your chance to try new things, take risks, and innovative.

Take pride in your future profession and craft. You will soon have the ability to reach many young minds use these experiences to create your identity and mold your philosophy as a teacher.

Specific Information for SED 101/201

Specific Information for SED 264

Upcoming Orientation Sessions

Contacts
Name Title E-Mail Phone
Donna Levinson Associate Dean for External Relations and Recruitment Donna.D.Levinson@hofstra.e du (516) 463-5117

Joanne Flood

Assistant Director of Field Placement Administrative Assistant

Joanne.M.Flood@hofstra.edu

(516) 463-5746

Lori Berman

Lori.Berman@hofstra.edu

(516) 463-5746

Eve Byrne
Liliana Citrola Joan Dimenna

Administrative Assistant for Special Education

Administrative Assistant Student Teaching Placement Coordinator for Physical Education

Eve.Byrne@hofstra.edu
Liliana.Citrola@hofstra.edu Joan.DiMenna@hofstra.edu

(516) 463-4355
(516) 463-7359 (516) 463-5101