VISITATION DAY

The visitation day (see student teaching calendar fall/spring for date) is designated for a student teacher to visit the cooperating teacher in the assigned school prior to student teaching.  During this time the student teacher may become acquainted with the facilities (library, offices, workroom, lounge, restrooms), and school policy, discipline procedures, dress code policies, and school philosophy.  Materials should be made available to the student teacher to familiarize him/her with the curriculum, and plans should be established for possible teaching units.  Follow these guidelines:

Visitation Day – Student teaching

  1. Call the cooperating teacher before visitation day to discuss your arrival time and to confirm the date.  (If you are a K-12 major or assigned to two schools, spend ½ day at each school.  Preschool requires ½ day of visitation.  Kindergarten requires 1 day of visitation.)
  2. Check in at the principal’s office.  Introduce yourself.
  3. Go to the cooperating teacher’s classroom.
  4. Acquaint yourself with the facilities.
    1. library
    2. office
    3. workroom
    4. lounge
    5. restrooms
  5. Determine emergency escape routes.
  6. Review policy handbooks.
    1. school policy
    2. discipline procedures
    3. dress code policies
    4. school philosophies
  7. Discuss cooperating teacher’s expectations, what you will be teaching and when you will teach it.
  8. Study the school curriculum.  Get your textbooks so you can develop lesson plans and units.
  9. Observe students during class.
  10. Begin your case studies.
  11. Participate in recess and lunchroom.
  12. Dress and act professionally.
    1. no tattoos visible
    2. no piercing (other than ears) showing.
  13. Check with professional block teachers to see if there assignments which could be completed while at the school.
  14. Use your professional judgment.  You are in the classroom to learn procedures.  Observe, ask questions, but do not obstruct the teacher’s processes.
  15. Have your reflections from junior field experience and your goals for student teaching available to share with cooperating teacher.
  16. Be sure to read and bookmark for future reference, the student teaching handbook. (http://www.northern.edu/soe/main/handbooks/).  If you have any questions, contact the office of field experiences.

 

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