MGED 3731 - Middle School Practicum I

The field experience for the Methods Block I courses has three phases:

First, is eight weeks of structured observation-participation interaction in a middle school setting as part of the field component of MBI. The Practicum I course instructor, in collaboration with the other Methods Block I instructors and cooperating teachers, assigns specific structured responsibilities to candidates in various settings within the assigned middle school. 

The second phase of the field experience for MBI is the four-week unit teaching in language arts and social studies which covers twenty instructional days in a 90-minute block schedule. Candidates plan, develop and teach an integrated unit of study. The integrated unit focuses on a social studies topic with language arts content-skills integrated into it, or on a language arts topic with social studies content-skills integrated into it as appropriate. The topic(s) for the unit are assigned by the cooperating teacher. Each person teaches at least 10 blocks over the four week period. Included in these four weeks is two weeks of structured observations and active participation when not teaching. 

The third and final phase of the Methods Block I field experience covers the remainder of the semester including the field trip, development of the IDU web, PowerPoint presentation, and continued structured observation-participation in the field.

Expectations

Candidate Responsibilities:

1. Candidates are expected to demonstrate the professional behaviors and attitudes as listed on the Professional Behaviors and Attitude Expectations Sheet during all phases of the MBI experience both on and off campus. Candidates must be cooperative and courteous to the Methods Block I instructors and cooperating teachers, both in actions and interactions. Failure to do so will result in dismissal from Methods Block I per established policies of the College of Education, Department of Middle Grades and Secondary Education.

2. Candidates will receive the unit topic from the cooperating teacher by the end of the first week of the semester. They will immediately begin the development of the content outline and integrated unit. 

3. Candidates must attend all scheduled observation and participation sessions in their assigned classroom. Failure to attend all structured observation and participation sessions will result in dismissal from Methods Block I per established Block and Department guidelines.

4. The complete, typed, and carefully edited content outline and integrated unit must be approved by the Methods Block I instructors AND cooperating teacher prior to receiving approval to teach. Candidates must provide the cooperating teacher with a separate completed copy of the content outline and integrated unit per the established guidelines. Appropriate deadlines are established at the beginning of each semester. Failure to meet established deadlines will result in dismissal from MBI per established Block and Department guidelines.

5. The content outline and integrated unit must follow the established format per handouts received at the beginning of MBI. Failure to follow the established content outline, unit, and lesson plan formats will result in dismissal from MBI per established Block and Department guidelines.

6. Candidates must attend all planning and debriefing meetings with either/both the cooperating teacher and MBI instructors. Only in cases of emergency or illness should a candidate be absent from these events. Timely notice [by phone] must be made to both cooperating teacher and the assigned MBI instructor. Arrangements must be made to make-up time missed during an excused absence. Unexcused absences and tardies have a serious impact on the candidates' performance and resulting evaluation and will result in dismissal from the field experience and failure of the courses in MBI per established Block and Department guidelines.

Classroom Teacher Responsibilities:

1. Provide the unit topic during the first week of each semester.


2. Provide recommendations for improving the content outline and integrated unit.


3. Document and inform the assigned Methods Block I instructor as soon as possible if there are any problems with #'s 1-6 above.


4. Along with the Methods Block I instructors, give final approval of the content outline and integrated unit before each candidate is allowed to teach.


5. Observe and complete four formal observations-supervisions and debriefing evaluations for each candidate, using the Performance Assessment Form. Share all written evaluative comments with each candidate following the teaching.


6. Contact the assigned Methods Block I instructor if there are problems with a candidate's planning, teaching, and professional behaviors and attitudes.


7. Evaluate each candidate thoroughly in terms of their progress and preparation for teaching. This does not include grading the candidate's performance, which is the sole responsibility of the Methods Block I instructors.

Methods Block I Instructors' Responsibilities:

1. Provide the content outline, integrated unit format and guidelines, and school-based placements to candidates at the beginning of MBI.


2. Provide specific and concrete recommendations for improving the content outline and integrated unit.


3. Review and evaluate content outline and integrated unit. Both must meet the established guidelines to continue in the MBI experience.


4. Observe and complete four formal observation-supervisions of the candidate. Use the Performance Assessment Form to complete the supervision and debriefing evaluations and share these with each candidate following teaching.


5. Assign a field-experience grade using evidence from multiple sources. These include, but are not limited to the following: candidate performance during the initial unit development phase in the university-based classroom; various meetings between candidates and the MBI instructors as may occur during the unit development phase; the completed content outline; the completed unit; the performance of the candidate while on-site during the unit development phase; the cumulative written evaluations and related notes of both MBI instructors and cooperating teachers made during the structured observations of the actual teaching experience; level and quality of reflection during pre-teaching and de-briefing session (verbal and written); and professional behaviors and attitudes during the entire MBI semester. The MBI instructors' analysis of the candidate will follow completion of the entire field experience component. The assessment of each candidate's performance and the assignment of a final grade for such is the responsibility of the MBI Instructor Team.

Evaluation Criteria: 

These are contained in the attached Middle Grades Block I Performance Assessment Form and Unit Evaluation Form.