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Sample Application Packet
Student Teaching General Information
Requirements
To qualify for student teaching, a student must:
- submit a complete student teaching application.
- have sufficient semester hours of credit to be able to graduate or complete the program within the academic year during which student teaching is planned.
- meet academic standards as outlined in Mansfield University's "Policies and Procedures" handbook and "Student Guide and Academic Programs" booklet.
- meet Pennsylvania Department of Education minimum quality point average as defined in Pennsylvania Act 354. The PDE has QPA requirements that raised the minimum QPA to 3.0. The cumulative QPA students must meet depends on when they entered the upper level portion of their education program and achieved Teacher Education Certification Candidacy (TECC) status. Students received an Act 354 “Gates” letter from the Certification Officer identifying the cumulative QPA they must meet. The cumulative QPA requirement for student teaching is a state law and no student will be allowed to student teach if he or she does not hold the required cumulative QPA. If you do not hold the required cumulative QPA when student teaching placements are finalized and confirmed, your placement will be canceled. Placements for Fall student teaching will be canceled after July 1st and placements for Spring student teaching will be canceled after August 10th for those students who do not hold the appropriate cumulative QPA. If your cumulative QPA falls below the required cumulative QPA level after the student teaching application has been processed, your placement will be held in abeyance. You must notify the Office of Field Experiences when you again hold the appropriate cumulative QPA.
- have completed the appropriate teaching methods courses related to your area of specialization as well as all prerequisites as outlined in the student teaching application packet.
- be approved for student teaching by the chair of the appropriate department (including dispositions.)
- provide proof of a current negative tuberculosis test (Maple B Clinic #4350), proof of an ACT 151, Child Abuse Clearance proof of ACT 34 Criminal Record Check and proof of a PA Fingerprint Clearance as well as professional liability insurance (see below.)
Transportation and Housing
It is your responsibility to arrange dependable transportation to your cooperating schools. If you plan to use a car on campus at any time during the semester, the car must be registered with the University's Department of Police Services and Safety.
You are responsible for securing housing during student teaching. You should use good judgment in obtaining acceptable housing. Lists of possible residences may be obtained from local school authorities, newspaper listings, or local realtors. Do not sign a lease or make final arrangements until you have received your confirmed student teaching placement because placements can change between the initial and final student teaching placement.
Insurance While Student Teaching
Professional Liability Insurance - You must have professional liability insurance to participate in student teaching since you could be liable for your own negligence even when a certified teacher is present in the classroom. You may obtain professional liability insurance as a member of a professional organization such as the Student Pennsylvania State Education Association (SPSEA) the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC), or The National Association for Music Education (MENC). You must provide evidence of liability insurance through one of these organizations or through your own insurance provider.
Outside Activities/Classes During Student Teaching
Student teachers, as a matter of policy, are not permitted to take any courses during student teaching. Exceptions to the policy are made in extreme cases only and then only for up to 3 credits of course work needed for graduation or certification. You must submit the request on a petition form, which must be approved by your advisor, appropriate departmental chairperson, and the Coordinator of Field Experiences. Petition forms are available from the Field Experience Office.
Student teachers are strongly discouraged from holding a job while student teaching. If you decide to work during student teaching you should notify your university supervisor and the Field Experiences Office in writing. If a conflict arises between the responsibilities of student teaching and the job, you may have to choose between the two.
Application for Teacher Certification
Pennsylvania Teacher Certification - You are urged to apply for Pennsylvania Teacher Certification at the end of the semester prior to your student teaching semester. Applications for certification are available at PDE 338 C and PDE 338 G. The forms and a $40.00 money order made out to Mansfield University should be submitted to Lori Cass, 224 South Hall. Once your degree or program is completed and all test scores have been received, Lori submits the form to the Pennsylvania Department of Education. It is your responsibility to follow-up if you do not receive your certificate in a timely manner. Educator Application and Certification Status Listing
New York Teacher Certification Handout
Questions
Check the Field Experiences web page at http://mansfield.edu/teacher/ or the Field Experiences bulletin board frequently for important information and updates.
Questions may be directed to Christina Fry or Beth McClure at (570) 662-4576 or (570) 662-4024, cfry@mansfield.edu or bmcclure@mansfield.edu, or in the Office of Educational Field Experiences, Room 205 Retan Center.
Student Teaching Placements
Once the complete Student Teaching Application has been submitted, students are given tentative student teaching placements. Student teaching placements are made based on faculty assessment of the student’s educational and professional development needs, the available participating schools, and the region preferences and other needs of the student.
The University maintains a 50 mile commitment when placing students. The University does not assign student teachers to schools in their home communities, in the school districts which they attended or where close relatives work. The student’s departmental chairperson reviews requests for exceptions to this practice.
The Office of Field Experiences makes all arrangements for student teaching with the cooperating school districts and schools. Students, or their families, may not solicit their own student teaching placements in the schools. All interaction with the cooperating teachers and schools originates with Office of Field Experiences. Student teaching may be denied if this policy is violated.
Tentative Student Teaching Placements
Efforts will be made to accommodate your preferences for placement region. However factors such as limited numbers of cooperating teachers in your discipline, multiple requests for the same placements, changes in teaching placements for cooperating teachers within their schools, limitations on the number of student teachers a school or district will accommodate, and limitations on distances university supervisors can travel may influence the final placement.
Initial Student Teaching Placements are tentative and subject to change. Reasons for change may include:
- changes in teaching placement for cooperating teachers by the school district;
- cooperating teacher or principal does not wish to have a student teacher in the classroom during the upcoming academic year;
- retirement or staff reductions within districts;
- district decisions to limit the number of student teachers being accommodated; and
- significant changes in curriculum or methodology being implemented within the district that requires undivided attention of cooperating teacher.
Final Student Teaching Placement
Once tentative student teaching placements have been made, the Office of Field Experiences confirms the placements with the school districts. Placements are adjusted according to any changes at the school or district and the final placements are made. Only after the schools have accepted the final placements are students notified of their final student teaching placements.
Student Teaching Placement Timetable
ON OR ABOUT:
May 1st - Tentative student placements are distributed by the Office of Field Experiences
August 1st - Fall semester student teachers receive their confirmed placements
December 1st - Spring semester student teachers receive their confirmed placements
Upon receipt of your confirmed placement letter, you should plan to contact your first cooperating teacher and to make final housing arrangements.
HELPFUL INFORMATION
Print Two (One for the Office – one for your records)
Your ID number is on the upper right of your Mansfield University ID card.
Do not enter ( ) around your phone number area code – this may cause an error.
Print and staple Five (Four for the Office – one for your records)
If you need additional lines for the college section use the shift enter process to get to the next line.
File Folder Label: Please fill it out!!!
Notify the Field Experience Office (205 Retan) of any changes (intent to student teach, semester of student teaching, address, phone, or name) immediately!! Changes are not communicated to our office from Academic Records.
Mansfield University e-mail and password information can be found at the Student Technology Services website. Your Mansfield University e-mail address is typically your last name followed by your first initial and the day of your birth. The password is typically the first letter of your first name followed by the first three letters of your last name followed by the first four numbers of your social security number and the dollar sign.
Deadlines for Clearances and TB Tine/Mantoux:
Fall, 2010 Student Teachers will need to provide a TB Tine, an ACT 34, an ACT 151, a PA fingerprint clearance, and professional liability insurance dated no earlier than February 1, 2010 and no later than June 30, 2010.
Spring, 2011 Student Teachers will need to provide a TB Tine, an ACT 34, an ACT 151, a PA fingerprint clearance, and professional liability insurance dated no earlier than June 15, 2010 and no later than September 30, 2010.
Student Teaching assignments will be cancelled if this state law and university policy is not complied with.
MAKE AN APPOINTMENT NOW WITH YOUR ADVISOR!!!
Turn In:
- One Application Form Action Page
- One Tentative Plans/Required Recommended Courses- Signed by your advisor
- Four Data Sheets - typed to perfection and stapled
- One red file folder containing all of the above
Keep all other information for future reference
Tentative Teaching Regions
You may identify three (3) teaching regions in which you prefer to student teach. Please note that, to the extent possible, we will make every effort to honor your preference(s). However limitations placed by the district, limited cooperating teachers in some disciplines, and/or multiple requests for the same regions may not enable us to place you in your preferred districts. The university determines the location and semester in which you will student teach. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES ARE STUDENTS TO MAKE CONTACT WITH POTENTIAL COOPERATING TEACHERS AND/OR ADMINISTRATORS. The Office of Educational Field Experiences makes all contacts on behalf of the university.
Click here for the list.
Application
Visit http://my.mansfield.edu/fep/app.cfm to complete the application!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Please print 2 copies of the confirmation page - one for your records & one for Beth McClure.
Application for Student Teaching
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Academic Year Fall 2009 - Spring 2010 |