Pre-Practicum/Fieldwork Handbook

Middle and Secondary School

Business, English, History, and Mathematics
Educator Preparation Program Committee
Dr. Diane G. Bemis
Director of the Educator Preparation Program
(508) 213-2167
diane.bemis@nichols.edu

Dr. Edward Kolek

Assistant Dean of Advising and Academic Resources
(508) 213-2293
edward.kolek@nichols.edu
2014

I. REQUIRED PRE-PRACTICUM FIELDWORK

The fieldwork requirement for Nichols College students introduces pre-practicum students to
how teachers can develop effective, cumulative learning experiences for the students in their
classes, assess what the students are learning, and modify instruction to meet the students needs.
All of the Nichols College Educator Preparation courses require fieldwork experience. These
courses, and their objectives, include:

Foundations and Philosophies of Education (EDUC 245)

o understand the historical, social, and philosophical aspects that influence
American education today
o reflect actively on becoming a teacher
o develop critical thinking skills and knowledge about school governance and how
schools are organized
o obtain knowledge in school finance and law
o experience an enthusiasm for learning

Methods and Materials for Teaching in Middle and Secondary Education (EDUC 310)
o plan interactive classroom experiences that effectively help diverse students
develop academic and social skills
o begin to be comfortable and more effective at facilitating lessons
o learn about a variety of classroom management strategies
o become reflective practioners who learn from analyzing their own experiences
and sharing ideas with colleagues

Curriculum Design and Assessment in an Age of Multicultural Education (EDUC 320)

o plan a thematic unit that is developmentally appropriate for a chosen grade level
and has clearly identified objectives
o communicate and collaborate effectively in the classroom with a cooperating
teacher
o analyze their own experiences and learn from them in personally and
professionally meaningful ways

Communication and Technology in the Classroom (EDUC 321)

o introduce the philosophies behind whole language learning
o explore the teacher/student relationship in a computer-based classroom
o examine how technology influences writing and the writing process
o investigate a variety of teaching styles
o research current software, websites, and technology available to both students and
teachers
o analyze how learning through communication and technology occurs in the
classroom
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o understand both the benefits and the limitations of technology in the classroom

English Language Learners (EDUC 255)

o Recognize social and cultural issues impacting teaching and learning
o Understand how language acquisition functions with teaching and planning
lessons
o Demonstrate research-based protocols and methods that enhance ELL success
o Apply current theories and they relate to teaching ELLs in a capstone Project

Log Sheets
Log sheets (Appendix D) are required for all fieldwork. Students should get their cooperating
teachers signature at the conclusion of each visit. The log sheets are kept in the each students
file, and this documentation is required by the state of Massachusetts.

Evaluations
All cooperating teachers are asked to complete both a mid-semester evaluation (Appendix E) and
a final evaluation (Appendix F). All evaluations are kept in the students file, and they are taken
into consideration for evaluation purposes of the students behavior, progress, and potential.

II. FOR COOPERATING TEACHERS

Cooperating Teachers
As a cooperating teacher, your role is to share your enthusiasm for teaching and help the
undergraduate students learn how to think like a teacher. The students also need to be collecting
resources for their future teaching careers. Please share your resources with the student by
allowing him/her to photocopy them and explain where you found them, how you have
developed them, and their purpose. Encourage the student to do some research for you and find
additional resources for you on the Internet, for example.
You may want to consider showing students how you use the Massachusetts Curriculum
Frameworks and prepare students for the MCAS. Explain how you structure a unit of study.
Show the undergraduate assessments you use and how you have developed them. Share samples
of student work and explain how you use assessments of students progress to adjust your
teaching.

Coursework
The Nichols College courses requiring fieldwork are listed earlier in this handbook. Each
student should provide his/her cooperating teacher with a copy of their course syllabus specific
to that semesters fieldwork requirements and assignments. You may also contact the instructors
teaching the courses for additional information or Dr. Diane G. Bemis (508) 213-2167

Lessons and Lesson Planning

All courses except Foundations and Philosophies of Education at Nichols College require the
students to teach three (3) lessons. Unlike experienced teachers, undergraduates are just learning
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how to ask effective questions or open a lesson, for example. Careful planning increases their
success at promoting the learning of your students. A formal lesson plan helps them think
through important parts of a lesson and facilitates communication when you are sharing ideas for
the lessons they will teach. All students at Nichols College are asked to use a specific format.
Please see Appendix C for the Lesson Plan Outline.

Troubleshooting
Please be aware that the students are young and inexperienced. Be patient and encouraging. On
the other hand, be direct when they are acting inappropriately, such as if they dress casually,
arrive late, or disrupt the learning environment in any way. If the students behavior does not
improve, please contact the Director of the Educator Preparation Program, Dr. Diane G. Bemis,
at (508) 213-2167 or at diane.bemis@nichols.edu. She will meet with the student, and if the
situation still does not improve, the student will be removed from the course.
You may also participate in Partnership School meetings, which take place at the end of each
semester. An administrator and a teacher representative from your school and each of the other
Partnership Schools come together with faculty at Nichols College to brainstorm how to improve
the program.

III. FOR STUDENTS

Professional Demeanor
When you enter one of our Partnership schools, you take on the role of a teacher. Be consistently
aware that teachers are role models to students. The students will be observing your behavior
very closely.
Remember that you are also building relationships with teachers whom you might want to work
with during your student teaching semester and administrators who might interview you for a job
in the future. Act professionally, ethically, respectfully, and kindly at all times. Show your
motivation and interest in becoming a teacher. At the end of the semester, your cooperating
teacher will be asked to complete an evaluation of your potential as a teacher.

General School Guidelines

Please follow the following guidelines when participating in your fieldwork.
1. Arrive punctually, and call the school if you are unable to attend on a specific day.
2. Dress professionally. Please wear Business Dress-Casual attire. Do not wear sneakers
or jeans. Women should not wear miniskirts, open-back shirts, plunging necklines, or
shirts with thin shoulder straps.
3. Protect confidentiality. Respect the privacy of the school faculty and students with whom
you develop working relationships. Do not speak negatively about one person to another
at the school. When you have concerns, address them immediately with Dr. Ivascyn in
private.
4. Be inquisitive. Ask questions. Take notes when you are at the school.
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5. Respect the role of the teacher in the classroom. Follow all of his/her rules. Do not
disrupt class by making comments while the teacher is instructing. Ask how you can be
helpful.
6. Never refer to drinking alcohol or using illegal drugs at a Partnership School. Do not use
obscene language. Avoid discussing private matters such as tattoos and significant
others.
7. Do not date anyone who is a student at a Partnership School where you are doing
fieldwork.
8. Do not meet with a student in a secluded area in the school. Always have the door open
and other adults nearby. Never engage in flirtatious behavior with a student.
9. Follow the rules of the school at all times. Sign in at the main office and wear a visitor
badge if required.
10. Fill out your log sheet each time you are at the school.
11. If you are at a party and a student from your Partnership School is engaged in under-aged
drinking or other illegal behavior, leave the premises immediately.
12. When your fieldwork hours are complete, notify your cooperating teacher, give him/her a
copy of the evaluation form, and write him/her a thank you note.

Letter of Introduction
Please write a formal business letter introducing yourself to your cooperating teacher for your
pre-practicum fieldwork this semester. Be sure to use a business letter format, correct all
spelling and grammar, and include:

Your telephone number

The day of the week and time you will regularly come to the school
The number of education courses you have had
A description of your teaching experiences

Deliver your letter and a copy of this handbook directly to your cooperating teaching. Please see
Appendix A for a sample letter. Please see Appendix B for driving directions to each Partnership
school.

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APPENDIX A Sample Letter

Below is a sample letter. Please feel welcome to augment this letter as it is appropriate to your
experiences. Also, remember that Dr. Bemis and/or Dr. Kolek are available to proofread your
work before you send it.
Date
Nichols College
Unit #xxx
P.O. Box 5000
Center Road
Dudley, MA 01571-5000
Cooperating Teachers Name
Schools Name
Schools Address
Dear Mr./Mrs./Ms./Dr. _________________,
My name is ___________, and I am a ________-year student at Nichols College. I am currently
enrolled in __________________________________. This is the _________ education course I
have taken in the Nichols College Educator Preparation Program, and I have taught _______
lessons at ______________ (and/or) completed observation time at _________________. My
major is _______. Because I have always like tutoring younger students, I am thinking about
becoming a __________________ teacher.
I appreciate the opportunity to complete some pre-practicum fieldwork in your classroom during
this semester. For ten weeks, I will be coming to your classroom to gain some introductory
teaching experience. Each time I come, I will spend two hours at the school. During this
semester, I have a number of assignments to complete in your classroom with your help. These
are explained in my course syllabus. In order to improve my teaching skills, I would like to plan
______ lessons with your guidance and teach them to the class. This semester will be my
_______ pre-practicum fieldwork before student teaching, so I look forward to your feedback on
my teaching.
Due to my class and work schedule, I will be able to come to your classroom every _________ at
_________ oclock. If I am ever unable to come on the usual day and time, I will call and leave
a message at the school for you. On ____________________, I will come to your classroom for
the first time. Please call me at _________________ if that date and time is inconvenient.
Sincerely,
(signature)
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Name

APPENDIX B Lesson Plan Outline

Name ______________________________________
Subject _____________________________________

Teaching Date _________________

Time _________________________

Objective(s): __________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Objectives Relationship to Curriculum Frameworks: __________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Introduction: ___________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Activity: ______________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Modifications: _________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Conclusion: ___________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
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Assessment: ___________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Homework: ___________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Reflection:
What teaching strategies were effective? (For example, questions that stimulated
discussion; teacher responses that got the students to expand their thinking; ways behavior was
addressed; ways of organizing the lesson that maintained students attention, gradually expanded
concepts, stimulated interest, etc.)

What teaching strategies were ineffective? (For example, when students were confused,
off-task, frustrated, or disruptive.) What could you, as the teacher, have done differently?

Did you learn anything about the particular students in your class? Do you need to reteach any concepts? Did they have the prior knowledge you expected?
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APPENDIX D Log Sheet

(Please photocopy as many sheets as necessary.)

Name _________________________________________________________________
School ________________________________________________________________
Cooperating Teacher _____________________________________________________
Grade Level __________________________________
Subject ______________________________________
Total Hours ___________________________________
Completion Date _______________________________
Please indicate your role in the classroom through the following codes:

CODES
C

Curriculum= planned a lesson with the mentor teacher; learned how to use technology in
the school.
O Observation = completed a directed/structured observation in the classroom.
H Help = helped individual students
S Small Group Work = facilitated small group work
TT Team Teaching = team-taught a lesson with the mentor teacher
T Teaching = taught for an entire period with the cooperating teacher observing
Date

Time

Topic of
the Day

Your Role in the

Classroom

Fieldwork
Activity
(use code from
above)

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Grade
Level

Teachers
Signature

Date

Time

Topic of
the Day

Your Role in the

Classroom (See
Above)

Fieldwork
Activity

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Grade
Level

Teachers
Signature

APPENDIX E Mid-Semester Evaluation

Name _______________________________________________________________
Cooperating Teacher ___________________________________________________
School ______________________________________________________________
Grade ______________________________
Subject _____________________________
Date _______________________________
1
Excellent

2
Superior

3
Good

The student arrives promptly.

The student is present at the school
each week.
The student telephones when s/he
has a schedule change.
The student dresses in professional
attire.
The student is cognizant of the
classroom rules and routines.
The student collaborated well with
me about the lesson(s) s/he would
teach.
The student prepared thoroughly for
teaching his/her lesson(s).
The student was audible while
teaching class.
The student made eye contact with
students as s/he taught.
The student conducted class in an
organized way.
The student gave clear explanations.
The student exhibited mastery of the
material s/he was teaching.
The student incorporates technology
into their lesson(s).
The student gives students specific,
positive reinforcement.
The student is working with students
individually either during the school
day or tutoring them after school.
When assisting in my classroom, the
student moves around the room and
helps students appropriately.
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4
Fair

5
Poor

Not
Applicable

COMMENTS: (Please use backside of the paper.)

APPENDIX F Final Evaluation

Name _______________________________________________________________
Cooperating Teacher ___________________________________________________
School ______________________________________________________________
Grade _______________________________________________________________
Subject ______________________________________________________________
Hours Spent Observing _________________________________________________
Hours Spent Tutoring/Instruction-Related Assignments ________________________
Date _________________________________________________________________
This evaluation is designed to measure the potential ability of a student to become a teacher in a
given field. Not all items may be applicable. Please respond only to those items which are
applicable and utilize the space below the criteria to add other information. Thank you.
1
Excellent

2
Superior

3
Good

Professionalism (Appearance and

reliability).
Attitude towards students.
Ability to maintain classroom
rules and routines.
Overall knowledge of subject
matter.
Ability to plan a lesson with clear
objectives and organizations.
Ability to communicate clearly
with students.
Exhibits an interest in teaching.
Demonstrates an understanding
of school rules.
Overall knowledge of subject
matter.
Ability to teach/tutor.
Ability to plan lessons to meet
the diverse learning needs of
students in the cooperating
teachers classroom.
Ability to collaborate with
cooperating teacher by sharing
ideas and analyzing experiences.
Receptivity to constructive
criticism.
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4
Fair

5
Not
Poor Applicable

Success of internship experience.

Are there any specific strengths/weaknesses that you believe should be noted with regard to this
student?

Would you recommend the said student for a future teaching practicum?

Additional comments (if any) regarding the fieldwork experience.

___________________________________
Cooperating Teachers Signature

____________________________________
Date

Thank you for assisting undergraduate students who have shown an interest and desire to teach
middle and high school students. The Educator Preparation Program hopes that the prePre-Practicum Fieldwork Experience Handbook
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practicum fieldwork will lay the foundation for the professional training of Nichols College
students.

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