Student Teaching Policies | Education Department

As one of the requirements to be approved to student teach, students must have taken and passed at least 90% of required coursework in both the major and minor areas of study prior to the start of the student teaching experience.

Adopted: August 25, 2015

During the Placement process for student teaching, Hope College faculty/staff in the Education Department will make requests on behalf of upcoming student teachers according to State and Departmental rules and processes. In some very rare cases, despite earnest efforts and through no fault of the student, it may not be possible to secure a student teaching placement in the planned semester due to exceptionally limited options in the field. In this case, the student teacher will be notified of the need to postpone the student teaching placement. The Director of Student teaching and/or designee will continue to see an appropriate placement for the following semester.

Effective January 19, 2011

When a student seeks an unofficial, off-campus student teaching placement, the Director of Student Teaching and/or Assistant Director of Student Teaching will attempt to secure said placement in a timely manner. Attempts will continue until three weeks prior to the end of the semester at which point the off-campus placement process will be terminated. At that point, the student will be informed by the Director of Student Teaching or Assistant Director of Student Teaching that a placement close to campus will instead be sought as an alternative.

Adopted: October 11, 2012

During the Placement process for student teaching, Hope College faculty/staff in the Education Department will make requests on behalf of upcoming student teachers according to State and Departmental rules and processes. In some very rare cases, despite earnest efforts and through no fault of the student, it may not be possible to secure a student teaching placement in the planned semester due to poor performance of the student teacher during the placement process. Per normal process, once a placement has been conditionally secured, the student teacher will submit to an interview with the proposed cooperating teacher(s) and/or building administrator. If the student teacher fails to secure a placement after three such interviews (e.g., due to poor interview skills, lack of appropriate responses, poor demonstration of content knowledge, weak social skills probationary status), the student teacher will be required to draw up a Plan of Improvement and withdraw his/her application for student teaching. The Plan of Improvement will need to be completed to the satisfaction of the Director of Student Teaching before any additional attempts will be made to secure another student teaching placement. This means that the student teaching placement will be delayed by at least one semester.

Effective January 19, 2011

On occasion, teacher candidates have struggled in the professional education sequence to be effective and successful. Often, concerns are raised prior to the student teaching experience for a variety of reasons by faculty members from the Education Department and/or major areas of study. In other cases, clinical experience mentor teachers have identified areas of concern and/or recommended a teacher candidate “with reservations.” In these cases, department policy mandates that students will be placed on probationary status at the start of the student teaching semester in order to carefully monitor their progress and provide additional, focused support. The purpose of this procedure is to provide a consistent and fair approach to the student teacher who is beginning his/her placement at some risk, while honoring the integrity of the department, College, school and profession.

While most student teachers move through the student teaching experience with general ease, there are times when an individual student teacher may struggle. When this occurs, the cooperating teacher, in consultation with the college supervisor and Director of Student Teaching, may determine that it is appropriate to create a Plan of Support for the student teacher. The purpose of this procedure is to carefully monitor the student teacher’s progress and provide additional, focused support at a midpoint in the student teaching experience. The process is intended to provide a consistent and fair approach to the student teacher while honoring the integrity of the department, College, school and profession.

A student teacher will be given another placement if, in meetings with the student teacher, the cooperating teacher, the college supervisor and the Director of Student Teaching, a change is deemed to be necessary. The reasons for such a change can be a personality conflict or an extenuating circumstance – such as an illness or family/school situation that has affected the cooperating teacher’s ability to work with the student. The final decision lies with the Director of Student Teaching.

Adopted April 23, 2003

Policy Proposal

Student teachers will be strongly discouraged from outside employment, coaching, sports involvement and extracurricular activities during the student teaching semester. In the case, however, that the student does have outside obligations, he/she will inform the Director of Student Teaching of such arrangements and will acknowledge in voice and action that the student teaching assignment takes priority over any other obligations.

Effective December 3, 2003

Situation

Students often want to student teach in their home districts and frequently are asked to do so by a clinical experience mentor. An example would be where a student attended Lakewood Elementary in West Ottawa and was asked by a mentor teacher at Waukazoo Elementary to student teach with her. In some cases, a student may have moved from one district to another after the elementary or middle school years and is thus prevented from student teaching in either district.

Questions

Should we allow student teachers to student teach in their home districts? Are there special circumstances that could/should supercede our previous policy? What would be the ramifications/concerns of having students in their home district at the elementary level? Secondary?

Policy Proposal

Student teaching at the 9-12 level in a student’s home district will not be allowed except in certain circumstances, such as the following: the student teacher has been invited by a mentor teacher to student teach in the home district, but the student teacher did not attend that building. Additionally, a student teaching placement will not be made in a location where an immediate family member is employed. All placement decisions would be at the discretion of the Director of Student Teaching.

Policy Proposal

One voucher will be awarded to a student in financial need each semester. Students may apply for consideration at the time of making application for student teaching approval. Drawings of eligible students (as determined by the Office of Financial Aid) would be held once a semester for the following semester.

Effective December 3, 2003

All students will student teach in their major areas. Requests to also student teach in their minor areas will be considered.

Adopted November 13, 2002

A student will be given another placement if, in meetings with the student teacher, the college supervisor and the Director of Student Teaching, a change is deemed to be necessary. The reasons for such a change can be a personality conflict or an extenuating circumstance – such as an illness or family/school situation that has affected the cooperating teacher’s ability to work with the student teacher. The final decision lies with the Director of Student Teaching.

Adopted April 23, 2003

Students seeking an off-campus student teaching placement, whether in an officially approved campus program or an unofficial placement request, must hold a minimum GPA of 3.0 in the following four areas: cumulative, major, minor and Education.

Adopted September 2012

Students submitting a late application for student teaching will need to:

Meet with the Director of Student Teaching to explore the reasons for the late application. It will be at the discretion of the Director of Student Teaching to determine if the late application will be accepted
Submit a late application fee of $100.00 for processing of the application.

Adopted August 16, 2011
Effective fall 2011 semester