UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL ARKANSAS COLLEGE OF EDUCATION Master of Arts in Teaching Internship School-Based Mentor Teacher Handbook For Questions or Comments: Sunny Styles-Foster MAT Field Coordinator (501) 852-2820 sunnyf@uca.edu MAT@uca.edu (501) 852-2963 Revised 08/07/2017
NOTE: The MAT internship program differs from the undergraduate program. If you have colleagues who are working with undergraduate candidates, you may hear them discuss required meetings or tasks that do not apply to you. Since the MAT interns are placed all over the state, it is not feasible to bring the school-based mentors together for a meeting as is done with the undergraduate program. We are here to help, however. If you need assistance, please contact us by telephone or by e-mail. (501) 852-2963 MAT@uca.edu (The contact information for the MAT internship program is NOT the same as the undergraduate program.) 2
Dear Mentor Teacher, We are so thankful you have agreed to mentor, support and guide our Master of Art in Teaching (MAT) student intern. We regard the internship experience as a critical component of the MAT program. It gives our students the opportunity to learn from an experienced teacher and allows our students to apply what they have learned in their course work. Serving as a mentor teacher for a MAT student intern is an especially important job. Our students have often decided to become a teacher after years in another profession. They feel drawn to teaching - desiring to make a difference. We support their enthusiasm and passion with an exemplary curriculum and a committed and supportive mentor. The MAT program is a non-traditional master degree program and therefore, there are a few differences from a traditional undergraduate teacher preparation program. The program is designed to allow MAT candidates to take their course work while they work as a provisionally licensed teacher in a high need area or district. However, not all MAT students can secure a teaching position in this capacity. The MAT candidates who do not have a current teaching position, such as your intern, are placed in a school with a classroom teacher for a requisite internship. This placement is very similar to a student teaching experience in an undergraduate teacher preparation program. The MAT internship is structured to allow the student intern to work with a mentor teacher as he/she gradually assumes more teaching responsibilities. Former mentors have found that having an intern in the classroom allows for more opportunities to meet individual student needs and provides another set of needed hands for a variety of purposes. MAT interns have assignments to complete along with their classroom responsibilities, throughout the semester. Your intern will give you an assignment schedule, which includes three classroom observations that will be evaluated by a university supervisor and should follow our UCA MAT TESS-based lesson format. Following the scheduled observations, the university supervisor will meet with the intern for a debriefing. We also request that you observe one lesson as well. This opportunity will allow you to confer with the university supervisor regarding the intern s teaching strengths and weaknesses. The intern is also expected to complete a teaching block. The teaching block requires the intern to teach consecutively for about two weeks. Embedded in this teaching block is an instructional unit with an assessment plan that the intern will design and implement. Please do not feel limited to having your intern only teach during this block of time. Successful experiences generally include gradually stepping into teaching leading up to the block, and interns then gradually step out of teaching leading up to graduation. We greatly appreciate the important role that you will play in shaping a future teacher. We are confident that this will be a rewarding experience for both you and your intern. If we can support or help you in any way, please do not hesitate to contact us by e-mail at sunnyf@uca.edu or by telephone at (501) 852-2820. Sincerely, Sunny Styles-Foster MAT Program Coordinator/Coordinator of MAT Field Experience Clinical Instructor University of Central Arkansas Phone: (501) 852-2820 Fax: (501) 450-5680 3
Important Notes An Invoice for Honorarium, W-- 9 Form, and Mentor Information Form will be mailed to you from the MAT Coordinator of Field Experience, Sunny Styles-Foster. Please return them promptly so that our records can be updated and your pay and/or course remission can be processed. Interns are expected to be at the school during contract hours and to attend important school functions to include faculty and grade-level or department meetings. Absences are to be reported to the building administrator, mentor teacher, university supervisor, and coordinator of field experience. Please keep a record and discuss with the university supervisor if the need arises. Please note, do inform us and keep note of excessive tardies. If you have any questions or concerns about the assignments or intern assigned to you, please contact the Coordinator of Field Experience (sunnyf@uca.edu, 501-852-2820). Sadly, issues occasionally arise, but good communication often solves most. Privacy is paramount when dealing with interns. Issues should not be discussed with colleagues or other candidates. Confidentiality protects our interns, our mentors, and our supervisors. Always consult with your candidate first. If the situation does not resolve itself, please immediately contact the university supervisors. It s important to note, no problem is too big or small. Please let us know immediately if there is an issue, and we will help to resolve the situation together. We want this to be a successful experience for all involved. Interns are expected to attend several professional development seminars on campus. You will be notified early in the semester of those dates. Interns can substitute for you AFTER obtaining prior approval from the building administrator and university supervisor. We need to ensure students are ready to effectively handle the classroom on a short-term basis. Please note, interns CANNOT be paid for substituting for you. Finally, interns can assist with duty, but they cannot perform duty alone. 4
The Role of the Mentor Teacher Your primary role as a mentor teacher for an MAT intern is to keep doing what you already do. You have been identified as a mentor because you represent an effective teacher whose daily teaching will serve as a good model for a new teacher. Unlike the undergraduate internship program that you may have had some experience, this internship places much more responsibility on the intern and on the university supervisor. The mentor teacher will typically do the following: o Provide a nurturing environment for the intern to learn and grow. o Offer advice and feedback to the intern when possible. o Communicate with the university supervisor when necessary. o Introduce the intern to and include him or her in the school culture. o Offer support for the intern in completing assignments and requirements. Details about the intern s assignments are included in the final pages of this handbook. o Complete periodic feedback reports on the intern. You will receive at least one e-mail near the midpoint of the semester, requesting that you offer feedback about your intern. Feel free to offer additional feedback to the University or to the supervisor as necessary. o Communicate candidly with the university supervisor about the intern s performance. o Allow the intern opportunities to plan, teach, and reflect on teaching. o Determine the appropriate time for the intern to assume teaching responsibilities. Though all interns should be given a significant opportunity to assume complete responsibility for teaching, the school-based mentor can decide when this happens and for what length of time each day that the intern teaches. o Throughout the semester you will be asked to give feedback on your intern to the university supervisor. Disposition rubrics will be e-mailed to you for your completion. The MAT UCA Dispositions rubric can be found on the following pages. You might consider these when giving feedback to the supervisor. o Conduct, score, and give feedback on one observation. You may have noticed that there is very little paperwork, grading, or documenting required from you. The MAT internship differs from the undergraduate program in this respect. Much more responsibility is placed on the MAT intern and his/her supervisor. We welcome your thoughts about your intern at any time. You may contact the intern s supervisor directly or contact the MAT office. E-mail: sunnyf@uca.edu Phone: (501) 852-2820 5
6
7
8
MAT Internship Week-By-Week Calendar The following calendar is provided to each intern as guidance for completing assignments. This calendar may be modified as needed by the individual university supervisor and is included here as an illustration of how the MAT internship is structured. NOTE: Week 1 refers to the first week of UCA classes. For the time prior to the beginning of the UCA semester, your intern should use this time to become acclimated to the school and its procedures and routines. This time offers the intern a transition period before the internship assignments begin. Week Week 1 Make contact with your supervisor Assignment Week 2 Submit Teacher Candidate Information Form to Blackboard Distribute to students the media consent form Week 3 Complete graduation app -- http://uca.edu/graduateschool/graduationforms/ Due February 3 rd! Provide copy of receipt for graduation payment and proof of submission of the application to your Supervisor Register for Praxis II PLT/Pedagogy test (www.ets.org) Confirm date/time for Observation #1 Week 4 Submit Lesson Plan and Lesson Plan Analysis at least 48 hours prior to visit Week 5 Week 6 Observation #1 Submit reflection for Observation #1 within 48 hours after visit Verify with MAT secretary-mrs. Suits (ssuits@uca.edu) that file is complete Submit Internship Lesson Observation Log Work on Unit Plan and Impact on Student Learning Project Mentor Observed Lesson Video Annotation #1 Week 7 Mid-Semester Professionalism Check Point Mentor Teacher Survey completed (emailed from Mrs. Styles-Foster) Enter 300 hours for field in Chalk and Wire Week 8 Submit Lesson Plan and Lesson Plan Analysis at least 48 hours prior to visit Week 9 Observation #2 Submit reflection for Observation #2 within 48 hours after visit Submit Unit Plan 9
Week 10 Confirm with supervisor date/time for Observation #3 Video Annotation #2 Week 11 Pre-Test for Impact on Student Learning Project Submit Lesson Plan and Lesson Plan Analysis at least 48 hours prior to visit Observation #3 Submit reflection for Observation #3 within 48 hours after visit Week 12 Complete Post-Test for Impact on Student Learning Project Analyze data from pre/post-test Week 13 Submit Impact on Student Learning Project Week 14 Verify with Supervisor that assignments are complete to this point Summative Professionalism Check Point Teacher Survey completed (emailed from Mrs. Styles-Foster) Submit proof of passing PLT scores to your Supervisor and MAT office. Week 15 Complete program surveys on-line (Check e-mail for links from Mrs. Styles-Foster) Save and upload completed survey certificates Enter final 300 hours for field in Chalk and Wire (Total of 600) 10
11
Chalk and Wire Electronic Portfolio UCA uses an electronic portfolio system called Chalk and Wire. When the calendar references submit, it indicates an assignment that students must upload to their electronic portfolio. By submitting the assignment, a rubric is released with the submission to the supervisor for scoring. Once scored, the rubric and comments from the supervisor are available for the intern to review. If you would like to see the system the students are using, you may find it at www.chalkandwire.com/uca. We have created an open access student account so that school-based mentors may access exactly what the interns see in their Chalk and Wire Internship portfolios. To logon, enter the username coe and the password ucacoe. 12
Internship Assignments All assignment instructions, rubrics, and additional resource documents can be found in Blackboard, Chalk and Wire, and on the MAT website (http://uca.edu/mat/internship-assignments-and-resources/ ). Attendance Documentation The internship demands professional behavior in all matters, including punctuality and responsible attendance. You are expected to attend all scheduled days in the public schools. In addition, attend all school and community events where you and/or your mentor teacher is expected. Make your role as an intern teacher the priority you will not be excused early or allowed to report late because of work schedules or personal business. Interns do not need to report absences due to inclement weather, which results in school closing. If an absence cannot be avoided, you are responsible for appropriate accommodations with university and public school professionals. Field Hours Documentation ALL interns will be required to document their field hours in Chalk and Wire. A PDF document detailing how to do this will be emailed to each intern and is posted on the MAT website. Students are to enter 300 hours at midterm and 300 hours at the end of the semester for a total of 600 hours by the end of the semester. Students will upload a screenshot to Blackboard showing this assignment has been completed. PLACED INTERNS First, notify the mentor teacher and school. Next, notify your university supervisor. All absences during Internship must be documented by completing the Internship Absence Form for each absence and submitting it to the MAT Field Experience Coordinator (Mrs. Amy Thompson), as well as to the university supervisor. The Internship Absence Form can be found on the MAT website at https://uca.edu/web/forms/view.php?id=864. Follow the submission directions on the form. Failure to report absences may result in removal from Internship. Tardies are likewise considered unprofessional and are to be documented by the mentor and the university supervisor. Attendance is assessed in the disposition surveys completed at the mid-point and summative check points as well as in the Summative TESS evaluation. Placed interns should have no more than THREE absences. After 3 absences, interns will be called into the MAT office to develop a Professional Development Plan. All absences over 3 MUST be made up. Missing more than 3 days of internship can result in an X grade, a grade reduction, or failure of internship. Internship Assignments Teacher Candidate Information Form By the second week, candidates should submit their completed Teacher Candidate Information Form for assessment. The required form for this assignment can be found under the MAT webpage 13
at http://uca.edu/mat/internship-assignments-and-resources/. In addition, PLACED INTERNS email the completed form to the Coordinator of Field Experience for MAT (athompson@uca.edu ). A copy should also be printed and given to the mentor teacher and the principal or principal s designee. Unit Plan and Impact on Student Learning During internship, you should design and teach at least one instructional unit. The plan should include a substantial number of consecutive instructional days, somewhere in the range of two weeks. The length of the unit will vary depending upon a number of factors including the logistics of the class, the instructional context, content being taught, and the time span/scheduling of the class. The template is set for 10 days. However, this number can span 5-10 depending on the situation (as described above) and at the discretion of the University Supervisor. The unit should be your own original work, but it can include activities from a textbook and other resources. Units may be integrated, thematic, or topical depending upon the teaching situation. In addition to providing a rationale, lesson plans, and other miscellaneous components, a key element of this assignment is the collection of data to indicate the intern s impact on student learning. Interns are required to develop and implement a pre/post assessment and supply samples of student work at various levels. They are required to use technology to compile the data in a graphic format and write an analysis of their students progress toward the stated goals of the unit. Specific directions can be found on the MAT website http://uca.edu/mat/internship-assignments-and-resources/. NOTE: The unit plan has a template which should be used at http://uca.edu/mat/internship-assignments-andresources/. Interns are to upload this ONE document to Chalk and Wire. Submission of multiple documents will result in the assignment being returned to you for resubmission. Please note, in the template, there is a DAILY LESSON PLAN FORM to be used for this unit. It is a shortened version of the MAT form. It CANNOT be used for observed lessons, but it should be used for the unit plan. Observation Log for Interns Observations of Other Teachers: Careful observation of teachers during your Internship placement will provide opportunities for you to learn from experienced teachers in action, and expand your understanding of what is expected of an accomplished teacher. Five observations are required. Use the Lesson Observation Log for Interns to document your completed observations. These observations will provide an opportunity for you to learn from experienced professionals. In addition, you will gain a broader understanding of what is expected of an accomplished teacher. Interns are asked to observe a variety of teachers since all teachers are effective in different ways. THIS IS NOT AN EVALUATION OF MENTORS AND TEACHERS, nor should you discuss any evidence/notes with anyone other than your supervisor or the teachers you observe. Your completed Lesson Observation Log for Interns must be submitted to Blackboard. All forms and rubrics for this assignment can be found at http://uca.edu/mat/internship-assignments-andresources/. 14
Supervisor Observed Lessons University supervisors will do a formal observation of the interns teaching three times throughout the experience. Two days prior to the scheduled visit, interns are required to submit for assessment to their University Supervisor the lesson plan and lesson plan analysis. For these observed lessons, interns are required to use the UCA MAT lesson plan and lesson plan analysis templates which closely mirror Arkansas teacher assessment system protocols. Within 48 hours of the observed lesson, interns are required to submit for assessment to their University Supervisor their reflection of the lesson. There is a template for the lesson reflection as well. These formal observations will be assessed with the Lesson Scoring Rubric. The templates are found on the MAT website: http://uca.edu/mat/internship-assignments-and-resources/. The TESS observation rubric is found in Chalk and Wire. Video Annotated Lessons- During your internship, you will submit two annotated teaching videos as evidence of your skill and understanding in specific components of domains 2 and 3 of TESS. Videos should not be associated with an university supervisor observed lesson. No lesson planning documents must be submitted along with annotated videos. The Video Annotated Lessons assignment has several purposes. First, it provides a snapshot of your teaching, allowing you to view yourself at work. This snapshot will provide you with an opportunity to analyze your own practice while applying select, feature components of TESS. Additionally, this assignment will enhance and inform your instruction as you reflect through annotative dialogue with your supervisor, using your video as a platform for collaboration and feedback. Each annotated video must be at least 10 minutes and no more than 15 minutes in length. You are not submitting full lesson videos. Each video must feature two components chosen from domains 2 and 3. You may feature two components of domain 2, two components of domain 3, or a combination. (Examples: 2b and 2d, 3a and 3c, or 2b and 3c) [Feature = the video clip includes ample evidence of your skill (words and actions) in at least two components that are specified in the title of the video (Example: 2b and 2d). The video clip includes you as the lead teacher engaged directly with your internship II students using words and taking actions that demonstrate your proficiency in the components specified by the video s title.] As evidence of your understanding of the specific components named in the video clip s title, annotate each video using specified technology. Annotations must provide specific, thoughtful connections between the evidence (your words and/or actions in the video clip) and at least two elements from BOTH of the TESS components named in the video s title. As you plan, review TESS related resources to ensure that you fully understand the components and elements you re attempting to feature in a video. Studying resources will also help refine your skill. Use your copy of Enhancing 15
Professional Practice by Charlotte Danielson. Another helpful resource is the TESS for Teachers page on the Arkansas Department of Education website: http://www.arkansased.gov/divisions/human-resources-educator-effectiveness-andlicensure/office-of-educator-effectiveness/teacher-evaluation-system/tess-facilitation-guides-and-presentations Reviewing resources in advance will also help you as you annotate your video to provide evidence of your understanding. Failure to teach the selected feature(s) could result in your supervisor requesting a retake of your video and selected elements. Supervisors may also request specific elements regarding video submission. Useful resources for this assignment are located on the Teaching & Learning Center website. https://uca.edu/tlc/resources/ Look under Video Editing and Compression. Additional tips for this assignment can be found on the MAT website at http://uca.edu/mat/internship-assignments-and-resources/. Here is a suggested assignment process for interns and supervisors: 1. Intern creates video, edits, uploads to YouTube, and then annotates through VideoAnt. 2. Intern submits VideoAnt link to C&W. Supervisor gets notification of submission to C&W. 3. Supervisor uses C&W to get link to VideoAnt. Supervisor watches video, reads intern annotations, and adds responses. Supervisor does not yet score in C&W. Supervisor emails intern to notify him/her of responses added to VideoAnt. 4. Intern returns to VideoAnt, reads responses from supervisor, and replies to responses in VideoAnt. Intern emails supervisor to notify of new responses added to VideoAnt. 5. Supervisor returns to VideoAnt (link will still be in C&W) and reads intern's responses. Supervisor is then ready to score in C&W. Mentor Teacher Observed Lesson In addition to the three supervisor observed lessons, you will prepare and teach an additional lesson for observation by your mentor teacher (if you are placed) or your mentor teacher/immediate supervisor/principal (if you have your own classroom) who will provide feedback for you in TESS Domains 2 and 3 using the Lesson Observation Form. Prior to your delivery of this lesson, you will need to provide your mentor with a copy of this form which can be found at http://uca.edu/mat/internship-assignments-and-resources/. During your lesson delivery, your mentor will record evidence from your instruction in Domains 2 and 3. After your lesson delivery, your mentor will share his or her observations from your lesson. Your mentor will follow up with your supervisor regarding your performance, including strengths and areas of improvement. Although a formal UCA lesson plan and analysis are not required for submission, mentors may require a lesson plan be submitted to them. Have your mentor teacher/administrator sign the Lesson Observation Form. Then, you will scan and upload it to Blackboard for your supervisor to see this assignment was completed. Additionally, you will provide evidence of collaboration in your 16
Summative TESS Professionalism Reflection at the end of the semester. Documentation from this experience may be included as an artifact for TESS Domain 4e for receptive feedback. Artifacts may include a copy of your mentor Lesson Observation Form and notes/emails between you, your mentor teacher, and/or your university supervisor regarding the feedback from this observation. Professional Check Points: UCA Professionalism Reflection: This assignment documents your progress toward proficiency in Domain 4, components b-f. These five components are not assessed during each supervisor observed lesson. They are assessed at mid-term through the UCA Professionalism Reflection and again at the end of your internship experience when you add to and re-submit your UCA Professionalism Reflection. It s important for you to review the questions/prompts on the UCA Professionalism Reflection at the beginning of Internship and plan ways to make progress in components 4b 4f. The UCA Professionalism Reflection document can be found at http://uca.edu/mat/internship-assignments-and-resources/. At mid-term, type your responses to the UCA Professionalism Reflection prompts directly into the document. You must include a total of 5 artifacts, including at least one from each designated TESS component. Once you ve fully responded to all questions/prompts and added your artifacts, save the document (answers + artifacts) as one pdf and submit to the Mid-Semester Professionalism Checkpoint assignment in Chalk & Wire. Then, between mid-term and the end of Internship, plan and carry out additional actions/strategies and document increased progress in components 4b 4f. At the end of Internship II, return to the document you created at mid-term and add additional information/evidence/reflection/artifacts. Use a red font for all added information/evidence/reflection. This font color change will help your supervisor notice your growth and achievement after mid-term. Add new artifacts as well, identified by titles in red font. Once you ve added additional information/evidence/reflection to all questions/prompts and added new artifacts, save the revised document (answers + artifacts) as one pdf. Submit this revised pdf version of the UCA Professionalism Reflection to the Summative TESS Evaluation assignment on Chalk and Wire. (DO NOT resubmit to the Mid-Semester Professionalism Checkpoint.) This final submission will trigger the summative TESS rubric. The summative evaluation takes into account ALL evidence available in estimating your level of achievement, including university supervisor evaluations, both formative and summative in other words, all documented performances and support material. To view the Chalk & Wire rubrics for both the Mid-Semester Professionalism Checkpoint and the Summative TESS 17
Evaluation, go to the portfolio s table of contents in Chalk & Wire, click on the name of the assignment, and then look for Linked Assessment Instruments on the assignment page. Click View. Survey Completion Certificates Candidates are required to complete a number of surveys prior to exiting the program. Toward the end of the internship semester, you will receive via e-mail a link to complete each survey online. Once each survey has been completed, a screen will appear with a certificate of completion. Save this certificate to your computer. A simple way to do this is to go to the toolbar at the top of the screen and select file, then save page as. Type the name of the survey in the filename box and either of the web page options in the save as type box. EACH completion certificate must be uploaded to Blackboard so the university supervisor can verify the surveys are complete. Be sure the title on the certificate matches the survey title. A "1" on the rubric indicates one or more of the survey certificates is missing. Candidates must earn a "2" on this rubric before a course grade for the internship will be recorded. Criteria 1 Fail 2 Pass Survey Completion Certificates One or more completion All completion certificates certificates is missing have been submitted Candidates will receive an X grade if any of the required assignments are not submitted. Assignments submitted late, incomplete, and/or of poor quality will lower the final grade(s) for the internship. Candidates will be evaluated using the rubrics attached to the assignments in Chalk and Wire and Blackboard. Final grade for the class will be determined based on the assignments in Blackboard/Chalk and Wire. The following formula will be used: 60% - Observations and Video Annotation Assignments 15% - Impact on Student Learning 15% - Unit Plan 10% - Professional Checkpoints Candidates will receive an X grade if any of the required assignments are not submitted. Assignments submitted late, incomplete, and/or of poor quality will lower the final grade(s) for the internship. Candidates will be evaluated using the rubrics attached to the assignments in Chalk and Wire and Blackboard. 18
IMPORTANT: An intern scoring 0 1.99 on any element of the summative TESS will receive a 0 for that assignment and a D or an F for the final internship grade. **Important Note: Your final grade can be adjusted up or down by 10% at the judgement of the university supervisor based on professional behavior. Professional behavior could include: Completion of any contracted items Completion and documentation of passing PLT scores Attendance Attitude Adhering to deadlines Quality of work Multiple submissions due to revisions Feedback from mentor teacher/administrator Knowledge of content Plagiarism Any other professional concerns your supervisor has 19
Additional Notes Professional and Ethical Conduct Policy Because the standards of the education profession exceed those addressed in other university or college policies, the COE Professional Education Unit has adopted a Professional and Ethical Conduct Policy to address those professional and ethical behaviors. In essence, this policy states that students must adhere to the prescribed professional and ethical standards of the profession for which they are preparing. The policy document provides a definition of professional and ethical misconduct, guidelines for reporting misconduct, and an appeal process. It is located on the policies link of the College of Education website. 20