Adolescent and Young Adult
Site Experiences
Prior to Student Teaching
The Adolescent and Young Adult program provides candidates with a system of courses prior to student teaching for observing and participating in 7-12 classrooms with certified and experienced teachers. Candidates first receive field experiences during their freshman or sophomore year by means of EDT 190 Introduction to Adolescent Education (1). Candidates observe classroom instruction and analyze the role of the classroom teacher in order to confirm their career decisions to enter the profession. This course combines on-campus study of the role of the teacher and current issues in education with five half-day visits to classrooms in the University's service area. Each of these visits is followed by a feedback session at the following class meeting.
Candidates engage in additional field experience during the fall or spring semester of the junior year by means of concurrent courses within their content-area field block courses: During this semester there are two two-week periods in which these classes do not meet; candidates are instead assigned to work under the supervision of certified/ licensed teachers in their particular content area in schools within the University's service area. One placement is in a school designated as a culturally diverse setting. The other placement is in a school not so designated. Each of the supervising classroom teachers is given a packet of assignments from the four course instructors that specifies activities candidates are to perform under the supervision of the classroom teacher. Candidates assume the role of participant-observers. They observe instruction, analyze instructional and assessment activities, assist the teacher with classroom tasks, teach lessons--some planned by the classroom teacher and some by the candidate. When students return from the field, they participate in extensive debriefing sessions in their university classes.
Student Teaching
Candidates student teach by means of EDT 419.A, Adolescent Supervised Teaching (15), a semester-long course consisting of full-time classroom teaching and a weekly seminar. Candidates student teach in either semester of their senior year. They may elect a single placement for the entire 16-week semester or a split placement consisting of two back-to-back eight-week assignments. Split placements allow candidates to gain teaching experience at both the high school and middle school/ junior high levels
For each placement the candidate is assigned a cooperating teacher, who is certified/ licensed in their content area and has at least three years teaching experience. The cooperating teacher is the candidate's primary clinical mentor and guide, conferring and collaborating with the candidate, supervising the planning of lessons and units.
The candidate is assigned a supervisor, who is the university representative and instructor of record, responsible for ensuring effective interaction between the candidate and the cooperating teacher, for serving as the candidate's secondary clinical professor, for conducting the seminars, and for grading the student at the end of the term. All university supervisors have training in Pathwise and/ or Praxis III, which have been developed by the Educational Testing Service. The State of Ohio has adopted Pathwise and Praxis III as the systems for mentoring and evaluating first and second year teachers in achieving teaching licenses.
The schedule and topics of the student teaching seminars are determined by the university supervisor. The seminars may or may not have predetermined agendas, since significant seminar discussions arise from the current concerns and interests of the student teachers. The university supervisor may conduct the seminars or may utilize special seminars organized or conducted by the Career Planning and Placement Office of Student Teaching. Attendance at these seminars is mandatory.