What other responsibilities do student teachers have during the student teaching field experience?
The first and foremost responsibility is their teaching in social studies classrooms. The Student Teaching Seminar (see Course-ESOC 5560/7560) places additional demands on student teachers. As well, student teachers are collecting artifacts and organizing their thinking about the portfolio assignment (see portfolios) while they are in schools. Finally, in the Fall 2006 semester, we are piloting the use of digital video analysis of classroom practice. Altogether, student teachers often find the student teaching semester one of the most challenging academic and occupational experiences of their lives. We believe the experience should be challenging, just as the work of teaching social studies is challenging. The program is committed to applying increasingly high standards for those who complete our program. At the same time, we are committed to supporting student teachers in successfully navigating the challenges of the semester.
