Clinical Practice Team (Roles and Responsibilities)
Roles and Responsibilities
The Department of Education at UNC Asheville adheres to the philosophy that the interaction of the teacher candidate, supervising teacher, and university supervisor requires a high level of professionalism. As associates, each has responsibility for the success of the experience. A team approach is established in orientations and other meetings in which all participate. Regular communication throughout the semester is essential and is the responsibility of all three members of the clinical practice team.
The Teacher Candidate’s Role
The teacher candidate is required to be in the assigned classroom during the professional semester, to complete assignments as determined by the supervisor, and to come to weekly seminars/classes during the full 16 weeks of clinical practice. Candidates should take on responsibilities that are commensurate with his/her role as an associate teacher. The number and magnitude of responsibilities should be increased gradually during the clinical practice semester. The school’s calendar (instead of UNC Asheville’s calendar) will be followed by the candidate. Unless otherwise instructed, the candidate reports to the school the first day the supervising teacher is required to report in January. Daily arrival times and departure times from school should coincide with those required of teachers. If absence from Clinical Practice is necessary, it should be reported in advance to the supervising teacher, university supervisor, and principal. Missed days must be made up by the teacher candidate. The university supervisor must be kept informed of the school schedule and about schedule changes that will interfere with a supervisory visit.
The teacher candidate must make a conscientious effort to observe the regulations of the school as outlined by the supervising teacher, the faculty handbook, and the school administration. The candidate is a guest in the school and observes the propriety of courtesy, politeness, appropriate personal hygiene, and neatness in dress and appearance. The candidate is expected to attend faculty and PTA/PTO meetings, teacher workdays, workshops, and parent conferences required of other teachers. The candidate is responsible for reviewing all sections of the online Clinical Practice Handbook.
Liability Insurance Coverage
Candidates participating in field experiences as part of their education courses are required to carry liability insurance through SNCAE, the candidate’s arm of the North Carolina Association of Educators (www.scncae.org).
Work in the Schools
Teacher candidates must devote their energies to the teaching-learning process; therefore, they will not be used as bus drivers, substitutes, or coaches.
Upon successful completion of the 16 full-time weeks of Clinical Practice with satisfactory evaluations from both the Clinical Educator and supervisor on the Exit Criteria and the Certification of Teaching Capacity form (Appendix I), candidates may be considered for employment. If a candidate is being considered for employment after completion of these requirements and before the North Carolina license is officially granted, a written request must be sent by the candidate to the Associate Chairperson and Licensure Specialist, Dr. Kim Brown (kbrown@unca.edu). The request must be accompanied by a letter from the school principal outlining the starting and ending dates of the position and its responsibilities.
Outside Work During Clinical Practice
Since clinical practice is a full-time job with many out-of-school responsibilities (e.g.: planning, grading papers, attending school functions), the faculty strongly discourages teacher candidates from working during the clinical practice semester. If outside work or participation in UNC Asheville extracurricular activities, including sports or clubs, interferes with clinical practice, the candidate may be asked to withdraw from clinical practice.
Substitute Teaching During Clinical Practice
At the request of the principal of the school in which a candidate is completing Clinical Practice, a student teacher may serve as a paid substitute teacher. The student teacher may substitute teach only:
- in the classroom assigned for Clinical Practice,
- upon the approval of the supervisor,
- if the candidate is making adequate progress in EDUC 455 and EDUC 456,
- after at least 8 successful full weeks of Clinical Practice have been completed (which includes successful completion of the required 5 full-time weeks of Clinical Practice),
- after at least 2 observations that have been deemed satisfactory have been conducted by the Clinical Practice supervisor,
- for four total days,
- after the student teacher has completed the school system’s substitute teaching approval process, and
- after the student teacher has secured liability insurance coverage.
The student teacher must continue to successfully complete all licensure requirements during all substitute teaching activities. The EPP may remove the student teacher from substitute teaching duties at any time that the duties interfere with successful progress in Clinical Practice and/or for licensure.
The Supervising Teacher’s Role
Accepting the responsibility for being a supervising teacher presumes an interest in the teacher candidate and the desire to help this person become a competent member of the profession. The supervising teacher should support UNC Asheville’s licensure program and procedures. The supervising teacher is in an excellent position to help the candidate identify and develop effective teaching talents and abilities. The supervising teacher should collaborate with the university supervisor in working out specific experiences which will contribute to the development of the candidate and the educational program of the school. The candidate should be given an opportunity to observe other teachers and to experience a variety of teaching styles. The supervising teacher should help make arrangements for these visits within the school, including visits to observe teachers working with diverse populations of students.
The candidate should have the opportunity to begin teaching in an area of expertise. Early in the Clinical Practice experience, the supervising teacher and candidate should outline goals (both professional and personal), activities, topics, and teaching assignments for which the candidate will be responsible. The candidate should be encouraged to test his/her own ideas and methods for teaching, trying out a variety of approaches. Feedback from the supervising teacher is a significant aspect of the candidate’s development as a teacher. Some time each day should be set aside for discussing the work of the candidate. The supervising teacher should fill out a weekly evaluation of dispositions, lesson planning and classroom strategies which is reviewed by the university supervisor. The supervising teacher, in consultation with the candidate and the university supervisor, should make decisions about the rate of increase of teaching responsibility (i.e., when to begin a new reading group, when to take responsibility for a new class period, etc.). It is essential that the candidate have at least five consecutive weeks of full teaching responsibility.
An important factor contributing to a spirit of cooperation is free and open communication. An open and dynamic interaction among the members of the clinical practice team is encouraged. It may be necessary to contact the university supervisor before waiting for the next scheduled visit. During these periods of communication, the candidate should have an opportunity to learn about the following:
- Objectives to be accomplished
- Preparation of teaching materials
- Pupil backgrounds, individual difficulties
- Situations to be observed
- Reasons for procedures, and alternative approaches
- Professional responsibilities and attitudes
- Standard course of study, pacing guides
- Personal strengths and limitations
- Personal reflection and adaptation to the teaching situation
The candidate should be left alone some of the time, although the supervising teacher retains responsibility for the students. Candidates should have the opportunity to manage discipline problems in order to be prepared to handle them independently during their first year of teaching. Co-teaching is acceptable practice for much of the experience.
In addition to regular teaching duties, there are activities associated with teaching which the candidate should have an opportunity to do. The supervising teacher should help the candidate become acquainted with faculty, staff and administration, and with available materials, record-keeping, and grading procedures. The candidate should attend faculty and department/grade-level meetings and participate in appropriate community/extracurricular activities with the supervising teacher.
The University Supervisor’s Role
Each candidate will be assigned a university supervisor by the Chair of the Department of Education. Other university faculty members sometimes visit and evaluate the work of the candidate. The university supervisor meets with the candidate prior to the commencement of clinical practice for orientation. The university supervisor will observe each candidate a minimum of four times during the clinical practice experience at regular intervals; when necessary, as often as once per week. In addition to observing and counseling the candidate, the university supervisor will confer with the supervising teacher and other personnel of the clinical practice team from time to time, and meet with the supervising teacher and the candidate for the mid-term and final evaluations. It is important that the university supervisor have an opportunity to confer with the candidate after the observations. The supervising teacher may be asked to help organize for this conference by standing in for the candidate on occasion when it is not an imposition to do so.