Suggestions For Conferencing With Student Teachers
ORIENTATION CONFERENCES should help the student teacher learn as much as possible about the school, the students, the community, and the cooperating teacher. Suggestions for topics include, but are not limited to:
Orientation to school and community
Philosophy of school and cooperating teacher
School handbook, policies, procedures
Activities for first few days
Information about clerical tasks, supplies, etc.
Expectations
General overview/plan for assumption of responsibilities
FORMATIVE CONFERENCES should provide ongoing opportunity for the student teacher to dialogue with you about performance, strategies, concerns, specific skills, strengths and areas where growth could occur. These may be formal and/or informal, regularly scheduled and/or spontaneous times. The student and circumstances should help you determine the nature of these conferences. However they are structured, it is imperative to the success of the student teacher that this type of conferencing occurs throughout the experience.
Suggestions for topics include, but are not limited to:
Teaching skills, content knowledge, methods and techniques
Informal evaluation of performance, discussion of expectations, problems, etc.
Information about students (official data, insights, observations, reasons for behaviors, etc.)
Professional exchange of ideas about philosophy, student progress and evaluation, classroom management, time management and organization
Planning for instruction, pre-assessments, post-teaching analysis, long-range planning and scheduling
Personal concerns about relationships with students, other faculty, parents, administrators
Planning for enrichment activities such as observations in other classrooms, extra-curricular events, professional development activities
SUMMATIVE/EVALUATIVE CONFERENCES should provide opportunities to review past performance, focus on present circumstances, and/or look to the future. These conferences should provide accurate assessments of the student's performance and should lead to continued growth and improvement. (Students seem to be best able to accept constructive criticisms in these kind of conferences if a climate of positive communication and exchange of ideas has been established throughout the experience.) Suggestions for topics include, but are not limited to:
College's evaluation form (at mid-term and final)
Goals and accomplishments
Areas of growth, to date and projections for the future
Reflections about teaching/philosophy/professionalism
