English 425

Methods of Teaching English

Professor Sean Meehan

Morningside College

[English Methods home] [English Education home]

Field Experience Teaching: Objectives and Guidelines

Overview: A crucial part of your experience in this course will be the great opportunity you have to begin to experience the methods and ideas of  teaching the language arts firsthand as a teacher in an actual, language arts/English classroom. Our course emphasizes what I call “pragmatic idealism”: the need for a teacher to blend ideas and ideals for teaching with an ability to adjust to the realities and dynamics of the educational institution (school, community), the environment (the actual classroom that exists in front of you), and the given day you are teaching. Your field experience teaching allows you to put this pragmatic idealism to work.

Objectives:

            [1]Students will learn from and reflect upon their observations, interactions, and experience with their field teacher (FT) and the dynamics of his/her classroom environment and school.

            [2]Students will experience the developing and implementing of lesson plans, assessment strategies, and a positive learning environment crucial to teaching in the 7-12 language arts classroom.

            [3]Students will bring back to the course their experiences from the classroom, communicating those experiences (in discussion, presentations, and journal) and exploring ways that the experiences build upon, inform, and perhaps alter the ideas and methods studied in the course: including issues of best practices for teaching reading, writing, grammar and language, media; issues of assessment and special learning needs and adjustments; issues of professional development and teacher learning.

            NCTE/NCATE program standards.

            2.0 Through modeling, advisement, instruction, field experiences, assessment of performance, and involvement in professional organizations, candidates adopt and strengthen professional attitudes needed by English language arts teachers.

            4.0 Candidates acquire and demonstrate the dispositions and skills needed to integrate knowledge of English language arts, students, and teaching. 

Guidelines/Outcomes:

            [1]20 hours of participation overall in your field teacher’s classroom. Your field experience will be followed-up by an evaluation completed by your FT  as well as an evaluation of your work I give you based on your journal, lesson plans, and final portfolio. I suggest, depending on your schedule and your FT’s, that you aim to complete between 2-4 hours per week over a 5-10 week period. Use the record sheet provide to help you keep track of your hours.

            [2]Your hours are to be completed in the following areas corresponding to key components you are studying in the Methods course.

(a)Observation/Reflection (4 hours): this is where you are participating in the class primarily as an observer, following the lead of the FT, getting to know the dynamics of the class, the objectives of the course, the methods of the teacher, as well as the overall environment of the school. This period of observation should be recorded in your journal and also discussed with your FT: ask questions, probe him/her for insight and suggestions as to what is going on in the classroom and in the professional community. I would suggest that you do at least 2 of these observation hours as a way to start—then you might also do observation mixed in with your lesson plans as well as at the end of the field experience. Observing does not mean that you must be passive, in the back of the room; it just means that you are following the lead of the field teacher and giving your focus to what you are seeing.

(b)Reading lessons (6 hours): lead at least one lesson of your own in reading/literature as well as participate with your FT in ongoing aspects of teaching reading and literature.

(c)Writing lessons (6 hours): lead at least one lesson of your own in writing as well as participate with your FT in ongoing aspects of teaching writing.

(d)Language/Media lessons (3 hours): lead at least one lesson of your own in language study (grammar/vocabulary) and/or media integration ( a lesson that integrates or explores digital technology, film, visual arts, drama or other forms of media).

(e)Professional life (1 hour): attend/participate in a meeting that in some manner relates to the professional life of the school: this could be a department meeting, staff development workshop, professional conference, school board meeting, or other ideas your field teacher might suggest. Discuss with your FT the professional life of teaching and record your observations in your journal.

[3]Of the three lesson plans you implement (reading, writing, language/media) one must be longer than one class period: preferably, implemented over 2-3 class days. Each of the three lesson plans (or more, if you choose) should include assessment strategies that you use to evaluate learning and to develop future plans and ideas appropriate for the class. Though I will always be available to guide you in your plans and ideas, I am also leaving choices up to you and the dynamics of the class and its existing curriculum and schedule (more of that pragmatic idealism!) The specifics of how you spend the hours in each category can be negotiated with your field teacher, so long as you are working within the general guidelines set out here.

Assessment:

            [1]You will keep an ongoing journal of your experiences as part of the overall journal writing you do for the course; you should plan on at least 1-2 pages of reflective journal writing for each hour you experience in the classroom.

            [2]Each lesson plan you develop and teach will be typed and turned in to me—describing objectives and outcomes as well as reflecting on how the experience went. I will give you more details on what I expect you to turn in.

            [3]Each time you complete a lesson plan, you will schedule a follow-up conference with me to discuss and share your experiences; you should also be prepared to share and articulate these experiences in class discussion and receive feedback from your classmates.

            [4]As part of your final portfolio, you will write a final self-reflection and self-evaluation of your experience in the classroom, approximately 3-5 pages.

            [5]Your practicum teacher will complete an evaluation of your performance and experience.

Final thought:

Teaching is a learning experience. I will be emphasizing this term that a good teacher is a good learner. Bring that spirit of learning into your own teaching experience. I look forward to learning from your experiences in the process of helping you learn about them.

Evaluation Form for Practicum Teachers

English Methods 425

Morningside College

Dr. Sean Meehan

Field Experience: Record of Hours

Record your hours after each visit to the class.

Your name:

Field Teacher’s name/school: