Category: Cooperating Teacher

Cooperating Teachers FAQs

Can a teacher candidate be left alone in the classroom during his or her clinical practice?

The short answer is no.

Circumstances may require a cooperating teacher to leave the room for an unexpected event or to quickly respond to needs of an administrator or fellow teacher. If these absences are brief and happen only occasionally, then it is acceptable. Keep in mind that a cooperating teacher plays a crucial role in the clinical intern’s development; therefore, he or she needs to be present and available to the clinical intern.

If the teacher candidate has a substitute certificate, can he or she serve as a substitute in my classroom or my school?
No.

Cooperating Teacher

Training

As part of your responsibilities as a cooperating teacher, you will need to complete one or both of two online trainings and complete the associated assessment depending on whether or not you are a cooperating teacher of a clinical intern or a pre-clinical intern.

A cooperating teacher of a pre-clinical intern during clinical experience or a clinical intern in Clinical Practice 2 needs to complete the Observation & Conference report (O&C) training and assessment.

A cooperating teacher of a clinical intern completing clinical practice needs to complete the Observation and Conference Report (O&C) training and assessment and the Clinical Competency Inventory (CCI) training and assessment.

Handbook

The Clinical Placement Handbook is the best place to find forms, policies, and information. There is a section specifically for Cooperating Teachers.

  • Checklist for Cooperating Teachers This is a general overview of the tasks that make up the pre-clinical intern and the clinical intern process. This checklist is designed to help you keep organized throughout the semester. pg. 132 Handbook
  • Guide for Week-to-Week Activities for Clinical Practice pg.127 Handbook
  • Co-Teaching Model pg.128 Handbook
  • Key Terminology pg. 15 Handbook
  • Cooperating Teacher Expectations pg. 130

Evaluations

Clinical Experience and Clinical Practice 1 candidates are evaluated using the Observation and Conference Report. Clinical Practice 2 candidates are evaluated by their clinical supervisors using both the Observation and Conference Report and the Clinical Competency Inventory (CCI). Clinical Practice 2 candidates are evaluated by their cooperating teachers using the Clinical Competency Inventory (CCI)

Time Sheets

Every teacher candidate is required to submit a timesheet to the Office of Clinical Experiences. As the cooperating teacher, you are asked to sign off/verify these timesheets for our teacher candidates. The teacher candidate is responsible for handing in approved timesheets on time. Due dates for all timesheet submissions are posted on the Calendar.

Clinical Experience/Clinical Practice 1 Timesheet

Clinical Practice 2 Timesheet.

Clinical Experience candidates submit a midterm and final timesheet. Clinical Practice 2 candidates submit a final timesheet. Cooperating Teachers are asked to verify and sign all timesheets please contact OCEAR if you not been asked to sign a midterm or final timesheet.

 

Clinical Placement Alert Form

We strive to develop the most knowledgeable and skilled teacher candidates possible. In some instances, when our teacher candidates are placed in your classroom setting, he/she may encounter significant areas of improvement that still need to be developed. You are encouraged to discuss any such area with the teacher candidate’s clinical supervisor.  You should first provide feedback to the teacher candidate directly. Any area of significant concern or requiring immediate intervention that the teacher candidate is not addressing or showing improvement in should be submitted using the Clinical Placement Alert Form.  Although the form is to be completed electronically via the link provided, here is a reference form for your convenience.

Honorarium

There are two forms to complete in order to receive payment of your honorarium for mentoring a clinical intern during their clinical practice.  Details and appropriate links can be found at the Honorarium Requirements  page.