Student teaching is an entire semester (15 weeks) of full-time, unpaid work in an actual classroom under the supervision of a cooperating teacher and a university supervisor. Students will teach or observe the entire school day and must also be available for after school activities as required by the cooperating teacher.

Student Teaching Placement: When students apply for student teaching, they can request two districts where they would like to be placed. We will try to match students to the districts that they request; however, it is not always possible for this to happen. In the end, we will secure all students a placement. Under no circumstances are students to solicit their own placements. Placement choices may only be changed at the Student Teaching Review Conference, approximately 6 months prior to the student teaching semester.

Because practica and student teaching placements need to be Board of Education approved for each district, we receive information about placements at varying times. This means that some students will hear of their placement before others. We are fully aware of placements that have been fulfilled and those that have not. It sometimes happens that placements do not come through until the first day of the semester. We try to avoid this, but it is a reality. If students are concerned about their placements, please contact the TPP staff.

The Student Teaching Team: The cooperating teacher, the university supervisor, and the student teacher should view themselves as a team. Excellent communication is an essential component of teamwork. We encourage all team members, therefore, to keep the lines of communication open and to work together to achieve a successful experience.

The Student Teacher: The student teacher is placed as a learner with a cooperating teacher, as a partner, in the classroom setting. Students should utilize course work knowledge, the expertise of the cooperating teacher, and the actual classroom experience to gain knowledge and skills needed to teach.

Supervised teaching is professional teaching in the sense that teacher candidates are expected to behave in a professional manner. They are considered junior members of the staff. They are expected to strive to make a positive impact on students and faculty, to be prompt and dependable, and to demonstrate the qualities of a professional teacher. All activities of the professional semester center on the teacher candidate; energies are primarily focused at helping this individual to become a stronger, contributing member of the school environment.

The purpose of student teaching is to permit the student to assume gradual responsibility for the teaching of a full day in the classroom while under the supervision of a classroom teacher and a university supervisor. During this semester students will be able to apply what they have previously learned in actual teaching situations. They will be able to:

• test a variety of teaching strategies
• observe actual student learning
• gain a greater understanding of teaching style
• observe the ways in which group dynamics function
• understand better how individual students think and feel
• observe the ways that education is influenced by external factors including socio-economic status, politics, and bureaucracies
• implement and test a variety of strategies for integrating technology into the classroom

Student teaching is a full-time one-term experience. With the exception of the related course, Student Teaching Seminar, no other courses should be taken during the student teaching semester. Students will need a significant amount of time to plan and prepare lessons and materials. Therefore, we discourage students from holding part-time weekend and evening jobs or engaging in outside activities that can minimize the high priority that will be surely needed to give the student teaching experience.

The Cooperating Teacher: The cooperating teacher is a highly competent teacher, one who demonstrates expertise in the classroom, is skilled in interpersonal relationships, and is interested in guiding the student teacher. The cooperating teacher has one of the most critical roles in the teacher education process. By assuming the responsibility of guiding a student teacher, the cooperating teacher affirms a commitment to the profession to aid in the development of a highly qualified beginning teacher. The cooperating teacher is responsible for showing the student teacher how to put into practice the principles of teaching which have been learned at the University and in pre-student teaching experiences. Cooperating Teachers are expected to:

• Serve as a role model for the student teacher as he/she develops successful teaching techniques.
• Acquaint the student teacher with the culture of the school and routines for the classroom.
• Provide a desk or work place and necessary instructional materials.
• Share and discuss lesson plans, and the reasons for choice of methods, materials and activities.
• Model effective teaching techniques, including how to provide for individual student differences.
• Demonstrate how to assess student performance and how to document and maintain records of student progress.
• Arrange observation opportunities for the student teacher in other classes/grade levels.
• Continue to set a professional example toward students, school, district, and community.
• Complete the required electronic evaluation reports that are sent directly to the Teacher Preparation Program office.

The University Supervisor: The University Supervisor is a part-time Rutgers-Camden assistant instructor who serves as the liaison between the Teacher Preparation Program and the cooperating teacher to whom the student teacher is assigned. The principal responsibility of the university supervisor is to assist the student teacher in developing teaching competency. The supervisor must determine the assistance needed and then use knowledge, skill, and resources to help the student teacher. When difficulties arise, the university supervisor is the link between the student, the cooperating teacher, and the Teacher Preparation Program staff. University Supervisors are asked to:

• Observe each student teacher every other week during the student teaching semester.
• Discuss observations with the student teacher immediately after the observation.
• Submit the required observation forms to the Teacher Preparation Program Office.

Certification
Information and paperwork regarding state certification will be given to all student teachers during the last session of the Student Teaching Seminar course. This information will include, but is not limited to:

• the certification application
• the certificate of student teaching hours
• a permission form for the TPP to obtain an official Rutgers transcript
• directions and timelines for the submission of all forms and monies

Those completing student teachers wishing to file for a state certification will be required to submit all forms on the specified deadline, approximately 3 weeks after the end of the student teaching semester. Students must show evidence of an earned degree of a Bachelor's or higher, passing Praxis II scores, a minimum score of Advanced Low on the OPI (if applicable - see Special Note below), and a successful student teaching experience (a grade of C or higher in both the Student Teaching and the Seminar course). Students seeking certification will be required to submit all forms and the appropriate monies to the TPP by the deadline. The TPP will then process all forms and monies, and the state DOE will issue a certificate/license approximately 5-6 weeks after the stated TPP forms deadline.

Student teachers who miss the designated deadline will have to file for a state certificate/license with the student teaching cohort in the following semester. It is Rutgers' policy to only submit certification paperwork to the DOE in cohort batches; the TPP will not submit an individual certification application for any student.

Special Notes:
OPI: For all students seeking a foreign language certificate, the state of New Jersey requires an Oral Proficiency Interview, as well as a passing score on the appropriate Praxis II exam. Click here to find out more about this requirement for licensure.