Student Teaching Handbook - Butler University

Stepping Back and Stepping Forward: Week 8
Communication Ideas and Activities
The cooperating teacher needs to read the following and the student teacher needs to do the following.
1. This is typically known as the phase out teaching period. Of course this varies with each person. It depends
on how long you have been full time student teaching as to how many subjects you would be teaching at this
point. However, if possible, it is a good idea to transition the bulk of the load back to the cooperating teacher
before the student teaching period is over. It is ideal to be able to gradually hand back each of the classes one or
two at a time in the reverse order that you picked them up within the weeks of 4-7; however, this needs to be
flexible based upon unforeseen absences, snow days, etc. In these cases, you may need to full time teach almost
until the last day.
2. During this time the student teacher should assist the classroom teacher in the areas that used to be taught by
the student teacher. This helps to make the transition easier on the students.
3. Although the student teacher should still be visible in the classroom when he or she is not teaching, it is a good
idea for the student teacher to plan observations of other teachers. Try to observe a range of teachers at a variety
of grade levels. It may be helpful to ask your cooperating teacher if she/he has any suggestions of teachers that
they might recommend for you to observe. Let your cooperating teacher know that Butler encourages these
observations. However, make sure these observations occur at a mutually convenient time for you the student
teacher, the cooperating teacher, and the person you are observing.
4. Ask the principal of the school or your cooperating teacher if they would be willing to give you a mock interview.
This would include sample questions that they frequently ask prospective teachers. This would also be a
good time to ask them about what they like to see in a portfolio if you haven’t already put one together...get
their ideas about what they look for when they hire teachers.
5. Take pictures or sketch ideas of possible classroom layouts find neat. Remember you never know what grade
you might end up teaching and having a file of pictures with ideas at your finger tips could sure come in handy.
6. Continue to be involved at the school. Just because you’re phasing out of the full time student teaching does not
mean you should phase out of attending family/community events.
7. Tell the cooperating teacher that the university supervisor will be asking them to write a recommendation letter
at the end of the semester. The university supervisor will also write a letter of recommendation. If there are any
other letters of recommendation that you want, then you will need to ask that person. Examples may include
the principal (if they have seen you teach), a teacher that you have been team teaching with throughout the
semester, etc...
8. The student teacher, cooperating teacher, and university supervisor should all fill out a final observation form
that shows the growth of the student teacher over the semester. The goals should also be revisited at this time.
The student teacher should be able to produce evidence or be able to verbally state what they did to make progress
towards reaching their goal.
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