Field Experience Assignment

Field Experience Assignment

Spring, 2025

Background: This semester, you have been learning/will learn about principles of teaching with emphasis on proactive classroom management. You have learned how your beliefs (philosophy) permeate your classroom arrangement, management, and planning, as well as constructed a working definition of what it means to be a professional educator.

Purpose: The purpose of the field experience is to provide you with an opportunity to observe and use strategies you have learned/will learn this term with upper elementary-aged students. For each experience day, you will observe various topics related to our course, then reflect on the experiences. At the end of the experience, you will put this together in a “course connections and reflections” paper to connect the course content to practical application in the classroom.

Assignment: This assignment has multiple components and was designed to provide a venue for you to connect our course content to classroom practice. Please note, this will be submitted at the end of the semester as part of your “Field Experience Assignment.” Specific descriptions for each part can be found on the following pages:

Assignment Components to Be Submitted to Canvas for the “Field Experience Assignment”:

· Ice Breaker Lesson Plan

· Standards-Based Lesson Plan

· Theory to Practice Paper

· Professionalism

Field Experience, Day 1

Day 1 of your field experience focuses on Units 1 and 2. Today, you will:

· Observe how the CT exemplifies a “professional educator” (Unit 1)

· Observe how the CT creates a warm, nurturing classroom community (Unit 2)

· Coplan a ice breaker or team building exercise (Unit 2)

· Assist your CT, as needed (Unit 1)

On the following pages, you will find the information you need to facilitate an ice breaker or team building activity in your classroom.

Ice Breaker/Team Building – Planning, Implementation, and Reflection

The purpose of facilitating an ice breaker is to build community within your classroom setting. This is a great way for you to get to know your students, for them to get to know you, and for them to get to know each other! Ice breakers and team building activities can be done at any point during the school year. To do this,

· Coordinate with your CT prior to your first visit to schedule your attendance days.

· Develop ideas for an ice breaker you might do with your students, then ask your CT if the idea is appropriate.

· Construct your lesson plan, then submit to Dr. Klash, your CT, Mrs. Scott, and Mrs. Schmidt by the deadline noted above and in the syllabus course schedule, to allow opportunity for feedback.

· Do not email your plan to your CT, Mrs. Scott, and Mrs. Schmidt to ask for feedback until you have received feedback from me. This allows you to make revisions, as needed, before sending them to Halcyon for feedback. You will upload the email you sent with the time stamp to Canvas as documentation that you shared your plan with Halcyon by the stated deadline.

· Take good notes during your observations. You will use this for your field experience reflective paper at the end (see pages that follow).

· Record information about how many students you have, demographic information, any exceptionalities, etc.

· Record qualities of professionalism exhibited by your CT (you should be through Unit 1 by the time you start your field experience hours).

· Record information about the room arrangement – how are desks arranged, what the designated spaces in the room, what is displayed on the walls, is there enough space to “move” around in the room, etc.

· Record information about how your CT builds positive rapport and community within the classroom.

· You should be almost, if not already, finished with Unit 2 by this point in the semester.

Ice Breaker Lesson Plan

Background: In Unit 1, you had the opportunity to learn about what it means to be a “professional” educator and consider your philosophy of teaching and learning. In Unit 2, you had/will have the opportunity to learn about various things which contribute to constructing an effective learning environment. Everything from how you greet students at the beginning and end of the day, calling them by name, the physical arrangement of the classroom, the décor of the classroom, and more contribute to the effective learning environment. This stems from your vision and philosophy statement, as noted in Unit 1.

Purpose: The purpose of this assignment is to take what you learned/or will learn in Unit 2: Effective Learning Environments and put it into practice in your field experience. This activity will help you to start building community between yourself, the students, and the classroom teacher.

Assignment: For this assignment, please do the following:

A. Construct an ice-breaker or team-building activity that can be used to build community in your classroom. It must be grade-level appropriate for your class and you will have 20-30 minutes to facilitate this in a whole group setting (time limitations will be up to your classroom teacher).

B. Please plan for the following:

a. Set a goal for your activity. What do you want your students to get out of this?

b. Determine how you will know if students are meeting that goal. This is the “assessment” piece, which we will discuss in greater detail in Unit 4 – Effective Lesson Planning.

c. Determine how you will facilitate your activity. You will need an introduction, the activity (facilitation), and a conclusion to your lesson. Plan in great detail for your lesson. What will you say? What questions will you ask? How much time will students need for each part of the activity? What example(s) will you use? Describe the activity – anyone should be able to pick up your plan, read it, and be able to facilitate it. Remember: you know what you are thinking, but I do not, nor does anyone else reading this plan! The only way we know is if you tell us – in writing on this plan!

d. Plan for your materials. How many of each item will you need? Include each item need on your list.

C. Please include any references used in the making of this plan.

D. Following your experience day, please reflect on the prompts provided at the end of the plan.

Submit your lesson plan to me for feedback by 8:00 AM on the due date noted in the syllabus and above. You will submit this plan to your CT and Mrs. Scott for feedback, as well as Mrs. Schmidt for her records. This is an effort to practice developing as a professional educator through communication, collaboration, and reflection.

You will facilitate this lesson during Day 1 of your field experience placement (if you approach this as suggested above). Go prepared to do this activity with all of your students!

Suggestion: Facilitate your lesson before doing it with the class. You will see potential areas of strength and struggle and be better able to adapt in the classroom, as a result.

Note: I realize we have not reached Unit 4, which is about effective planning for instruction. However, I DO expect to see a detailed plan, so that I will have a good idea and understanding of what you plan to do and can offer feedback accordingly.

Lesson Plan Template for Field Experience “Ice Breaker”

Field Experience, Day 2

Day 2 of your field experience focuses on Units 3 and 4. Today, you will:

· Observe how the CT uses procedures and expectations to manage their classroom effectively (Unit 3)

· Observe how the CT manages transitions in and out of the classroom (Unit 3)

· Coplan and coteach a standards-based lesson (Unit 4)

· Assist your CT, as needed (Unit 1)

On the following pages, you will find the prompt for the standards-based lesson plan, as well as the lesson plan template you will use. To do this,

· Coordinate with your CT prior to your first visit to schedule your attendance days.

· Coplan with your CT to develop a standards-based lesson plan. Based on what is going on in the classroom at the time, they can choose the standard or have you choose it. Coplan with your CT to work through the planning process. If it works out, coteach the lesson with your CT – this is a WONDERFUL experience!!!

· Construct your lesson plan, then submit to Dr. Klash, your CT, Mrs. Scott, and Mrs. Schmidt by the respective due dates above and in the course schedule of the syllabus.

· Take good notes during your observations. You will use this for your field experience reflective paper at the end (see pages that follow).

· Record information about how many students you have, demographic information, any exceptionalities, etc.

· Record examples of procedures used by your CT and how that worked to manage the classroom. Include information about transitions (especially dismissal and/or lunch!).

· Record examples of a discipline management plan and how that was used in the classroom.

· Record information about how instruction was planned and facilitated in a way to engage students.

I understand that you, likely, have not reached Unit 4 yet. That’s ok. Recording your observations will help you make connections later.

Standard-Based Lesson Plan, Facilitation, and Reflection

Background: In Units 3 and 4, you had/will have the opportunity to learn about classroom and behavior management, as well as principles of effective lesson planning. This builds on your perspective and implementation of being a “professional” educator and your philosophy of teaching and learning, as well as your creation of an effective learning environment.

Purpose: The purpose of this assignment is to take what you learned/will learn in Unit 3: Effective Classroom and Behavior Management and Unit 4: Effective Lesson Planning, to plan for a standards-based lesson using the Backward Design model that will strategically actively engage your students and to provide you with the opportunity to practice classroom and behavior management strategies which promote learning.

Assignment: For this assignment, please do the following:

A. Construct a standards-based lesson. It must be based on an Alabama Course of Study for your grade and be grade-level. You will have approximately 30 minutes (no less than 25; no more than 30) to facilitate this lesson in a whole group setting during class.

B. Before you start the formal lesson plan, please collaborate with your cooperating teacher to select a standard. Also, because we will not have started Unit 4 prior to you teaching this, you are going to co-plan this lesson with your cooperating teacher.

C. Please plan for the following:

a. Give your lesson a title.

b. Identify your grade level and all components of your standard.

c. Construct at least one objective that is SMO (specific, measurable, and observable) that aligns to your standard.

d. Plan for a formal formative assessment. It should align to your objective which aligns to your standard. Explain how this assessment piece will provide you and the students with information about their progression toward mastery of the identified objective.

e. Determine how you will facilitate your activity. You will need an introduction (“Before”), the activity (“During”), and a conclusion to your lesson (“After”). Using my example as a model, plan in great detail for your lesson. What will you say? What questions will you ask? How much time will students need for each part of the activity? What example(s) will you use? Describe the activity – anyone should be able to pick up your plan, read it, and be able to facilitate it. Remember: you know what you are thinking, but I do not! The only way I know is if you tell me – in writing on this plan!

i. MOVE BEYOND A WORKSHEET. For each content area and ALCOS standards, there are many ways to facilitate strategic, active engagement lessons that do not involve worksheets. I want to see manipulatives, discourse, and student-centered instruction. Think: mini-lessons and student engagement. It is perfectly acceptable and appropriate to use graphic organizers or other paper-based products, but I want you to think beyond a worksheet and facilitate a lesson that does not rely on them.

ii. Incorporate some form of technology in your lesson. Coordinate with your CT to make sure you have access to the internet, if you need it. Get approval from CT for any video or song you might want to show prior to using it. Teacher tip: never, ever, ever show a video or play a song (or even share a book) without watching/listening to/reading it first – that will save you some heartache!!! Also, beware of advertisements…

iii. Provide a plan for differentiation for learners who have many opportunities for growth, are on grade-level, and are advanced. How can you meet their individual needs during this lesson?

f. Plan for your materials. How many of each item will you need? Include each item need on your list.

D. Please include any references used in the making of this plan.

E. Following your experience day, please reflect on the prompts provided.

Note: I DO expect to see a detailed plan, so that I will have a good idea and understanding of what you plan to do, and can offer feedback accordingly. Also, please be aware that you will use this lesson plan in Unit 4 to do an analysis, based on course teachings and principles.

FNDS 3/6200 – Lesson Plan Template (Field Experience – Standards-Based Lesson)

Theory to Practice Report

The purpose of this reflective paper is to provide a direct link between theory (course content) and practice – you are making connections between course learning and your field experience, then reflecting on your learning. Based on your observations from your field experience, your course learning, and your reflections, complete the “Theory to Practice” Report. To complete this component, please do the following:

A. The report:

a. Introductory paragraph with context of learning information. Include information about the class – grade-level, CT, number of students, any exceptionalities, etc.

b. Specific connections to course learning with a minimum of one connection to each of our course units. This needs to be four separate references as opposed to referencing, say, a course textbook four times. You are welcome to reference a textbook as many times as you would like, but it only counts as one reference. You cannot finish this part of the paper until you complete all four units.

i. You should reference all four units in this course:

1. Unit 1 – The Effective Professional Educator

2. Unit 2 – Effective Learning Environments

3. Unit 3 – Effective Classroom and Behavior Management

4. Unit 4 – Effective Lesson Planning

c. Conclusion paragraph in which you summarize and assimilate your course connections across content and experience.

d. References page

Professionalism – Field Experience

Throughout the field experience, you will be evaluated on how you present yourself as a “professional educator” while on site. You will be evaluated using:

· ISDR – attached in Canvas in the “Field Experience” folder and will be presented to CTs in the form of a Qualtrics survey

· Dispositions Rating Scale – below; you will ask your CT to complete this when signing your hours log, then you will submit your rating scale and your hours log in the appropriate Canvas receptacle

The following skills and competencies will be observed on the Dispositions Rating Scale (below):

1. Basic:

a. Were you on time and did you stay the entire time, as per your agreed upon days, dates, and times?

b. Did you dress professionally and in accordance with the school and system’s dress code?

c. Did you refrain from using technology, unless in an appropriate way (ex. note-taking, as part of approved instruction)?

d. Did you model appropriate oral and/or written communication for your students?

2. Interactions:

a. Were you respectful to all individuals at the field experience site?

b. Were you willing to listen to feedback on areas of strength and opportunities for growth?

c. Did you assist your teacher, as appropriate?

***Your CT is going to evaluate Items 1 and 2; I will evaluate Item 3.

3. Reflection:

a. Did you respond on a deep level to the prompts provided?

b. Did you make connections to course content in your reflective writings?

c. Did you give specific examples to support your commentary?

CT Evaluation of Dispositions in Field Experience (Spring, 2025)

FNDS 3/6200 – Course specific evaluation

Student: ________________________________________________

Days Attended: __________________________________________

Times: __________________________________________________

Teachers: Thank you for hosting an AUM teacher candidate to complete their field experience hours this semester! Please take a moment to evaluate the following dispositions exhibited by the candidate. I will use this information to provide an overall evaluation of the candidate’s professional dispositions on that indicator of our course rubric and field experience assignment rubric. Thank you!

Please use the following scale to evaluate the candidate’s dispositions:

Level 0 – Never

Level 1 – Sometimes

Level 2 – Mostly

Level 3 – Always

Indicator	0	1	2	3	Notes/Comments
On time and stayed the entire time
Professional dress in accordance with school/system regulations
Appropriate use of technology (i.e. for instruction, not personal)
Appropriate oral/written communication
Respectful to all individuals
Receptive to feedback
Assisted in the classroom, as appropriate

Cooperating Teacher Signature: __________________________________________________

Rubric for Field Experience Assignment (all components) :

Skills and Competencies	Associated Course Standard(s) and Objectives	Course Activity	Not Yet	Description of Skills and Competencies
General Coursework
D. Field Experience Assignment	All	Portfolio submitted to Canvas	Not yet	Mandatory assignment; automatic grade of “F” if not submitted by final due date set forth in the syllabus
Please note, all indicators on this rubric assume following the parameters set forth in respective assignment prompts noted in Canvas, as well as appropriate oral and written communication. Work which fails to exhibit these will be returned unevaluated, pending appropriate submission and additional requirements (ex. attending writing tutoring at the WASC), as set forth by Dr. Klash.
To earn a “C” in this course, required to successfully complete it, you must:
14. Submitting Requested FE Work on Time	Mandatory per Course Requirements	Field Experience	Not yet	Submits all field experience work, but had up to two incidents of requested information, plans, and/or communications submitted late; three or more incidents of late work (or any missing work) will result in not meeting this indicator
15. Dispositions	S = 5.3, 5.6ALSDE = 5.1, 5.2Obj. = 14, 15, 16	Field Experience	Not yet	CT Evaluation
16. Reflection – Lesson Plan	S = 5.4, 5.6ALSDE = 5.1, 5.2Obj. = 15, 16	Field Experience	Not yet	Vague reflection that conveys limited thought
17. Reflection – Paper – Classroom population	S = 5.4, 5.6ALSDE = 5.1, 5.2Obj. = 15, 16	Field Experience Paper	Not yet	Limited information provided about the classroom population
18. Reflection – Paper – Course Connections	S = 5.4, 5.6InTASC = 4, 5, 6, 7, 8ISTE = 2.6ALSDE = 5.1, 5.2Obj. = 15, 16	Field Experience Paper	Not yet	Specific field experience connections are made to at least two units in the course
To earn a “B” in the course, you must do 10 of the following as described, in addition to everything in the “C” section.To earn an “A” in the course, you must do 12 of the following as described, in addition to everything in the “C” section.
A11. Professionalism and Dispositions	S = 5.3, 5.6ALSDE = 5.1, 5.2Obj. = 14, 15, 16	Field Experience	Not yet	All requested information, plans, and communication submitted on time
A12. Field Experience Lesson Plan – Reflections	S = 5.4, 5.6ALSDE = 5.1, 5.2Obj. = 15, 16	Field Experience	Not yet	Reflection conveys deep levels of thought and provides specific examples to support assertions
A13. Field Experience Paper – Classroom Population	S = 5.4, 5.6ALSDE = 5.1, 5.2Obj. = 15, 16	Field Experience Paper	Not yet	Thoroughly describes the student population, including exceptionalities, diverse needs, interests, etc.
A.14. Field Experience Paper – Course Connections to Practice	S = 5.4, 5.6ALSDE = 5.1, 5.2Obj. = 15, 16	Field Experience Paper	Not yet	Connects appropriately to all four units in the course content;AND provides at least one specific connection or experience per unit during field experience to course content, as per prompt

Standards:

ISPPR – 1.1, 1.2, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4, 5.3, 5.4, 5.6

InTASC (ISDR) – 4, 5, 6, 7, 8; ISTE – 2.6

ALSDE – 3.1, 3.5, 5.1, 5.2

Objectives – 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16

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