Teacher Education
Early field experiences take the students into the classroom of the local schools. These activities in the third and fourth years are called Internship. In the last semester before student teaching it is called Practicum. Students enjoy a weekly visit to a classroom where they are engaged in teacher activities. Throughout the semester they record their observation and thoughts in a Reflection Journal. The cooperating teachers assess the students performance at the conclusion of each semester.
Goals
The internship experiences planned for Lancaster Bible College students are designed to provide preprofessional field experiences in the public and private classroom. These experiences include observations, assistance, and teaching experiences for the student. It is intended that these experiences will provide the student with an opportunity to practice the skills early in the preparation program in order to develop a measure of proficiency prior to the Student Teaching placements.
Objectives
The internship experience is designed to give the student intern the opportunity to gain experience and demonstrate the following skills:
- The ability to interpret the behavior of children and adolescents.
- The ability to use classroom and instructional management skills.
- The ability to plan and prepare instruction in accord with the lesson's behavioral objectives.
- The ability to use effective oral and written communication skills.
- The ability to observe and record those observations of students and classroom instruction.
- The ability to identify and use various teaching methods and strategies.
- The ability to choose age-appropriate media, materials, and methods.
- The ability to choose appropriate assignments for student evaluations.
- The ability to model helpfulness, cheerfulness, cooperativeness, and appropriate professional behavior.
- The ability to use time effectively and efficiently.
- The ability to work with children effectively in a variety of settings.
- The ability to reflect, analyze and evaluate personal teaching strengths and weaknesses.
- The ability to perform multiple classroom responsibilities and duties.
- The ability to relate to students as the "teacher" figure.
Administration
Overall policy with regard to field assignments is determined by the Teacher Education Department subject to approval by the Dean of Undergraduate Studies of Lancaster Bible College. Field experiences include placements for Internships, Practicum, and Student Teaching.
Assignments for all field experiences are made by the Coordinator of Field Placements in the Teacher Education Department subject to the approval of the Department Chair. These assignments are made in cooperation with the administrators and classroom teachers of the local schools and school districts. Students are assigned to classroom teachers, not to schools or school districts.
The student must submit to the office of the Coordinator a request form and a schedule for each semester requiring an assignment. The Coordinator will attempt to place the student within the time frame, school, and grade requested. These requests must be made during the semester prior to the placement.
The student must make the necessary arrangements for transportation to and from the school for all field experiences. The final responsibility for transportation to and from the school belongs to the student and not the College.
Prior to the first Internship placement, the student must have on file in the Teacher Education Department office a Criminal Rcord Check from the Pennsylvania State Police and a Child Welfare Review from the Department of Public Welfare to verify the nonexistence of a police record. In addition, prior to the first Internship placement the student must have an FBI Fingerprint Record Check for a background check. This check will be valid during the entire period of the student's continuous enrollment at LBC. Directions and forms for these processes are available in the Teacher Education office.
Internships satisfy Christian Service and professional requirements. A contract must be submitted to the Teacher Education Office for each semester of experience. No credit (U) for that semester will be awarded if the contract, an evaluation, OR the completed reflection journal has not been submitted to the student's academic advisor.
The student must submit a weekly report sheet to his/her academic advisor within 24 hours of the activity indicating the types of activities, time of arrival and departure, and signature of the cooperating teacher for that placement. A supply of the weekly report sheets will be provided in the student's packet. The advisor will sign the report and record its submission in the TE database for Internship service. Forms are available for schedule changes that occur during the placement.
Since reflection is a valuable process for teachers, the student will respond to the weekly questions in the Reflection Journals and submit these completed journals to the academic advisor at the conclusion of each semester. The Reflection Journal is designed to develop the reflection, evaluation and problem solving skills of the students during the field experiences. Specific journals are designated according to the sequence of the semester in the field. Weely entries are expected and the dates are to be noted in the journal. Specific journals are designed for each education program.
The Practicum (TE 450) is completed during the final semester prior to student teaching. This 3 credit course includes specific requirements according to the published syllabus such as full lesson plans, presentations, papers, media and 6 class meetings. There are formal observations by a college supervisor during this placement. A Reflection Journal is specifically designed for the Practicum experience.
Time Element in the Internship Program
The Teacher Education student will participate in a minimum of three semesters of Internships. The expected time commitment is 3 hours in each of the twelve weeks of the semester. Any time missed due to school closing/delays or any other circumstances must be completed in additional visits. Although the length of time for these opportunities varies, thirty-six hours per semester is required.
Assignments are made to a classroom teacher for an entire year (two semesters). Should a student's schedule change during the year, the student is responsible to adjust the time of the assignment with the classroom teacher and then notify the Teacher Education Department office at the college.
Students in the Elementary Education program are assigned to a variety of schools and grades. These experiences will usually include two semesters in a private Christian school, two semesters in a suburban public school, and one semester in an urban public school. Grade placements will also vary to include both primary and intermediate grades.
Students in the Music Education program will have a total of four placements: one placement in a general music classrrom, one placement in an instrumental program, one placement in a choral program, and one placement in an urban public school. These placements will include elementary, middle and secondary schools.
Students in the Health and Physical Education program will have a total of four placements: one placement with an athletic coach, one in elementary HPE, one in secondary HPE, and one in an urban public school.
Students in the Bible Education program are assigned to a variety of schools and grades. These experiences will usually include two semesters in two different private Christian Schools with one placement in an elementary setting and one in a secondary setting.
Students in the Early Childhood program are assigned to a variety of nursery schools, preschools, and day care centers. These experiences will usually include two semesters in the same school.
No unexcused absences are permitted during the semester. Supervisors will require make-up time in instances of excessive absences, regardless of the cause. Unavoidable absences must be excused by the Coordinator of Field Placements and/or the student's advisor prior to the absence. Emergencies necessitating absences must be reported by the student to the Cooperating Teacher and the College office at least two hours prior to the scheduled time in the classroom.
Activities for Student Interns
The Cooperating Teacher will provide the guidance and direction for the student intern by selecting activities in which the student will participate. Weekly planning is the key in providing direction for the student intern. The following list of activities are suggestions for the internship experiences so that it will be the most profitable for the student and the Cooperating Teacher:
- Provide individualized instruction for students (remedial, enrichment, etc.)
- Present mini-lessons, including the evaluation of the classroom students' work
- Design, implement, and assess small group instruction (reading groups, skill groups, etc.)
- Observe group activities and interaction among students and teachers
- Correct student work papers, test papers, and other written assignments
- Experience collecting data and keeping records
- Create and display bulletin boards and other learning materials or activities
- Read to the children, engage in original storytelling, and utilize drama in the classroom
- Use technology in the classroom to include computers, AV equipment and multi-media resources
- Observe and assist with various teaching methods and strategies
- Participate in classroom management under the direction of the cooperating teacher
- Observe experienced teachers as they work with children
- Prepare learning materials or activities for students
- Observe and work with special needs or gifted students included in the classroom
Internship Requirements
Self-evaluation and reflection are powerful processes for the preservice teacher. The student will record professional observation, activities, and reflections during the weekly visits to the field placement in the appropriate Reflection Journal. Each journal directs the students' thinking, planning, and decision making. Each journal is to be submitted at the conclusion of the semester to the academic advisor.
The Reflection Journal will be an accumulation of the students' reflections during the time of his/her educational program. Questions to direct the student's thinking are designed for specific semesters, completed by the student during the semester, and filed in the student's designated notebook. This notebook for the Reflection Journals will be available in the Departmental office. The journals will be distributed at the point when the placement is announced.The student will submit a weekly time report indicating the day/time spent in the Internship classroom and the types of participation for that week. The form must be signed by the cooperating teacher and student each week. It is due to the academic advisor within 24 hours of the activity. The advisor will sign the report and record its submission in the TE database for Internship service. A supply of these forms will be included in the student's initial packet. Failure to do so will impact the final evaluation for that semester of Internship.
Practicum Requirements
The final field placement prior to Student Teaching, is the Practicum, a three credit course (TE 450). As an academic course there are specific requirements described in the course syllabus to be completed and evaluated.
The student must be observed by the College Supervisor a minimum of three times during the semester. Prior to each observation the student shall submit the proposed instructional plan to the Cooperating Teacher and the College Supervisor for approval.
The student must create two media projects as part of the teaching presentation. One media must have an original component to demonstrate the student's ability to use technology.
The student must submit a written copy of a personal philosophy of education. The outline of its content and other specifics are described in the syllabus. The students will also prepare the first entries in the professional portfolio by having one artifact in each of the ten standards.
The Elementary Education, Music Education, and Health and Physical Education students will complete the Practicum in an urban classroom. Students in other programs will be placed accordingly to their major concentration.
Evaluation of Internship & Practicum
An appropriate evaluation form will be provided for each internship experience. This form is distributed through the Teacher Education Department and is specifically designed for the teacher internship program. Any other internship form is not acceptable. Cooperating teachers will be provided with a copy of the evaluation form at the beginning of each semester. This will enable the Cooperating Teacher to prepare the appropriate experiences for the student to make the evaluation beneficial. The Cooperating Teacher will complete the evaluation for the assigned student intern and discuss it with the intern prior to submitting it to the Teacher Education department. The College will assign the grade of Satisfactory (S) or Unsatisfactory (U) following a review of the evaluation form, the weekly reports, and the Reflection Journal. Copies of the evaluation will be filed in the Teacher Education Department .
Just prior to student teaching, the placement is considered to be the Practicum (TE 450). The requirements for the Practicum are an extension of the earlier Internship activities and described in the course syllabus. A letter grade of A-F is assigned by the college supervisor based on the criteria listed in the syllabus. A college supervisor will visit each student in the Practicum a minimum of three times during the semester for observation and assessment. These observations are designed to assist the student and the cooperating teacher to increase the effectiveness of the placement.
Criteria for Cooperating Teachers for Interns
In order to ensure an effective experience for the student intern and the Cooperating Teacher, the follow criteria have been set for the mentors of the student intern:
- At least one year of successful teaching experience
- Certification by a recognized certifying agency
- Above average evaluation rating and recommendation from the school administrator
- A model of professionalism
- Good organizational skills
- Positive approach to teaching and to children
- Experience in and use of a variety of teaching methods and strategies
- Good interpersonal relationship skills
- Successful classroom management
- Desire to work with a student intern
- Willingness to invest the necessary time and energy in the mentor-student relationship