Student Teaching

The student teaching experience is intended to provide pre-service teachers with rich opportunities to:

• ask important questions about teaching and learning
• come to know children and adolescents by observing and interacting with them consistently over time
• apply newly acquired knowledge, theories, strategies and models in a variety of contexts, within and across classrooms
• experiment with, design and adapt practice in response to learners' varied needs

During the student teaching experience, pre-service teachers are guided, mentored and coached by two key individuals - the cooperating teacher and the university-based supervisor.

Upon entrance to Teachers College:

• Create a New York State TEACH account to begin tracking your progress toward certification; for a tutorial on how to create a TEACH account, click here. 
• Meet with an advisor to make sure you are enrolled in a program that leads to certification.

Throughout TC experience

• Complete all certification exams and certification workshops associated with your certification area.  We strongly recommend that you complete your workshops and exams prior to your last semester at TC. 

Before Student Teaching

• Review the 2022-2023 Student Teaching Packet
• Get fingerprints on file with the NYC DOE (for student teaching) and your New York State TEACH account (for certification); send proof to ote@tc.edu.   
• Upload proof of COVID-19 vaccination to the Preparedness page at https://www.tc.columbia.edu/preparedness, if you have not already done so.  
• Review the Norms for Recordings & Online Engagement with Minors. 
• Sign TC’s Acknowledgment of Risk Form; send signed form to ote@tc.edu.
• Obtain a Clearance Letter in order to be allowed to begin student teaching.

After Each Student Teaching Placement

• Submit Record of Hours form

Final Semester at Teachers College

• Fill out the Institutional Recommendation Data Form (IRDF) and submit it to OTE
• Apply for NYS certification online through the TEACH system 

Key Resources

2022-2023 Student Teaching Handbook  

2022-2023 Student Teaching Packet

2022-2023 Field Experience Checklist (for practicum students in teacher certification programs) 

2022-2023 Record of Hours Form 

Guidance for Obtaining Digital Signatures on OTE Forms

Record of Hours 

Each semester, student teachers must keep track of their hours using the Record of Hours Form.  At the end of the semester, this form is signed by both the student teacher and the cooperating teacher, and sent to ote@tc.edu for record-keeping.  OTE processes these forms and shares them with the registrar so that the registrar can update the student teacher's transcript and degree audit.  A formal record of student teaching hours is required for both graduation and the institutional recommendation for certification.  In addition, students in teacher certification programs that include field experience or practicum courses should be sure to complete a Record of Hours form for each course and send it to ote@tc.edu;  all hours for these courses are categorized as field experience hours.  

2022-2023 Record of Hours Deadlines:

2022-2023 Record of Hours Form

Video Tutorial: Completing the Record of Hours Form for Student Teaching

Video Tutorial: Completing the Record of Hours Form for a Field Experience 

TC Student Teaching Evaluation

The TC Student Teaching Evaluation was co-constructed by a team of teacher educators here at Teachers College, with the support of TC's Office of Accreditation and Assessment. It is a required final evaluation tool for student teachers in teacher education programs across the college; please consult your program's student teaching coordinator for details on the use of this tool in your program.  

TC Student Teaching Evaluation

Consent Forms for Filming

Some student teachers may be interested in filming components of their student teaching experience for a TC assignment, feedback from their field supervisor, or a professional portfolio.  Consent is required prior to filming of any kind.  Student teachers in NYC DOE schools may use the NYC DOE's third party video consent form, linked below.  Additional translations can be found at https://infohub.nyced.org/in-our-schools/translations/letters/media-consent-form.  Be sure to refer to the third party forms.

NYC DOE Media Consent Form for 3rd Party Use

When filling out this form, note that the "Entity" is "Student Teacher at Teachers College," and for "Point Person," provide the student teacher's name and contact information. Be clear about the uses for recordings (e.g. student teaching seminar, feedback from supervisor, TC video library). 

OTE Consent Form for edTPA Filming in Classrooms

If you choose to complete an edTPA, you will need to use a form that explicitly names this potential use.  Please find an example below.  Translations of this form can be found on the 2022-2023 Certification Exams course in Canvas.

Friendly Cover Letter Template for Filming Consent Form  

When asking for consent for filming, some student teachers may want to send along a more personalized introduction that explains a bit about themselves and why they are seeking permission to film in the classroom. See below for a sample cover letter that can be added to the OTE Consent Form for Filming in Classrooms. 

OTE Consent form for Filming a Cooperating Teacher or Other Adult

Some student teachers may be interested in filming their Cooperating Teacher engaged in best practices, or asking their Cooperating Teacher to film themselves engaged key practices such as classroom set-up and analysis of student work.  The consent form below can be used to gain consent to film one's Cooperating Teacher.

Student teachers should keep copies of completed consent forms in their own files.

For Student Teaching Coordinators

If you are running an orientation for student teachers in your program, feel free to use or adapt the Office of Teacher Education’s Introduction to Student Teaching Powerpoint!