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. For the 2021-2022 academic year, New York State has extended flexibility to Educator Preparation Programs, allowing for remote and blended formats when necessary. Please find details below.
2021-2022 STUDENT TEACHING
TC is as committed as ever to providing students with access to safe, meaningful, and flexible field placement experiences as they prepare for their chosen careers. TC's Spring 2022 Field Experience Guidebook is posted below, and highlights the following key policies:
- We anticipate that the majority of TC students will engage with in-person student teaching and field experiences during the 2021-2022 academic year, in NYC-area schools.
- All students with 2021-2022 field placements will continue to have special requirements to meet prior to engaging with the field, such as COVID-19 vaccination and completion of the TC COVID-19 Training.
TC Spring 2022 COVID-19 Field Experience Guidebook and Tool Kit
The Spring 2022 COVID-19 Field Experience Guidebook (above) should be used by all TC students with course-based field experiences in Spring 2022, including but not limited to teacher education students, counseling and clinical psychology students, and school leadership students.
*For field experiences that are not student teaching experiences
Student Teaching Timeline & Resources
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
- Check with OTE to confirm that you have met Liberal Arts credit requirements
Throughout TC experience
- Complete all certification requirements associated with your certification area, such as certification exams, certification workshops, and any outstanding liberal arts and sciences requirements. We strongly recommend that you complete your workshops prior to your last semester at TC.
Before Student Teaching
- Review TC's Field Experience Guidebook and Tool Kit
- Get fingerprints on file with the NYC DOE (for student teaching) and New York State Education Department (for certification); send proof to ote@tc.edu
- Complete TC's COVID-19 Training; send proof to ote@tc.edu
- Complete TC's Acknowledgment Form; send proof to ote@tc.edu
- Obtain a Clearance Letter in order to be allowed to begin student teaching
- Upload proof of COVID-19 vaccination to tc.edu/preparedness
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
2021-2022 Student Teaching Handbook
- In addition to reviewing TC's COVID-19 Field Experience Guidebook, student teachers should read the Student Teaching Handbook to become familiar with guidance and resources specific to student teaching.
2021-2022 Student Teaching Packet
2021-2022 Field Experience Checklist (for non-student teaching placements)
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.*
2021-2022 Record of Hours Deadlines:
|
Fall 2021 Record of Hours Form |
December 16th for graduating students December 23rd for continuing students |
|
Spring 2022 Record of Hours Form |
April 28th for graduating students May 5th for continuing students |
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*
*For the 2020-2021 academic year and beyond, we have added a light overlay of "look fors" that can support the use of this tool in remote contexts.
Consent Forms for Filming
Some student teachers may be interested in filming components of their student teaching experience for a TC assignment, their edTPA, or a professional portfolio. Consent is required prior to filming of any kind. Please find OTE's parent/guardian consent form for filming learners in Birth- Grade 12 environments below. If you are filming for your edTPA, be sure to explore additional edTPA resources in Canvas, Teacher Certification Exams 2021-2022. Reach out to ote@tc.edu if you do not have access to the Canvas course.
OTE Consent Form for Filming in Classrooms
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.
Friendly Cover Letter Template for Filming Consent Form
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.
OTE Consent form for Filming a Cooperating Teacher or Other Adult
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!
Additional requirements and expectations
Essential Information for Student Teachers
Teacher Opportunity Corps (TOC) Program
The purpose of TOC is to increase the participation rate of historically underrepresented and economically disadvantaged individuals in teaching careers.