PE 375

Practicum: Teaching-Elementary

This course is held on-site at the local elementary schools. From 1-3 students are assigned per school. Supervision is a shared responsibility between the cooperating teacher and college supervisor (course instructor). The cooperating teacher supervises every teaching experience. The college supervisor visits a minimum of once a week when the student has teaching responsibilities.

Students in the course complete a minimum of 5 responsibilities related to teaching each week: planning and teaching physical education to an entire class of children, assisting their cooperating teacher in physical education or with other assigned responsibilities, observing someone else teach a physical education lesson, planning and documenting how a “special needs” child is accommodated in lessons, and meeting with both the college supervisor (course instructor) and cooperating teacher.

As previously noted, cooperating teachers are expected to meet with the practicum student once a week for the purpose of planning and feedback. They are also responsible for reviewing the student’s mid-semester self-evaluation. At the end of the placement cooperating teachers complete the Cooperating Teacher Final Evaluation (rating scale and comments) and the Dispositions Assessment.

Cooperating teachers also work with the college supervisor (course instructor) to schedule the weekly teaching, assisting, and observing experiences for the students, to identify a “special needs” child who will be the focus of the special needs responsibility, and to develop the teaching responsibilities and bulletin board focus/due date for the students.