PROFESSIONAL YEAR

The professional year is a unique aspect of the professional development of pre-service candidates at John Carroll University. All candidates participate in a full academic year clinical experience in one classroom for Pre-Student Teaching (first semester) and Student Teaching (second semester). Pre-Student Teaching opens the opportunity to reflect, question, and continue with weekly experiences in a classroom which culminates in Student Teaching and the daily opportunity to continually challenge perceptions in light of the present. As a function of the Pre-Student Teaching and Student Teaching semester, the candidates meet on a regular basis in conference with the cooperating teacher and university supervisor to discuss present teaching capacity, provide feedback on areas for improvement, and continue to address the development profession for becoming an educator.

PRE-STUDENT TEACHING

The candidate applies two semesters before the projected Student Teaching semester. The candidate is evaluated based on:

1. Coursework

• GPAs: Overall; Education; Content areas for M, AYA, MA; Division I-V COre courses for EC
• All coursework requirements have been completed or will be completed prior to student teaching

2. Faculty interviews

• Interview questions
• Candidate vita
• Candidate portfolio

3. Faculty course evaluations

The pre-student teacher is assigned a cooperating teacher(s) in the licensure and content areas. In addition, a university supervisor is assigned to each pre-student teacher. A candidate is recommended by the cooperating teacher(s) and the university supervisor to continue into the student teaching semester.

STUDENT TEACHING

During the pre-student teaching semester, each candidate applies for Student Teaching. Approval is granted by the Council on Teacher Education and requires that the student has:

1. The following minimum GPAs

• 2.7 overall
• 2.7 in Education courses
• 2.7 in teaching content area(s): MC, AYA, MA
• 2.5 Core: EC

2. Completed all clinical an field requirements for each course.
3. Completed all course requirements, education and teaching content area(s).
4. Been recommended to continue into student teaching by the cooperating teacher and university supervisor.
5. Demonstrated a teaching style and behaviors that provide evidence of a disposition for the teaching profession.

NOTE: a student is not guaranteed admission to the final professional semester because of acceptance into teacher education and completion of the requisite courses.

The Council on Teacher Education may waive requirements in exceptional cases. In planning programs, candidates and advisors should be aware that student teaching is more demanding than a normal nine (9) hours of coursework and therefore should schedule no more than the required twelve hours of education credit, including student teaching, during the professional semester. Requests for more than twelve (12) hours during student teaching must be submitted in writing to the Council on Teacher Education as part of the application for student teaching.