The student teaching experience, arranged by the office of Educator Preparation, consists of fourteen weeks, seven weeks at the elementary level and seven at the secondary level. Students are placed in the area ranging from Pflugerville to San Antonio with mentors from the Department of Art & Design.

The FAQs are provided for your convenience. Please find links to complete information on site of the Office of Educator Preparation.

Frequently Asked Questions

May the student sub for me?

Before substituting, the following requirements must be met.

• Completion of three weeks in the classroom where substituting will take place
• Mentor must give permission,
• And paperwork and training required by the district must have been completed. 

When a sub is present, may the student teacher teach the lessons before the fourth week?

      Yes

What about lesson plans?

• The student must prepare the plans for any lessons they teach.
• Student teachers may be asked to write the plans to teach the content selected by the cooperating teacher, but may not teach from the cooperating teacher's plans.
• Students may develop their own projects and plans.
• Plans must be submitted to the cooperating teacher one week in advance for input. The student is expected to revise the plans to the satisfaction of the cooperating teacher.
• The student may be expected to submit the plans to the mentor prior to submitting them to the cooperating teacher..

How much does the student teach, and when?

Week 1:          First day – observation during which the student completes a form for the University Mentor.

                         Remainder of first week – observation, assisting

Weeks 2 & 3: Assist, begin teaching

Weeks 4 & 5: Teach more classes, assist in classes when not teaching

Week 6:          Teach all or most of the teacher’s classes

Week 7:          Observe and assist, except for the day the University Mentor must observe and conduct the

                         Final Evaluation and 3-way conference.

Does the cooperating teacher need to stay in the room while the mentor is observing the student teacher?

The cooperating teacher may stay but it is not necessary.

Does the cooperating teacher refrain from interrupting when the student is teaching?

• When the cooperating teacher steps in as necessary, the student is made aware of what is necessary or effective. Also, the cooperating teacher's first duty is to his/her students and the students should receive the full degree of instruction.
• When the cooperating teacher leaves the room and lets the student teach alone, much is learned that would not be learned with the teacher in the room. However, this should happen only after the third week and when the cooperating teacher is confident of the student’s ability to manage the class effectively.

What paperwork does the cooperating teacher complete?

• Forms on which coopoerating teachers can give students formal feedback are available for use as often as deemed necessary. It is good to have a record of student performance to support the final evaluation.
• A final evaluation form will be completed during week 7

When does the mentor visit for observations/conferences?

• Usually, the mentor observes three times, once each during the third, fifth and seventh weeks.
• The student must be free for conference after every observation.
• The cooperating teacher must be available for conference immediately following the observations the fifth and seventh weeks.

What else does the student do?

• The student fulfills the same duties as the cooperating teacher – faculty meetings, conferences, parking lot duty, etc.
• The student should arrive and leave at the same times as the cooperating teacher. 
• The student is required to make resources and prepare bulletin boards.

What about absences?

• The student is expected to have perfect attendance.
  
• If absent, the student must notify both the cooperating teacher and mentor immediately, and provide the cooperating teacher with lesson plans and materials prepared in advance.
  
• All absences must be made up by serving additional days in the school after the end of student teaching.

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