Expectations for Clinical Practice I

Guide for Clinical Practice I (PE and Music)

Guide for Clinical Practice I (P-3, K-6, K-12)

RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE TEACHER CANDIDATES

Your clinical practice is the capstone event of your pre-service education. It offers you a unique opportunity to be carefully supervised as you become a teacher. Use every opportunity to develop into an inquiring educator and role model for students as you work closely under the supervision of your clinical educator and your clinical supervisor.

Use this handbook as a guide for assuming your own responsibilities and for understanding the responsibilities of those involved in helping to make your clinical practice semester successful.

Clinical Practice I

One full semester, two to three days per week (based on program)- clinical practice teacher candidates must be present and participate in clinical practice the entire school day. It is also expected that clinical practice teacher candidates arrive before students leave the school once preparations are completed for the following day.

You will need to keep a weekly  journal of your experiences in your assigned school.  Use the Journal Prompts provided. 

Remember at all times that you are a guest of your cooperating school.  It is important to adjust to the philosophy and practices of your classroom situation.  If conflicts arise, please contact your clinical supervisor for advice.

RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE COOPERATING SCHOOL

• NJ DOE code required that all teacher candidates begin clinical practice, during the fall semester, by participating in the days that teachers are expected to report to school before their students to prepare for the school year.  During this time, talk with your clinical educator, pick up materials for planning, find out which units will be taught. Exchange telephone numbers with the clinical educator.

• When starting the first day, be sure to report to the principal's office of the school to which you are assigned and introduce yourself to the office staff. Get directions for your clinical supervisor. Bring a copy of your Mantoux and Substitute license and the Emergency Form to the front office staff.
• During this clinical practice experience, teacher candidates follow the calendars for both William Paterson University and the school district.  During Clinical Practice I, teacher candidates take WP's spring break and the district's spring break.
• If it is necessary to be absent because of illness or other emergency, call the clinical educator early in the morning to report the absence, or call the teacher the night before. Also notify your clinical supervisor so that he or she does not try to visit you when you are absent. If your absence extends beyond three (3) days, contact the Office of Field Experiences immediately.
• Find out the policies, regulations, and procedures of the cooperating school and the school system as well as the classroom to which you are assigned.
• Dress professionally, and make sure that you are well-groomed in your role as an associate teacher in the classroom.
• Assume all tasks and duties normally assigned to the clinical educator. These include correcting papers, duplicating, planning, writing reports, and attending faculty meetings and in-service programs. Your daily hours are those of the teacher and include faculty meetings and in-service days.
• Know that your clinical educator, someone who is fully certified and has at least three years of experience as a teacher, will submit three (3) reports about your work: an Interim Report approximately midway through the clinical practice period, and a Final Report and Narrative Final Report as of the last day of your clinical practice period.
• Emergency Contact: Office of Field Experiences and Partnerships: Phone: (973) 720-3978/3132

RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE CLINICAL SUPERVISOR

Your clinical supervisor is scheduled to make a supervisory visit as soon as possible. The purpose of the first visit is introductory --to see if you and the clinical educator are comfortable together and make plans for your sixteen week experience.

• You have a responsibility to keep your clinical supervisor informed concerning the following:
• Absences-- call him or her early in the morning, or the night before
• Your daily schedule, including changes
• Your school's calendar and changes which occur
• Any problems which may develop

• You have a responsibility to communicate with your clinical supervisor in a timely and professional manner. Call your clinical supervisor in advance to give him/her your school and home address, phone number, e-mail, and directions to the school. If your contact information is incorrect on the OFEP data sheet, please use the Self Service Tab on WPConnect to make changes.
• Your clinical supervisor is your counselor during this period. Obtain his/her university office or home telephone number and call or e-mail him/her when you need to discuss a problem. Clinical supervisors are required to observe you every other week, for a minimum of four (4) times. Following each observation you should receive both verbal and written feedback.

• Submit weekly Contextual Factors Journals in addition to any other responsibilities set forth by the supervisor.
• Clinical supervisors will complete an Interim Report, Final Report and a Narrative Final Report.  The Narrative Final Report, in which the clinical supervisor considers the Clinical Educator's Report and his/her own evaluation, becomes an important document that is used by the Office of Education Enrollment and Certification for certification eligibility. The clinical supervisor assigns a clinical practice grade of Pass or Fail.
• Grade for clinical practice
• If Clinical Practice seminar is part of your clinical practice experience, you must pass both Clinical Practice and Seminar in order to receive a passing grade.