Student Teaching is the culminating experience of your career at City College. For your final semester at CCNY, you will spend part of the semester in an elementary placement and part in a secondary placement working alongside a veteran educator. For detailed information, current forms, and handbooks, visit the Office of Clinical Practice.
APPLYING TO STUDENT TEACH
Students planning to student teach must apply the semester prior to student teaching. For updated deadlines, review the CCNY Office of Clinical Practice website. Students planning to student teach must have passed either the CST or the EAS exams prior to applying to student teach.
FINDING A PLACEMENT
While the CCNY faculty can help place you in a school, some of our most successful relationships develop when students find schools that meet their own needs. It’s NEVER too early to start searching out sites where you might want to do your student teaching. Use your fieldwork/observations to visit many different kinds of schools to meet potential mentors.
Any placement requires the approval of the principal, a teacher with at least 3 years of experience, and at least one half of your student teaching must take place in a public school. All students will complete some of their student teaching in an elementary setting and some in a high school setting. If you do not find your own placement, we have many excellent teachers with whom you can work. Prior to student teaching, we will send out a survey to gather information about your desired grade levels and location in order to best place you.
REGISTRATION
Once approved for student teaching, CCNY staff will let you know which courses to register for to enroll in the practicum and seminar associated with student teaching.
Tips
PREPARATION
The best preparation for student teaching is to review your notes, lesson plans, and reflections from your coursework and field observations. In addition, you might check out these recommended resources:
- The First Days of School by Harry Wong
- Teach Like a Champion by Doug Lemov
- For Elementary: Responsive Classroom
- For Middle School: Developmental Designs
MEETING YOUR COOPERATING TEACHER
Remember, your goal is to nurture a positive relationship with your cooperating teacher from the start. Communication is key. They are doing you a favor by working with you. Here are some things you should discuss with them right away:
- How/When would they prefer to meet/communicate with you? Before class, during planning session, via email, etc… If you have questions, how/when your cooperating teacher like to discuss those? In the moment, in weekly meetings, etc…
- Go over your schedule: Let them know about the Friday seminars, discuss their expectations regarding additional activities such as after school clubs, setting up, organizing materials, etc.
- How do they see your role in lesson planning?
- How do they see your role in teaching? What would they like you to do? You will need to teach at least two lessons on your own, so you’ll want to discuss with the cooperating teacher when she would like you to do this.
- Share what you are nervous about.
- Share what you are excited about.
- Share what you are hoping to learn.
- Ask if the school has any expectations for student teachers? For example, will you be able to participate in any meetings? Are there after school activities?