Here’s What! (…TC Learning at York)
There will not be a teaching block in Year ONE of the Consecutive program. At the end of Year One, having immersed themselves in the work of the school each week, and having developed strong professional relationships and understandings, Teacher Candidates will be well prepared to take on independent planning and teaching in Year Two, which includes a 2-week fall and a 6-week winter block.
Concurrent and Year TWO Teacher Candidates have been advised to confer with their Mentor Teachers, and their York Practicum Facilitator regarding their block teaching plans. Teacher Candidates understand what is expected of them both professionally and practically during their blocks, but will benefit from the guidance and expertise of their Mentor Teachers to ensure they have a complete understanding of the learning needs of the students in their host classrooms.
There is a faculty requirement for TCs to submit their block plans to their Mentor Teachers for review two weeks prior to the start date of the block.
So What? (… Linking to Practice)
Demonstrations of professionalism in teaching will include
- Making up any missed practicum days prior to the start of their blocks or to add on any days missed to their block calendars;
- Being prepared with block schedules, unit plans, lesson plans for the first two days of the block and working day plans each day of the block;
- Using regularly scheduled teacher preparation periods for preparation;
- Preparing all teaching materials prior to instruction times;
- Observing school hours as decided by the school administration;
- Taking responsibility for classroom routines including transition times;
- Maintaining regular professional dialogues with their Mentor Teachers; and
- Undertaking ongoing assessment and evaluation of student learning.
Now What? (…Suggestions for MT and TC Collaboration)
- Discuss the teaching topics early in the placement to ensure the TC has ample time to seek out resources, research content and draft plans for MT feedback;
- Make use of the MTRR resources and coaching examples;
- Guide the Teacher Candidate in the preparation of block schedules, unit plans, lesson plans and day plans;
- Schedule times during the block to formally observe and provide feedback to the Teacher Candidate, using the observation protocol forms that are available in the MTRR (Observation Protocol and Focused Feedback Forms); and
- Collaborate with the TC to complete the final Summary Report that the TC will submit to Boards for hiring purposes. Sample reports and the electronic form is available in the MTRR (Summary Reports and Sample Reports).
