Checklist for FACS cooperating teachers during the school year practicum

_____ School policies and procedures: Share school polices regarding expectations for staff such as duty hours, appropriate dress, classroom management, etc. Share polices and procedures for student dress (hats or jackets?), student attendance, food or beverage in the classroom, hall passes, restroom passes, disruptive student behavior, student homework, etc.

_____ Clock hour file: Help student interns start a file to maintain clock hour/continuing education credits verification for licensure renewal.

_____ Budget: Discuss the various budgets (department, staff development, capital, supply, repair, etc.) with student interns to help them see how items are funded and purchased. Student interns need a strong understanding regarding budget issues in order to be strong advocates of FACS programs.

_____ Department chair meeting: Encourage your student intern to attend a department chair meeting. It is important for student interns to learn the role of department chairs and how their decisions impact teaching and learning.

_____ Instructional strategies: Share your effective instructional strategies with your student intern and encourage them to share instructional strategies learned in class and to try new strategies as much as possible.

_____ IEP: Help student interns become familiar with the IEP form and encourage them to attend student IEP meetings.

_____ Classroom environment: Help student interns create a classroom environment that is conducive to a variety of learning styles and multiple intelligences.

_____ Monitor and adjust: Model and explain how to monitor and adjust whenever possible. Explain to student interns how and why you make decisions during instruction. Model self-reflection after instruction.

_____ Unit development: Encourage student interns to create something new for your curriculum. Ideally, student interns could create or revise a unit for each class.

_____ Assessment development: Encourage student interns to develop a variety of assessments for student learning. Students need practice writing a variety of tests and developing and using checklists and rubrics.

_____ Staff meetings: Encourage student interns to attend staff meetings to learn about important school and staff issues.

_____ Extra-curricular events: Encourage student interns to attend extra-curricular events.

_____ Contribute to school/department: Encourage students to contribute to the school or department; i.e., create bulletin boards or displays, help assist coach, help with student council or other student organizations, or help with the school musical.