Social Context Project Requirements

Physics 353 – Student Teaching Seminar
Physics Teacher Education Program
Illinois State University
Ken Wester
Spring Semester 2022

In order to help student teachers relate science to the community and to use human and institutional resources in the community to advance the education of their students in science, pre-student teachers will conduct a school and community survey of the location in which they will student teach. This survey will be focus on the following factors:

• social and community support network within which occurs science teaching and learning
• relationship of science teaching and learning to the needs and values of the community
• involvement of people and institutions from the community in the teaching of science
• diversity analysis

This activity will be completed in two steps:

1. Complete Pre-Student Teaching Clinical Experiences
2. Determine Characteristics, Needs, and Values of the Community

As this survey progresses, teacher candidates will document their findings in a report using a narrative form. See a sampling of what a good narrative report should look like by viewing elements of an exemplary Social Context Project report written by PTE graduate David Eddy during the winter of 2004.

Specific requirements for each of these steps can be found below:

Step 1: Complete Pre-Student Teaching Clinical Experiences

According to the schedule outlined in the course syllabus, pre-student teachers will conduct the following conferences, and provide the following educational services. Students will be required to complete experiences 1 - 20; supplemental clinical experiences A - F are optional, and may be used to replace one of the numbered clinical experiences (in the same area) if the situation dictates.

Students will complete these pre-student teaching clinical experiences according to the following objectives and guidelines. Observations and written reports must be completed prior to the class during which they will be discussed, and hard copy documentation must also be provided at this same time.

Conferences with Cooperating Teacher

Pre-STT Clinical Experience # 1 - General Expectations

Student teachers, cooperating teachers, and university supervisors will all have certain expectations for the student teaching practicum. The best time to become aware of these expectations is prior to beginning student teaching. Arrange a conference with you cooperating teacher, and with your university supervisor if you feel it necessary, to discuss expectations. Prepare thoroughly for such conferences, and be certain that you come with a list of questions and/or concerns. This is a good time to find out answers to the following and similar questions:

• What sort of expectations do you have for my student teaching experience?
• What sort of things have you learned for working with clinical students and/or student teachers that I should know about?
• How might I make the student teaching experience the most useful?
• How will you assess my day-to-day teaching performance?
• How do you want me to work with you on a day-to-day basis?
• What are your expectations of me in relation to work ethic?

Prepare a short, written summary of you findings. Use a narrative format to document your experience.

Schools are bastions of policy. That is, there will almost always be a policy of one form or another to cover just about every situation. You can rest assured that school personnel have seen just about every sort of situation possible. Conduct a conference with your cooperating teacher to determine what these policies are. Prepare thoroughly for such conferences, and be certain that you come with a list of questions and/or concerns. This would be a good time to find out answers to the following and similar questions:

• Is there a school policy manual for teachers? May I have a copy?
• Is there a school policy manual for students? May I have a copy?
• Who sets the various policies at school?
• How does one find out if school is closed due to inclement weather?
• How do I report if I am unable to come to school due to illness or unforeseen circumstances?
• What is the policy about building and room keys for student teachers? If permissible, how do I arrange to obtain keys?
• How strictly are school policies enforced and who is responsible for enforcement?
• If I have a question about a school policy, who do I ask?
• When am I supposed to arrive at school, and when may I leave at the end of the day?

Prepare a short, written summary of you findings. Use a narrative format to document your experience.

Teachers, too, are bound to have policies that extend to just their classroom. These policies can vary from teacher to teacher, but many will be the same. Such policies will include management of what students should be doing at the beginning of class and will extend all the way to class dismissal. Conduct a conference with your cooperating teacher to determine what these policies are. Prepare thoroughly for such conferences, and be certain that you come with a list of questions and/or concerns. This would be a good time to find out answers to the following and similar questions:

• What are your classroom policies with regard to bringing textbooks to class?
• What are your classroom procedures / policies with respect to classroom discipline?
• What are your classroom procedures / policies with respect to grading, testing, homework?
• What are the school policies with regard to safety?
  • Have you posted safety procedures and/or contract anywhere in the room?
  • Do you use a safety contract and, if so, have students signed it?
  • Keep in mind any questions you might have for your required Safety Plan. (Information for the Safety Plan, which is a separate project, need not be repeated here.)

Prepare a short, written summary of you findings. Use a narrative format to document your experience.

Pre-STT Clinical Experience #4 - Diversity in Community, School, and Classroom

Student teachers need to know the students whom they will be teaching, as well as the influences that exist within the community that can and do influence student learning outcomes. Conduct an interview with your cooperating teacher in an effort to obtain information about the following and similar diversity questions:

• What is the ethnic make up of the community, the school, and the classroom?
• Are there any concerns I should know about such as community mores when it comes to teaching different groups of students?
• What special challenges do various social groups encounter in the school and community?

Prepare a short, written summary of you findings. Use a narrative format to document your experience. There is no need to be exhaustive; a list of major items will suffice.

Parental contact will be required of you on an ordinary and usual basis. This generally takes the form of regularly scheduled parent-teacher meetings. In addition to these contact, special contact may be necessary for any number of reasons -- some good and some not so good. Conduct a conference with your cooperating teacher to determine what the policies are relating to extraordinary parental contact. Prepare thoroughly for such conferences, and be certain that you come with a list of questions and/or concerns. This would be a good time to find out answers to the following and similar questions:

• What are the policies and procedures for initiating extraordinary parental contact?
• What circumstances or conditions warrant extraordinary parental contact?
• What procedures should I follow when dealing with parents over an unfortunate circumstance?
• Are the conditions under which the school administration should initiate contact in lieu of me doing the same?
• What general guidance can you provide me for working directly with parents?
• How might I engage parents to work with me in a positive fashion?
• Are there parents out there that can be engaged as special resources for my teaching?

Prepare a short, written summary of you findings. Use a narrative format to document your experience.

Student teachers sometimes find instructional planning a mystery. Student teacher need to speak with their cooperating teachers to find out answers to the following questions:

• What should be taught?
• When should it be taught?
• What is the sequence?
• Is there a pre-planned curriculum that is supposed to be followed?
• Does that curriculum fit in with the inquiry-oriented approach, or is it based on expository teaching?
• What use is made of the National Science Education Standards and of the Illinois Learning Standards in planning?
• How does state-mandated testing affect this course?
• What is emphasized here, depth or breadth of coverage?
• What modifications must be made for student abilities?

Prepare a short, written summary of you findings. Use a narrative format to document your experience.

Student teachers should become familiar with syllabi and student assessment strategies as they relate to grade determination in particular. Interview your cooperating teacher, and obtain answers to the following and similar questions:

• How many assessments?
• What is assessed?
• What type of alternative assessments are used?
• How do you maintain grades?
• Do you use rubrics?
• When is testing done?
• What are your make-up policies?
• Are your policies now my policies?

Prepare a short, written summary of you findings. Use a narrative format to document your experience.

Teachers improve their practice over the course of years by reflecting on their work. Student teachers should become familiar with this form of learning experience by interviewing the cooperating teacher. In addition, student teachers need to understand the nature of professional ethics as they relate to teaching. Hold an interview with your cooperating teacher to obtain answers to the following and similar questions:

Ethical practitioner questions:

• Does this school district have a professional code of conduct?
• If so, may I have a copy of it?
• What can you tell me about ethical practice?
• What is the most common form of unethical teacher practice as you see it?
• Can you give me any pointers about being an ethical teacher?
• How does school policy figure into ethical practice?
• Where do you go to find answers to questions about ethical conduct as a teacher?

Reflective reactionary questions:

• How have you improved your professional practice over the years?
• What role does reflection play in your professional development?
• What sort of changes have you made as a result of reflection upon your professional practice?
• What has reflection taught you that your teacher preparation did not tell you about?
• What role does reflective practice play in your ongoing teacher certification and professional development plan?
• How do professional relationships play into your ongoing improvement as a teacher?
• What personnel or professional agencies figure into your professional development?

Prepare a short, written summary of you findings. Use a narrative format to document your experience.

Student teachers need to know what sort of demonstration and laboratory equipment is available prior to beginning student teaching, especially for those units the teacher candidate will be expected to teach. Therefore, it would behoove the student teacher to check with the teacher about such material resources, and request tour of all pertinent storage facilities. Following this tour, student teachers should create a list of the topics that they will be expected to teach over the next ten weeks, and then conduct an inventory to determine what material resources are available for teaching these units. Do so for both

• demonstration materials by unit topic
• laboratory material by unit topic

Prepare a short, written summary of you findings. Use a narrative format to document your experience. There is no need to be exhaustive; a list of major items will suffice.

Student teachers are almost always bowled over by the great demands of time associated with the practicum. Sometimes this results from the overwhelming amount of work required on an almost daily basis. Speak with your cooperating teacher about how to improve performance and efficiency in dealing effectively with those things that appear to consume your day. Ask for advice about avoiding the problems of over engagement in non-academic matters. Prepare thoroughly for such conferences, and be certain that you come with a list of questions and/or concerns. Prepare a short, written summary of you findings. Use a narrative format to document your experience.

Pre-STT Clinical Experience Supplement B - "Clinical Supervision" of Cooperating Teacher

Student teachers (henceforth called the supervisor) can benefit from the experience of "supervising" the practice of the cooperating teacher using a clinical supervision model. In this case, the model calls for a supervisor pre-conference with the teacher, supervisor observation of the intended lesson, analysis and interpretation of the lesson by the supervisor, and a supervisor post-conference with the teacher. The general approach is for the supervisor to ask the teacher about the lesson - what the objectives are, what approaches will used, how student achievement of the goal will be assessed and so on as part of the pre-conference. The supervisor then observes the lesson in a non-evaluative way, making note of points actions or difficulties that the teacher might want to reflection on. That is, the supervisor focuses on questions for the teacher but not on making judgments; judgment is left to the teacher. In the post-conference the supervisor brings things to the attention of the teacher asking how things went, how things might be improved, and so on. The teacher is respected as a professional throughout the entire process.

Conferences with Conferral & Referral Personnel

Pre-STT Clinical Experience Experience #10 - Principal

Schools are administrative units with hierarchical structures. As a teacher candidate, you should be familiar with this structure and how it works. With the assistance of your cooperating teacher, arrange a meeting with you building principal. Obtain answers to the following and similar sorts of questions:

• What are your main administrative duties?
• What are your job responsibilities and duties including such things as scheduling, preparing teaching assignments, and allocating budgets?
• Where do you figure into the chain of command in this school say, in relation to the superintendent, school board, administrative staff, departmental chairpersons, and other teachers?
• When as a student teacher should I be expected to interact with you as principal, if ever?
• What should every teacher know about your position as principal?

Prepare a short, written summary of your findings. Use a narrative format to document your experience.

The assistant principal or dean of students in a high school will frequently be the school disciplinarian. That is, at least one person will be in charge ultimately of dealing with unruly students, with the management of detention, contacting parents for disciplinary matters, and so on. In this activity you will contact and hold a short discussion with the person (assistant principle, dean of students, or whoever) who works as the school disciplinarian. Check with your cooperating teacher to find out who this person is, and to arrange for a short meeting with this person to discuss school policy and procedures with regard to disciplinary matters. Prepare thoroughly for the conference, and be certain that you come with a list of questions and/or concerns. This would be a good time to find out answers to the following and similar questions:

• What is the school policy with regard to sending students to the office?
• What sort of procedures must be followed with unruly students, from the smallest of transgressions to those constituting criminal conduct?
• What advice can you give me for dealing with disruptive students?
• What conditions warrant referral of a student to your office?
• What other "services" does your office provide?

Prepare a short, written summary of you findings. Use a narrative format to document your experience.

School nurses are in place for a variety of reasons, not the least of which involves dealing with emergency matters of health. Still, it will be a rare event that school nurses will have to deal with emergency events. So often school nurses deal with other important matters such as the general health of students, and the dispensing of drugs and medications to students. Check with your cooperating teacher to find out who this person is, and to arrange for a short meeting with this person to discuss school policy and procedures with regard to health matters. Prepare thoroughly for the conference, and be certain that you come with a list of questions and/or concerns. This would be a good time to find out answers to the following and similar questions:

• What are your role and responsibility in the school setting?
• What should I know about the management of health matters in the classroom?
• What are school policies in relation to the transmission of diseases such as mono, HIV-AIDS, hepatitis, etc.?
• What is the school policy with regard to students self-medicating?
• How do I deal the emergency health problems?
• What constitutes an emergency health problem?

Prepare a short, written summary of you findings. Use a narrative format to document your experience.

Nearly every high school has one or more guidance counselors. Guidance counselors generally have a variety of tasks, but they often include providing assistance to students making decisions about careers, about arrangement of class schedules, management of study habits, and dealing effectively with learning difficulties. Sometimes guidance counselors even serve as school disciplinarians. Check with your cooperating teacher to find out who this person is, and to arrange for a short meeting with this person to discuss school policy and procedures with regard to guidance matters. Prepare thoroughly for the conference, and be certain that you come with a list of questions and/or concerns. This would be a good time to find out answers to the following and similar questions:

• Please describe the range of your roles and responsibilities as a guidance counselor.
• How might I take advantages of your services to help my students?
• What sort of resources are available through your office?
• When should I refer a student to your for assistance?

Prepare a short, written summary of you findings. Use a narrative format to document your experience.

First year teachers can provide you with critical information about the student teaching experience, and how best to prepare for the first year of teaching. Check with your cooperating teacher to find out who this person is, and to arrange for a short meeting with this person to discuss the student teaching and first year teaching experience. Prepare thoroughly for the conference, and be certain that you come with a list of questions and/or concerns. This would be a good time to find out answers to the following and similar questions:

• What is the most important lesson you learned during student teaching?
• How can the student teaching experience be made most useful to me?
• Are there any "dos" or "don't" for student teaching you'd like to tell me about?
• What is the first year of teaching like?
• How might I best prepare for my first year of teaching starting now?

Prepare a short, written summary of you findings. Use a narrative format to document your experience.

School librarians can help both you and your students with reading and research needs. With the assistance of your cooperating teacher, arrange for an interview with the school librarian. Obtain answers to the following and similar sorts of questions:

• What is your role and responsibility in this school?
• How can we work together to improve student reading and access to non-Internet resources?
• How can I and my students best take advantage of your services?
• How can I as a teacher make your job easier?

Almost every high school will have a person in charge of instructional technology, and this is often the School Librarian. Instructional technology can include anything from video projectors and videotape units to school-wide computer networks that support Internet usage and grade and attendance record keeping. This person probably is today a computer specialist with some responsibilities in the area of working with computers and audio/visual resources. It's good to get to know this person to find out out the various resources that you will be able to access during your student teaching practicum. With the assistance of your cooperating teacher, set up a meeting with the school's technology coordinator and obtain answers to the following and similar sorts of questions:

• What are your job responsibilities, and how do they relate to my teaching?
• What sort of instructional media do you have available for me to use?
• What need I do to obtain access to your instructional technology offerings?
• Is there anything in particular that I need to know in relation to the use of instructional technology at this school?
• What sort of assistance and/or training do you provide teachers in need?
• Who do I turn to if you are not available when I need you?

Prepare a short, written summary of your findings. Use a narrative format to document your experience. IF your school librarian and instructional technology coordinator are different persons, you may submit two different Pre-STT clinical experience reports. Please label such reports #15a and #15b respectively.

Attendance personnel in schools have a very important job. School-wide budgets are frequently based upon the number of students in school over the course of the year. It is therefore critical that such personnel maintain accurate and complete records. With the assistance of your cooperating teacher, arrange for an interview with the school attendance officer. Obtain answers to the following and similar sorts of questions:

• What is your role and responsibility in this school?
• How do you manage your job?
• What are my duties in this area as a teacher?
• How do you and the teachers handle absences, tardies, and truancies?
• How can I as a teacher make your job easier?

Prepare a short, written summary of your findings. Use a narrative format to document your experience.

Pre-STT Clinical Experience Experience #17 - Special Education Coordinator

• What sort of services do your provide, and what assistance can you provide me as a novice teacher if needed?
• Who is responsible for identifying students with special needs?
• Under what conditions should students be referred to you?
• Does your office provide assistance directly to teachers and student teachers?
• What can you tell me about individualized educational plans (IEP's) for students in my classes?
• What are my responsibilities mandated by law with respect to student with special educational needs?
• What do I need to know about working effectively with student with exceptionalities?
• Are there other forms of assistance programs that are not IEPs - something like a 503 plan?
• Who and what are educational assistants who accompany students with special learning needs?

Prepare a short, written summary of you findings. Use a narrative format to document your experience.

Pre-STT Clinical Experience Experience #18 - School Security Officer

School security officers, sometimes part-time uniformed police officers, can tell you a lot about a community, its schools, and its kids. Arrange to hold a brief discussion with a school secruity officer if it has one, and address the following and similar questions to him or her:

• Does race, culture, religion, sexual preferences, etc., influence student interactions at school?
• How, in your opinion, do the various races/cultures interact with one another?
• What should I know about diversity issues that would make me a better teacher?

Prepare a short, written summary of you findings. Use a narrative format to document your experience.

Pre-STT Clinical Experience Supplement C - Science Department Chairperson (only if not cooperating teacher)

Schools are administrative units with a variety of support structures. Under the school administration there is a layer of bureaucracy known as department heads or chairpersons. These are usually senior faculty with years of experience within the school system. They have a variety of responsibilities and duties. As a novice teacher, you undoubtedly will report directly to your science department chairperson. It is important to know the role and responsibilities of these individuals in your school district. With the assistance of your cooperating teacher, arrange a meeting with you science department head. Obtain answers to the following and similar sorts of questions:

• What are your job responsibilities and duties included among such things as scheduling, preparing teaching assignments, and allocating budgets?
• How would I as a regular in-service teacher be responsible to you in this school district? As a student teacher?
• What sort of duties do teachers have to their department?
• Where do you figure into the chain of command in this school?
• Do we have regular department meetings? When and where?

Prepare a short, written summary of your findings. Use a narrative format to document your experience.

There are a number of key players in the school and district offices besides those you have already spoken to about various matters. As an alternative pre-STT clinical experience (or even as an addition), you might want to meet with the president of the local teachers' union (representational and defensive matters). Check with your cooperating teacher to find out who this person is, and to arrange for a short meeting. Prepare thoroughly for the conference, and be certain that you come with a list of questions and/or concerns such as the following:

• What benefits will accrue to me as a member of the school union?
• What are my rights as a union member?
• What is good and what is bad about teachers' unions in general?

Prepare a short, written summary of your findings. Use a narrative format to document your experience.

School custodians (sometimes called janitors, but this title is rarely used today) are often in a very unique situation somewhere between teachers and students. They frequently have their hands on the pulse of a school in a way that administration, teachers, and other staff members do not. They see things from yet another perspective. It's good to acknowledge their contributions to the upkeep of the school. They are also a great way to find out about students. Determine who it is that cares for your section of the building and hold an informal meeting when the opportunity presents itself. Ask the following or similar questions:

• Tell me about your work as custodian in this building.
• How can I work to make your job a bit easier?
• What sort of expectations do you have of me as a teacher?
• What do you think about the kids of this school?
• Do kids show respect for the school, its building, and materials?

Working with Students

Pre-STT Clinical Experience # 19 - Individual or Small Group Tutoring Session

As a transitional activity leading up to student teaching, arrange with your cooperating teacher the opportunity to conduct an individual or small group tutoring session. Prepare a short paragraph describing your experience.Use a narrative format to document your experience.

As a transitional activity leading up to student teaching, arrange with your cooperating teacher the opportunity to work directly with a student with special needs related to a mental or physical disability or handicap. Prepare a short paragraph describing your experience, including description of the student's special needs, and how these needs might impact his or her education. Use a narrative format to document your experience.

As a transitional activity leading up to student teaching, arrange with your cooperating teacher the opportunity to assist students with a laboratory experience. Prepare a short paragraph describing your experience.Use a narrative format to document your experience.

As a transitional activity leading up to student teaching, arrange with your cooperating teacher the opportunity to manage a class discussion. Prepare a short paragraph describing your experience.Use a narrative format to document your experience.

As a transitional activity leading up to student teaching, arrange with your cooperating teacher the opportunity to proctor and score either a test or a quiz. Prepare a short paragraph describing your experience.Use a narrative format to document your experience.

As a transitional activity leading up to student teaching, arrange with your cooperating teacher the opportunity to conduct a pre-lab orientation or post-lab debriefing. Prepare a short paragraph describing your experience.Use a narrative format to document your experience.

As a transitional activity leading up to student teaching, arrange with your cooperating teacher the opportunity to set up or take down a laboratory activity. Prepare a short paragraph describing your experience.Use a narrative format to document your experience.

Step 2: Determine the Comparative Characteristics, Needs, and Values of the Community

In order to plan science lessons that are appropriate for, and relevant to, students from a community one needs to use data about the student's community, its culture and its resources. Follow these steps to help you determine the needs and values of the community:

1. During your many Pre-STT interviews conducted as part of Step 1, reflect on information you might have obtained or observations you might have made that relate to the value and needs of the community in which you will student teach.
2. While in the community of your future student teaching site for Pre-STT clinical experiences, go to a department store, fast-food restaurant, public library, or community center not far from your school and just sit and watch for an hour as people that come through the doors. Make notes about what you observe in terms of apparent socioeconomic status, behaviors, relationships -- anything that tells you something about the people who make up your community. Record your observations and reflections. Answer such questions as, "What is the nature of this community? What impact has education had on this community's members? Is education highly valued in this community?"
3. While at your Pre-STT school site, attempt to arrange an interview with one or more bus drivers. Arrange to take out a couple of them for a cup of coffee if you can. Bus drivers know the areas from which you students will come. Ask them questions about the home life of these children, and what factors influence student behavior and performance at school.
4. Visit the ISBE web site to acquire the official School Report Card of the school which you will be student teaching. Using a yellow high lighter, identify information about your school that reflects the general nature of the academic and social needs of the community and that have implications related to community values.
5. Compare your schools with schools of similar rank. Visit the Illinois Interactive Report Card site to gather specific information and report on the following sorts of comparisons:
• PSAE scores by subject (science & math), grad level, and AYP groups
• use scatter plots to rank school's performance relative to other schools in the district
6. Determine if your school is on either the State Academic Early Warning List or State Academic Watch List by visiting either of the above web sites.
7. Write a descriptive essay about what you have observed and discovered in your field work, and what conclusions you can draw about the needs and values of the community in which you will student teach. Explain how what you observed in terms of needs and values will affect both your teaching and student learning. If your school is on either the Early Warning or Academic Watch lists, state in an additional paragraph what implications this has for school students.

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