field placement

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Making Connections to the World Beyond the Block Classroom

The Secondary Block Field Placement is intended to provide multiple opportunities for you to connect to the real world of middle/high school teaching. The key element in your experience will be the relationship you develop with your mentor teacher.

As your mentor recognizes your seriousness of purpose, your interest in and willingness to get involved with students and instruction, as well as your dependability and demonstrated responsibility, he or she will be more likely to involve you more and more in class activities while you are there.

The field placement assignments from the Block course will be specifically designed to give you AUTHENTIC learning
experiences from which to build your understanding of your role and responsibilities as a secondary teacher as well as promoting literacy in all learners. We will use the topics and issues raised in the Block classroom discussions to help you become more self-consciously aware of your own evolving beliefs and values about teaching adolescents.

You will be expected to support your mentor in solving real problems--designing a lesson(s), classroom management, discipline, and/or providing moral support...

field placement expectations
1
 Maintain constant communication with your mentor teacher. Ask questions, respond to requests, share your observations and wonderments.
2
 Arrive before scheduled time and have consistent attendance. You must have 22-24 hours (minimum).
3
 Dress appropriately and professionally. For men: slacks, shirt and tie. For women: dress slacks, skirts, or dresses (of professional length). No hats or baseball caps allowed. Also no skin piercings beyond traditional earrings for women. (There's just a lot of negative reactions about this issue in the field-so we don't want you to get caught in it!)
4
 Ask for one or more opportunities to prepare and present a lesson.
5
 Ask for a copy of the textbook and (if available) a copy of the teacher's manual.
6
 Be open to sharing some of your placement experiences during Block discussions.
7
 Talk with me (your instructor) about what you are experiencing and learning in this placement. It helps me learn too... If you are not getting the kinds of involvement you hoped for, let me coach you on how to get what you need/want.