Field work
The S-STEP is a clinically-rich teacher education program that offers field experiences at the middle school and high school settings. All science teacher education candidates complete two semesters of student teaching. The first semester is an initial teaching experience that consists of four days per week. The initial field placement occurs only during the fall semester. Students are expected to be in attendance at their school for four to six periods per day depending on their cooperating teacher’s schedule. This does not include preparation periods. Students should also be aware that the student teaching assignment is completed over the time period of the fall semester at Queens College (September through December). The second field placement is five days per week and the candidate is expected to prepare and teach for two classes. This is in addition to working with one’s cooperating teacher on other classroom activities. Students should also be aware that the student teaching assignment is completed over the time period of the spring semester at Queens College (January through May).
The field experiences are structured to facilitate successful completion of targeted professional behaviors. Student teachers are expected to exhibit responsible, observable and consistent professional behavior to demonstrate their growing professional skills during the student teaching experience. Evaluation is a continuous part of the total field experience and is a cooperative process shared by the student, cooperating teacher, and supervisor.
At any time during the field experience if there is an indication of unacceptable performance, the cooperating teacher and/or the supervisor will meet with the student to discuss concerns and implement strategies for improvement. After a reasonable interval of time, if the cooperating teacher and/or supervisor still feels that the student’s performance warrants further review, they may choose to contact the program director or department chair. The program director or department chair will work with the supervisor, cooperating teacher, and student to review the following options:
1. Define criteria that must be met for candidate to remain in student teaching with a time-line during which the candidate must demonstrate the satisfactory meeting of stated criteria.
2. Recommend that candidate withdraw from student teaching with the option of future placement with “Conditions”.
3. Recommend that candidate withdraw from student teaching.
Cooperating School Field Sites
All clinically-rich teaching placements will be in the Borough of Queens and Nassau County and are subject to the approval of the Director of S-STEP at Queens College. New York State requires that student teachers candidates be provided with field experiences in a variety of communities and across the range of student developmental levels of the certificate, an opportunity for practicing skills for interacting with parents or caregivers, an opportunity to work in high needs-schools, and an opportunity to work with each of the following students populations: socio-economically disadvantaged students, students who are English language learners and students with disabilities (Section 52.21 of the Commissioner’s Regulations).
