Pre-Student Teaching Practicum
Practicum Requirement
Practicum experiences serve several purposes. They help you relate course content to real-life settings and situations, thereby strengthening and deepening your learning. They give you the opportunity to explore teaching as a profession before committing to this career. They help you develop a network of professional contacts and possible mentors while providing practical experience to prepare you for student teaching. Finally, they help us evaluate your professionalism and potential as a future teacher.
A minimum of 100 hours of experience in school classrooms is required prior to student teaching. Practicum hours are spread across the education courses required for teacher certification. Most courses require a 20-hour practicum with assignments oriented toward the content of the course. If you plan to take your last education course after student teaching, you will need to supplement your hours in earlier courses to meet the 100-hour minimum prior to student teaching. Completed practicum forms are kept on file in the Education Department office and used to document the number of hours completed. You should also keep a record of your practicum experiences to include in your Pre-Student Teaching Portfolio.
Most of your practicum hours should be in the subject area and grade level you plan to teach. You will also find it valuable to explore other grade levels and aspects of schooling, including special education, classes for English Language Learners, and related subjects in the school curriculum. You will discuss your practicum experiences in classes, papers, and in your Pre-Student Teaching Portfolio, which can also include lesson plans, materials, or assessments you created during your practicum experience.
Setting Up a Practicum
Students arrange their own practicum placements at the start of the term. These are typically in school classes in their certification subject areas, although course requirements may vary. Students who are taking education courses for reasons other than teacher certification may do a practicum in a non-school setting with the instructor’s prior approval.
Finding a Site
Most students complete the practicum in an elementary or secondary school—public, private, or charter—in the vicinity of Lawrence. Look over a map of local schools, and find details about specific schools, departments, and teachers on the Appleton Area School District website. Any student wishing to do a practicum outside of Appleton should first consult with the course professor because school districts vary in their policies for placing practicum students.
Use your personal contacts and school websites to look for teachers in your subject area who have classes that are compatible with your schedule. You may observe in public, private, or charter schools, and you may observe more than one teacher for the same practicum, which provides opportunities to compare and contrast. Make initial contact with the school secretary, who will promise to pass your name along to the appropriate department. Follow up with a phone call or e-mail to the department head or teachers you are interested in observing.
If you do not hear back right away, you will have to be tenacious in following up or searching elsewhere; time is of the essence in getting off to a good start and completing the practicum within the 10-week term. You may find that actually going to the school and talking with the secretary or an administrator will facilitate your placement. Every education class is likely to have some students who have already done a practicum, and they can be a great source of information and advice.
Completing Paperwork
Students are given a "Dear Principal" letter identifying the student as enrolled in an education course at Lawrence; this letter should be given to the school secretary, who can provide any school forms that need to be signed for the student to do a practicum in that site.
Students are also given a "Dear Teacher" letter asking permission for the student to do a practicum in that teacher’s classes, explaining what is expected, and including a form for the teacher to sign to give approval for the practicum. A separate "Dear Teacher" letter and signature form is required for each placement (for example, when splitting a practicum among two or more teachers to compare/contrast, gain experience with different classes or levels, etc.).
Students confirm their practicum arrangements by submitting one or more Practicum Signature Form(s) to the course professor by the end of the second week of classes.
You can find these materials under Forms on this website.
Doing a Practicum
Planning Your Time
Plan to spend about three hours per week at the practicum site and to complete your practicum by the tenth week of classes. Additional hours accumulate toward the 100-hour pre-student teaching requirement but do not reduce the practicum requirement for future courses. Most students find it wise to enroll in no more than one course with a practicum each term; if you enroll in more than one, check with the course professors about whether the same practicum site can be used for both courses, assuming that you divide your time and focus to complete course assignments and accumulate the total number of hours required.
Getting to the Practicum Site
Transportation to the practicum site and back to campus is often a concern for Lawrence students. Many choose to do the practicum at a school within walking distance of campus. Others ride a bicycle, take the bus, or ride with another student who has a car (if you can coordinate your schedule of visits). Check at the information desk in the Warch Campus Center about whether you can borrow a bike with your Lawrence ID. For local bus routes and schedules, check the Valley Transit website.
Making the Most of Your Practicum
In a practicum you are a "participant-observer" in the class. That means that you should observe when the teacher is delivering instruction to the class, taking note of what is happening, and you should help the students and teacher at other times, retreating occasionally to make a note or two. Help the teacher prepare or copy instructional materials, organize the room, hand out supplies, conduct activities, check or record student work, and clean up after class. Circulate during student work time and answer questions or tutor individuals or small groups. Take advantage of opportunities to ask the teacher or students about their work and reflect on their responses, possibly in a log or journal.
As you gain experience, offer to help plan or teach a lesson, lead an activity, conduct an assessment, etc., especially as you get closer to student teaching. Look at the Practicum Self-Assessment for ideas about what to do during your practicum; choose things to do based on the particulars of the class, the desires of the teacher, and your own experience and interests.
If the teacher does not invite your involvement, then show initiative by offering to help in any way you can and explaining that you would like to gain some practical experience to help prepare for student teaching. If you always sit quietly in the back of the room, there will be little for the teacher to comment on in your evaluation.
Being Professional
When doing a practicum, you represent Lawrence University and Lawrence’s Teacher Education Program. That means that you will want to be professional at all times.
You should conduct yourself in a responsible and respectful manner. Dress appropriately and behave professionally. If you and the cooperating teacher agree on a schedule of visits, follow it carefully; be on time and notify the cooperating teacher by phone or email if you are not able to be there when expected. Keep confidential any student information to which you have access, and preserve the anonymity of teacher and students in your course assignments. Be inquisitive, but reserve any critical remarks for course papers and discussions. Be sure to thank the teacher for welcoming you into his or her classroom. If you create problems for the teacher or students, you may be removed from the practicum site, which would leave you short of the hours required for the course and for admission to student teaching.
Lawrence students are typically bright, dedicated, responsible, and friendly; the positive impression you make helps you and the students who follow your footsteps into the teaching profession.
Getting Credit for a Practicum
You get course credit for the practicum by submitting a Practicum Evaluation Form indicating the number of hours and signed by the teacher. If you split your practicum across multiple teachers, submit a separate form from each teacher; these should total the number of hours required for the course. If you did one extended practicum for two courses, put both courses and the total number of hours on one form and submit a copy to each course professor. The evaluation form provides space for the teacher to rate aspects of your performance and write comments. We evaluate your potential as a future teacher based largely on the dedication, enthusiasm, and professionalism you demonstrate in the practicum setting.
In addition to the evaluation form signed by the teacher, you should also submit a Practicum Self-Assessment. This will provide information about what you did during the practicum and what you gained from the experience. For a split practicum, you can submit one self-assessment for both sites or a separate self-assessment for each site, as you see fit.
These materials can be found under Forms on this website.
