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Handbook for Members of the English Education Supervisory Team (EEST) at
Illinois State University
Authored
by Bob Broad, Director of English Education
Last updated: June 19, 2001
This EEST Handbook details required duties and recommended
practices for university supervisors in English Education at ISU.
The EEST Handbook is a public document, available to all students,
faculty, and administrators at Illinois State University as well as to
interested others beyond the university. The
Director of English Education welcomes suggestions for the improvement of this
document.
Context for English
Education at Illinois State University
The English Education Program at Illinois State University is a nationally recognized leader in the preparation of secondary English teachers. To learn about the context and details of our program, please read:
Broad, Bob, Ron Fortune, Charles B. Harris, Janice Neuleib, Barbara Nourie, and Kay Parker. “Renewing the Nexus: Strengthening Connections across the English Education Program.” Preparing a Nation’s Teachers: Models for English and Foreign Language Programs. New York: MLA, 1999. 17-48.
This book chapter—our report to the Modern Language Association’s Teacher Education Project—provides useful and important information about the history, theory, practices, and goals of our English Education Program. It is therefore required reading for our university supervisors.
Reflections on Supervision of Student Teachers
I view supervision of student teachers in English as the most complex, delicate, and important teaching done in our department. Members of the EEST represent the English Department and the University to some of our most important client-constituents: teachers of secondary English in Illinois public schools. Supervisors also directly shape the spirit and direction of our teaching candidates, the impressionable and promising next generation of secondary English teachers. Everything that our department works to create and promote—the English Studies model, best practices in the pedagogy of literacy, teacher-research, and more—university supervisors have the chance to make personal and real in regular face-to-face contacts with administrators, teachers, student-teachers, students, and others in the schools. To join the EEST is, then, to take on the heavy responsibility as well as the powerful opportunity to promote literacy learning in our society as our department has envisioned it. For these reasons, EEST members are expected to strive for the highest levels of professionalism in carrying out their duties.
Required Duties for Members of the EEST
As a University Supervisor (US) in English Education at Illinois State University, you must fulfill the following responsibilities:
1.
Read the book chapter on our English Education Program, “Renewing the
Nexus” (citation above).
2.
Familiarize yourself with the goals, texts, curriculum, methods, and
philosophies of our two English Education methods courses, “The Teaching of
Literature” (English 296) and “The Teaching of Writing” (English 297). Coaching and evaluation of student teaching should be closely
tied to the content and methods candidates will have experienced in their
English Education methods courses.
3.
Attend all meetings of the English Education Supervisory Team (EEST).
These typically number eight to ten two-hour meetings during the spring
semester of student teaching.
4.
Attend required sessions of the Professional Issues Seminar for student
teachers in English.
5. Observe every student teacher’s (ST’s) teaching practice no fewer than four separate times. Guidelines for the four required observation visits include:
a. Schedule your first observation visits with all your STs and cooperating teachers (CTs) to take place no later than the fourth week of student teaching.
b. During every observation visit:
· Observe the ST teaching for at least forty minutes and preferably for a full class period.
· As you observe, make substantial written notes regarding what you observe and your responses to what you observe.
· Meet with the CT and ST both together and independently of each other. Joint (US-ST-CT) conferences should last at least 30 minutes; solo conferences (US-ST and US-CT) should last at least 10 minutes.
· Discuss the lesson you just observed and any other issues of concern to you, the ST, and/or CT.
·
As part of your conferences with them on that same day, provide
the ST and CT with your written notes on the day’s student-teaching
observation. Your written notes
provide important material for your conferences with the ST and CT as well as
for evaluations and letters of recommendation.
6. Direct STs to submit the following paperwork to you at the end of every week of student teaching:
a. “Weekly Clock-Hour Schedule Worksheet,”
b. “Weekly Schedule of Full-Time Student Teaching,” and
c.
a journal entry reflecting on the week’s student teaching experience
7. Evaluate the ST’s performance at mid-term and at the conclusion of student teaching:
a. Mid-term evaluation should take place no later than the seventh week of the twelve-week student-teaching period.
b. Final evaluation should take place no later than the final week of the twelve-week student-teaching period.
c. In arriving at your performance rating for the student teacher (at both mid-term and end-term), use both the NCTE/IRA-based evaluation matrix and the more general forms for evaluating student teaching provided by ISU’s Office of Clinical Experiences and Certification Processes (CECP). CTs receive these forms in their packets from the CECP.
d.
In arriving at your performance rating for the student teacher (at both
mid-term and end-term), take fully into account both the ST’s self-evaluation
and the CT’s evaluation of the ST. Then make your best professional judgment regarding the
ST’s performance. As university
supervisor, you are the instructor of record and therefore the final authority
in evaluating each ST’s performance.
8.
Attend the English Education Banquet.
9. Keep the complete file for each ST—including copies of completed “Grade Report and Distribution of Student Teaching Experiences,” “Weekly Clock-Hour Schedule Worksheets,” “Weekly Schedule of Full-Time Student Teaching,” “Observation Reports,” ST journal entries, and evaluation forms—for one full year after the ST completes her/his student teaching experience.
Recommended Practices and Procedures
1. Make an introductory visit and a concluding evaluation-conference visit in addition to the four observation visits.
a. During your introductory visit:
· observe the cooperating teacher teaching,
· meet with the CT and ST together and independently,
· schedule (or confirm) dates, times, and locations of four observations,
·
clarify mutual expectations among the three members of your team:
CT, ST, US
2.
Write a letter following up on your introductory visit in which you thank
the CT for his/her work with our Program, review the agreed-upon times for your
observation visits, and communicate whatever else will be helpful (e.g., remind
the CT of days on which the ST will need to return to the ISU campus: CITE
conference, Teacher Placement Day, Professional Issues Seminar)
3.
When writing your notes about your observations of student teaching, use
the two-page, triplicate “Observation Report” form provided by the CECP.
Once the ST has signed the second page of the form to show that s/he will
be receiving the observation notes, split the form and share copies with the CT
and ST. Keep the third copy for
your records.
4.
Whenever you are on school property, wear a name tag showing your name,
“University Supervisor,” “Department of English,” “Illinois State
University,” and the ISU logo. The
Laboratory for Integrated Learning and Technology (LILT) in Stevenson Hall can
help you produce a professional looking name badge with the official color logo
of the university.
5.
Schedule your visits to take place roughly every two weeks during student
teaching.
6. For variety, try to see the ST teaching two different classes. For consistency and follow-through, try to see the ST teaching the same class more than once. The combination of these two values usually results in visits to two different classes (different subjects and/or grade levels) on two separate occasions.
Related Helpful Documents
Available from CECP:
· Weekly Clock-Hour Schedule Worksheet
· Weekly Schedule of Full-Time Student Teaching
· Observation Report
· Grade Report and Distribution of Student Teaching Experiences
· Mid-term Evaluation of Student Teaching
· [Final] Evaluation of Student Teaching
·
CECP’s Handbook for University Supervisors
Available from the Director of English Education:
· Recommended Plan for Supervisory Visits
· Sample letter to CT following up on Introductory Visit
· NCTE/IRA-based evaluation matrix and cover letter
ISU C:\English Ed\Supervision of ST\EEST
Handbook
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