The MATWL program is a teacher education program that maintains AQUEP accreditaiton and EPSB approval. Before, during, and after the program, students are encouraged to seek out as many teaching opportunities as possible. These opportunities may include substitute teaching in local schools, teaching at the university, practicum experiences and student teaching. Practicum and student teaching are integral to the program. Students should also be aware that certain states have requirements for out-of state students (see below).
Practicum for 510 and 610
Becoming a good language teacher includes a significant number of hours in the classroom observing, and performing the duties of a teacher. MCL 510 (summer) and MCL 610 (fall) both maintain practicum requirments as part of the course. Each course requires 100 hours of work with children in school settings. Students in the MATWL program have the opportunity to observe and work with local teachers to gain experiences that contribute to their growth as a teacher. The placement for these courses is generally done the semester before the courses begin so that students have an opportunity to meet practicing teachers and schedule appropriate times and activities for the upcoming semester. Usually students work with the teacher who will eventually be their cooperating teacher but if students would like to observe or or work with specific teacher during their practicumAnna Voskresensky is prepared to help individuals participate in a variety of placements.
Students Teaching / Teaching Internship / Field Placement
Student teaching represents the culminating field experience for all teacher education programs that prepare candidates for initial certification. You will be assigned cooperating teachers in the fall and are expected to work with them during your fall methods classes.
Once you receive your placement, you should begin to consider your role as a student teacher. You will be confronted with issues many of which you have never faced before, such as professional decorum and ethics. Section 4 of the graduate guide will provide you with some tools that will help you to establish yourself as a teacher. In addition to these resources, Dr. Brennan has compiled an in-depth field guide to student teaching that includes policies and procedures, the structure of the student teaching experience, and roles and responsibilities. The Field Guide for Professional Partners can be downloaded on the Office of Field Experience website, or you can follow this link directly to the document.
The Office of Clinical Practices and School Partnerships
The office of Clinical Practices and School Partinerships is responsible for all things dealing with student teaching.
Application
You should apply for field place during the summer (ideally, before school begins). The application is available online. Print out the application and submit the application to 107A Taylor Education Building with a $30 check payable to the University of Kentucky.
Along with your application, you will need a criminal background check and your fingerprinting completed well before the deadlines for each.
COST program
If you would like to complete your student teaching in another country, you should investigate the COST program. For example, we have had students teach Spanish in China.
Student teaching occurs after 75% of the coursework in complete. MCL 601 is the course associated with field placements. The purpose of student teaching is to join theory, teaching philosophy, and practice. Student teaching should encourage you to be both research and reflect on your current abilities in order to become a leader in the public school system. You will receive support from cooperating teachers and supervisors to help you meet this goal. The student teaching experience should allow you to explore how your philosophy meshes with practice in diverse student populations and how the principles and theories that you have studied concretize in the classroom.
Student teaching occurs each year during the Spring semester. Each students has one 8-week placement at the elementary school level and one 8-week placement at the middle or high school level. You should treat this experience as a full-time job. Most students spend between 30-40 hours each week preparing lessons, teaching, and evaluating students. During each placement you will have at least 10 days where you are fully responsible for the entire workload of the cooperating teacher with whom you are placed.
Substitute teaching
All those in the MATWL program are eligible to register as substitute teachers at Fayette County or any of the surrounding counties. Although random substitute teaching is not the best method of getting a feel for teaching aforeing language, registering as a student teacher allows your cooperating teacher to request you as a substitute teacher in the Fall so that you can get more experience with the courses that you are already observing and that you will eventually teach.