Undergraduate Teacher Candidate Handbook:Instructional Leadership Teams (ILTs)
The primary force during student teaching is the instructional leadership team that is coordinated by the university field supervisors and cooperating teachers with input from the teacher candidates and principals. Most decisions about the activities and experiences each teacher candidate will have are determined by the ILT through discussion and consensus. The ILTs are usually composed of at least one cooperating teacher, a teacher candidate, and university field supervisor.
Cooperating Teacher
A cooperating teacher is a public school classroom teacher who has volunteered to work with a teacher candidate for one/two semesters. The primary role of the cooperating teacher is classroom instruction, student learning and achievement. The role of the cooperating teacher in this program is to provide an environment where a teacher candidate can observe, understand, and assimilate the experiences involved in the learning process as they learn to teach for student learning. As a means of professional development, the cooperating teacher shares his/her experience and expertise with the teacher candidate and the teacher candidate can share their time and effort to enhance learning in the classroom.
University Field Supervisor
A university field supervisor is a member of the instructional university personnel who works with a teacher candidate and the cooperating teachers at an assigned public school site. The primary role of the university field supervisor is to facilitate reflection and assessment activities for the teacher candidate on an ILT, to assist cooperating teachers in planning and coordinating assignments and activities with the teacher candidate, to foster communication between the university and public school, and to assist the ILT in ways which enhances the learning of the K-12 students.
Clinical Teacher – Semester I
A Clinical Teacher in Semester I is a university-based student who is learning about teaching and who is in the first semester of his/her final year of work toward certification. The primary role of the teacher candidate is to assist the teacher in achieving his/her professional instructional goals. The teacher candidate should listen, observe, question, reflect, learn, and contribute to the learning experiences of the classroom. Most of semester I is spent becoming acclimated to the school setting and culture so that increased awareness, knowledge, and sensitivity can be assimilated.
Clinical Teacher – Semester II
A Clinical Teacher in Semester II is a university-based student who has successfully completed semester I or a part of a one semester secondary program and is in his/her final clinical semester toward teacher certification. The primary role of the teacher candidate is to assist the teacher in achieving his/her professional instructional goals. The teacher candidate should also provide increasing instructional and management leadership in the classroom as the semester progresses.
ILT Duties
The primary duties of each ILT are:
- (a) to facilitate communication among the members of the ILT so that the students in the classroom benefit from the activities in the program;
- (b) to meet formally for ILTs throughout the semester to plan lessons, strategies to be used in lessons, the use of technology within the lessons, and assessment procedures related to the lessons, as well as gauge and support the growth of the clinical teacher;
- (c) to coordinate teaching schedules, duties, and experiences for teacher candidates;
- (d) to provide collaborative feedback and reflection for evaluation of teacher candidates.