Block A & B Practicum Placements

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Date: January 28, 2008

To: Block A & B Instructors and Students
From: Dr. Stan López
Field Placements Coordinator
Office for Teacher Candidate Preparation (OTCP)
stalopez@nmsu.edu; 646-4286
Dr. Hermán S. García
Director of Elementary Education, OTCP
hgarcia@nmsu.edu; 646-1229

Subj.: Block A & B Practicum Placements

NOTE: It is your responsibility to read this entire document and to follow the detailed instructions herein (this memo, the evaluation forms and all other information you need for this semester will be – or already is –www.marcpruyn.com/nmsuelemtep). Please ignore other information to the contrary.

Block A & B placements have been completed with specific sections assigned to specific schools as detailed below. Please note that it is your responsibility to communicate with your assigned school’s contact person ASAP, to interact with them in a professional, polite and appropriate manner, and to begin your practica hours on February 11, 2008 (except for BilEd Blocks, which will start on dates established by instructors). Remember, your mid-term practica evaluation is due to Dr. Garcia by March 14, 2008 at 5:00pm in person—that gives you four-five weeks to complete half of your required 32 hours. There will be absolutely no exceptions to this. If you leave a message with your assigned contact person and do not hear back from them within one day, MAKE A VISIT TO THE SCHOOL to speak with them and establish your placement.

Once in your practica, please remember that you are not there to observe (beyond maybe an initial observation). You are there to work: to complete your A and B Block course assignments and to give teaching a try. Be proactive, get to know the teacher and students and practice being a teacher candidate.

Also, while we all have the right to dress and adorn ourselves in ways which we feel are authentic to who we are as human beings, you are in a professional setting; a setting where you might one day (in the not-too-distant future) be employed (or not employed). So, please be aware on your context and ultimate goals.

If you are a B Block student, and would like to do your practicum at a middle school (grades 6-8), you will need to speak with Dr. Garcia and Dr. Lopez to negotiate and arrange this; it will need to meet with their ultimate approval (and possibly that of the Office for Teacher Candidate Preparation, OTCP).

Students wishing to conduct their practicum in the Gadsden Independent School District must have approval from their instructors and will make their own arrangements for placement with the following schools. If you want to do your practica in Gadsden, these are the schools you must work with. No exceptions.
a. Sunland Park 589-1114
b. Desert View 589-1180
c. Anthony 882-4561

Students currently working in other programs and contexts (America Reads, educational assistant, licensure waiver, Co-Op program, other practica such as SPED, etc.) must negotiate with their instructors, and ask for permission from the Director of Elementary Education (Dr. Garcia) to conduct Block practicum activities in these contexts. These requests are often granted. You will need to submit your request via e-mail by February 4, 2008 to Dr. Garcia.

Your practicum is to commence on February 11, 2008 and should be completed by April 25, 2008. This allows 10-11weeks to complete the practicum. The exception to this will be Block A & B, Section Two, BilEd students who will start and finish according to their instructors directions; students will contact the assigned school in person or by phone for classroom placement; students will work 2-3 to a classroom, not necessarily at the same time, and will negotiate practicum hours (days/times) with the Mentor Teacher and/or the school contact person. Students should work 4 hours per week for a total of 32 hours.

Students will create a typed sign-in sheet that the Mentor Teacher will date and sign each visit. This sheet needs to include: exact times worked (e.g., 9:15am-11:30am); hours/minutes worked (e.g., 2 hours, 15 minutes); date of visit (e.g., 9/17/07); activities completed; comments (by NMSU teacher candidate); and, the complete signature of classroom teacher (for each visit) and have overall hours worked totaled at the bottom. This sign-in sheet is due with your final evaluation (May 2, 2008 by 5pm) to Dr. Garcia (time stamped as well, see below). You may also be required to sign-in at the front desk of the school. Please do this as well, and follow all their procedures.

Criminal background information checks will be processed by the Las Cruces Public Schools on campus at a date/time to be announced; all students must undergo the clearance process in order to conduct the required practicum. But they may proceed in their practica while these checks are underway.

Any exceptions to the above instructions must be negotiated with the Block instructors, with final approval resting with Dr. Garcia.

The mid-term and final practica "Evaluation Forms" are located at the same web site under the link, "Checklist," in PDF format. Please note that the completed mid-term evaluation form is due on March 14, 2008 by 5pm to Dr. Garcia. The final completed evaluation form is due on May 2, 2008by 5pm to Dr. Garcia (along with your sign-in sheet). You need to turn in your original forms (not copies) and make and hang on to copies for yourselves (these copies will be important to have later). Please make sure that every item on these evaluations is completed; by you and your mentor teacher. If you leave anything blank, you will be called in to complete it and explain why it was incomplete. Despite what it says on the evaluation forms themselves that you will be printing up (from the website), they are due in person, delivered by you, in the Curriculum & Instruction Office and time-stamped. If either of these forms are received late, it may impede or halt your transition into B Block (if you are currently in A Block) or into Student Teaching (if you are currently in B Block). No exceptions.

If you are not taking a full compliment of TEP pedagogy courses (3 for A Block or 4 for B Block), you are still required to complete the 32 hour practicum.

Please also note that during this semester, the schools will be conducting NCLB-mandated testing. This is challenging, stressful and time-consuming for the administrators, Mentor Teachers, children and parents in the school communities where you will be completing your practica. Please keep this in mind, and be patient, professional and understanding. Also, be on top of your game: arrive on time, spread your hours out evenly over the semester (you may not bunch-up half of your hours the week before your midterm evaluation is due and/or the other half of your hours the week before your final evaluation is due), work diligently and be supportive.