GETTING STARTED IN SCHOOLS

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GETTING STARTED IN SCHOOLS

• DETROIT AREA ELEMENTARY TEAM JUNIORS

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• Andrea Kelly
• DAET Coordinator
• 116Q Erickson Hall
• 517-432-3671
• akelly_at_msu.edu

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DAET WEBSITEhttp//ed-web3.educ.msu.edu/te/elemen
taryteams/

• The DAET website is your source of information
  for everything you will need to make the most of
  your Teacher Education Program experience. Please
  bookmark it and consult it frequently. Briefly it
  contains
• Calendar of Events
• Personnel Directory
• Information for Students
• Placements
• Professional Conduct and Course Policies
• Program Requirements
• Criteria for Progression to the Internship
• Links to other sites (financial aid, MTTC, etc.)

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Finding your school and getting to know people

• Maps - We will come to class as soon as we have
  confirmed most of the placements for your
  section. We will bring a placement list. Maps are
  available on our website and in 116 EH.
• CATA bus tokens are available to students
  receiving financial aid. Go to room 27 Student
  Services between 800 A.M. and 600 P.M. Allow
  for extra travel time if you are taking the bus.
• Parking - You will need to park on the street, as
  staff parking is limited at this school. You
  can( of course) get a ticket for ignoring the NO
  PARKING signs around the school. Carpooling is
  encouraged.
• Signing in and out at the office - district
  policy requires that you sign in and out in the
  main office every time you are at the school.
• Identification - schools require everyone in the
  building to wear an identification badge. You may
  wear your MSU ID, or the name badge we give you,
  or one provided by your placement school.

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• Dress like the teacher that you aspire to be.
  That includes not wearing flip flops, which
  really arent serviceable for what you might be
  asked to do, and against school policy in any
  case.
• Make sure your clothing covers your body and
  is comfortable for everyone you are working with.
  
• Avoid shirts with problematic logos beer,
  cigarettes, vulgarity etc. This includes
  references to gangs, sororities, fraternities or
  secret societies.
• Your appearance should not be a distraction to
  anyone, therefore lip and tongue piercings and
  conspicuous tattoos need to be removed/covered
  up.

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• Finding your way around the building - I
  will meet you at school on your first day and you
  will get an overview of the building. You may not
  have a formal tour at that time because there are
  so many of you, but you will be delivered and
  introduced to your new Mentor Teacher by school
  personnel and myself .
• Equipment Use- Do not use any piece of
  equipment, especially the copy machine, until you
  have been trained by your Mentor Teacher.
  Personal copying must be done elsewhere.
• All school policies apply to you. For example
  When a school goes into lock down that means you
  as well. No one is allowed to enter or leave the
  building. Even if you have a class or other
  commitment, you may not leave. You will be
  excused for being late for class.
• Remember to demonstrate high standards of
  professional performance and attitude. This is
  the beginning of your acquisition of a
  professional presence that will hopefully land
  you a job down the road.

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Professional Behavior and Responsibilities

• Attendance and communicating absences Talk to
  your mentor teacher about how she wants to get
  this information. He/She may want you to call
  their number, but please be sure to e-mail me
  (akelly_at_msuedu).
• You will need to make up the time as it is so
  limited to begin with.
• Snow days, professional development days, fog
  delays, etc. - do not need to be made up. Time
  missed for sickness, car trouble, etc. needs to
  be made up.

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• Punctuality -Your placement is for ten 2 1/2 hour
  sessions to be determined. When you have
  established a schedule with your Mentor Teacher,
  come on time and stay for the entire time you
  have scheduled. Any exceptions need to be
  negotiated with your Mentor Teacher and
  communicated to me.
• Messages on cell phones/answering machines should
  be businesslike - People you are working with
  may occasionally need to call you at home.
• Monitor your personal website or Facebook page,
  if you have one, for objectionable material.

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• Confidentiality and ethical dilemmas
• in and out of school

You will be discussing your field experience in
your courses. We expect you to use discretion.
In casual conversations or social situations, do
not relate stories from classrooms or schools
that may be embarrassing to teachers or students
or that include sensitive information about
anyone. Discuss classroom situations in class
carefully. Use a fictitious name for the student
involved if you need to include family or
individual information in your explanation. Mask
the name of a student on any written or visual
work shared in class or used in an assignment.
Maintaining a tone of professional courtesy.
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Classroom Assignments

• Communicating assignments to your Mentor Teacher
  - assignments must be discussed with your mentor
  teacher well in advance of the due date.
• If you encounter any problems scheduling time to
  teach your lesson or any other assignment,
  discuss it immediately with your course
  instructor.

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Becoming the best Assistant Teacher you can be

• What are you here to do, to be?
• How are we going to work together?
• How are we going to treat each other?
• How are you going to take initiative to help your
  Mentor Teacher to teach the class?
• These questions and others can be addressed in
  the on-site seminars. There will be several
  seminars held on-site to make your experience as
  an assistant teacher the best that it can be for
  you, your mentor teacher, and your charges.

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My Mentor Teacher

• If I were you, I would like my Mentor Teacher to
  be exactly like my favorite teacher from
  elementary school

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My Mentor Teacher

• If I were you, I would like my Mentor Teacher to
  be exactly like my favorite teacher from
  elementary school
• And to be the spitting image of my ideal future
  self when I am a teacher

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My Mentor Teacher

• If I were you, I would like my Mentor Teacher to
  be exactly like my favorite teacher from
  elementary school
• And to be the spitting image of my ideal future
  self when I am a teacher
• And to be a model of all of the methods I will
  study in my TE classes.
• What is the probability of that?
• Reality - We will be working with ordinary human
  beings who are trying to teach school.
• 
  
• By Tom Bird

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What do Assistant Teachers do
Work with individuals or small groups of
students Read a story Lead morning routines
(attendance, lunch count, calendar) Monitor seat
work Listen to students read Help plan a field
trip and make arrangements to attend Prepare
bulletin boards Prepare materials for use in the
classroom Learn student names Keep a reflection
journal or personal log about classroom
experiences
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Observe gym, library, music, art, computer and
special education classes Look for ways to
help in the classroom and take the initiative to
ask your Mentor Teacher for suggestions Locate,
gather and prepare materials Assist in getting
students to line up Walk students to lunch, gym,
busses Collect homework Monitor students working
on computers Correct papers with Mentor Teachers
guidance Learn how to use school equipment
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MTTC
Michigan Test for Teacher Certification
Candidates for Michigan teacher certification
must pass tests designed by the State of Michigan
The competency exams are known as the Michigan
Test for Teacher Certification (MTTC). Elementary
interns (including special education and child
development majors) must pass, at minimum, the
MTTC test in Elementary Education (83) prior to
placement in grades K-6. For consideration for
an internship placement, teacher candidates must
take the required MTTC subject tests no later
than the April test prior to the internship year.