ELED 621 Practicum
Graduate Semester


Students in this practicum have had at least two others practicum experiences.  They are close to having their own classroom and should demonstrate initiative in requesting many opportunities to teach and conduct the business of classrooms.  As the cooperating teacher, you should be saying, "Yes, you have the mark of a beginning teacher."

What grades are used for this practicum?

  • Pre-kindergarten through sixth grade
    The grade level for this practicum reflects the grade level needed for the students to conduct their qualitative inquiry project (see assignments).

What is the goal of the practicum?

  • Understand the importance of continuous inquiry in the classroom to guide decisions a teacher makes

What is the focus?

  • Implementing a quality inquiry project while meeting the demands of teaching 

When does the practicum meet?

  • Two full days a week, either Monday/Wednesday or Tuesday/Thursday
  • Students are expected to arrive at least 15 minutes before the children and stay a minimum of 15 minutes after children are dismissed
  • See the attached policy guidelines for additional information

Note: teachers may request a student for each practicum session (M/W and T/TH) thereby working with two different JMU students.  However, only one student is assigned to a teacher for a sequence.  We request that practicum students NOT be placed in classrooms where a teacher will be working with a student teacher.

Who are the students?

  • JMU graduate students
  • They are completing the graduate portion of their program.  Because of the size of our ELED program, student teaching is held either fall semester or spring semester.  If a student has student taught in the fall, their ELED 621 practicum comes after that experience.  If a 621 practicum student is with you in the fall, she/he has not student taught yet. 

What additional JMU courses are they taking?

Depending on when the student is enrolled in ELED 621, the series of courses is slightly changed. Over the course of their graduate portion of the program, students take:  

  • ELED 510 - Creativity
  • ELED 533 Children and Math II: Data, Chance and Space
  • ELED 570 Learning and Teaching in Elementary School
  • READ 590 Reading Across the Curriculum
  • ELED 632 Inquiry in ELED
  • ELED 641 Families, Schools and Communities
  • ELED 690 Internship in Teaching
  • Elective - graduate level

What assignments do students typically need to carry out in the classroom?

  • Plan and teach at least once a week, collaborating with the cooperative teacher so that the lesson fits in the sequence of the curriculum.  These can be whole group or small group lessons.
  • Conduct their Inquiry Project for ELED 632 after consultation with the cooperating teacher.
  • Depending on the sequence of their graduate courses, students may need to conduct lessons specific to mathematics, creativity, reading/language arts, and/or integrated lessons across multiple disciplines.

What are the expectations for those involved?

Classroom Teacher

JMU Practicum Student

JMU Supervisor

Consult and collaborate with the JMU student as she/he teaches a number of lessons.  Some of those lessons will be course assignments; other lessons should emerge as the JMU student takes the initiative and asks to teach more frequently. 

Provide written and oral feedback to the JMU student at the conclusion of at least one lesson. 

Be willing to have the student implement his or her inquiry project in the classroom.  This willingness may be reflected in allowing the student to conduct specific lessons, having the student interview and observe the cooperating teacher teach, permitting opportunities for the student to talk with students (with parental permission, of course).

Complete a mid-term and final evaluation of the practicum student.

Plan and teach a minimum of one lesson each week.

Conduct the Inquiry Project.  Consult with the teacher about the inquiry project; adjust the project to reflect input from the cooperating teacher, if need be.

Support and assist the cooperating teacher at all times. 

Follow all of the policies and procedures established in the Handbook for practicum

Communicate within the first two weeks exactly what assignments must be carried out in the practicum classroom.

Work with the cooperating teacher to develop a schedule for completing the ELED assignments.

Show initiative by asking for additional opportunities to teach and take on more responsibilities for the operation of the class.

Consult with the teacher about the inquiry project; adjust the project to reflect input from the cooperating teacher, if need be.

Contact the 621 seminar instructor if questions or concerns arise.

Provide the cooperating teacher with a blank mid-term and final evaluation at least two weeks prior to due dates.  Return the completed evaluations forms to the seminar instructor.

Visit the class at least three times and conduct two formal observations with debriefing conferences and one informal visit.

Communicate with the cooperating teacher about the practicum student's performance - dispositions and skills.

Contact the ELED coordinator if concerns or questions arise.

 

 
  • It is intended that the JMU practicum students spend as much time in the classroom with the cooperating teacher, learning about children and teaching.  We realize that emergencies arise where clerical duties must be performed at that moment.  The JMU practicum student can assist the cooperating teacher in completing these tasks outside the classroom.  We would hope that these instances would be the exception, not the rule.
  • Our practicum students receive ample information about appropriate dress in public schools.  Cooperating teacher have the authority to send a practicum student home if she or he does not meet the professional standards for dress.  If a student is sent home because of dress, please contact Dorothy Sluss, ELED Coordinator, (slussdj@jmu.edu or 540.568.5537).


 


GENERAL PRACTICUM DOCUMENTS
Elementary Education Program

Student Profile Form
Policies
Lesson Plan Outline
Evaluation

 


ELED 621 DOCUMENTS

Practicum Descriptions

Letter to Teachers

Inquiry Project Rubric