PROFESSIONAL SEMESTER PROGRAM
DEPARTMENT OF ELEMENTARY EDUCATION
KUTZTOWN UNIVERSITY

Professional Semester Core Assignments for Completion in the Field

Note to Cooperating Teachers:  During the field experience component of the Professional Semester Program teacher candidates are required to complete specific core assignments. The core assignments are capstone activities designed to address specific accreditation standards across all sections of each methodology course. In general, teacher candidates are asked to plan, implement, and evaluate a lesson within each subject area. The Professional Semester faculty recognizes that Kutztown University’s teacher candidates are guests in the schools. Teacher candidates are instructed that, for all core assignments completed during the field component of the program, the nature and content of learning activities are to be decided in conjunction with the cooperating teacher.  Any activities or lessons implemented by the teacher candidates are to be based, first and foremost, on the school curriculum and the needs of the students. 

Requirements for All Field Assignments: All Professional Semester core assignments are due on or before the Thursday of the sixth week of field experience. Each core assignment is to be submitted to the professor teaching the course for which the assignment was completed. Lesson plans submitted for core assignments are to be detailed written lesson plans in KU lesson plan format. Additional directions for each assignment will be provided in class by the instructor of each course prior to the end of the on-campus component of Professional Semester.
 

ELU 306 - INTEGRATING PRINCIPLES OF LEARNING

The teacher candidate is required to demonstrate competence in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of instruction.  This competence will be judged by the Professional Semester faculty based on formal and informal observations, as well as feedback from the cooperating teacher.  The Professional Semester faculty and the cooperating teacher will independently complete formal lesson observations and final evaluation forms. The teacher candidate will complete a self-evaluation form.

Please note that the due date listed above does not apply to final evaluation forms. It is the teacher candidate's responsibility to be certain that the following forms are submitted by no later than the date of the exit conference held during final exam week: formal observation by cooperating teacher (lesson plan attached), formal observation by a university faculty member (lesson plan attached), final evaluation form completed by the cooperating teacher, and self-evaluation form completed by the teacher candidate. The Professional Semester faculty’s final evaluation form may be completed during the exit conference.
 

ELU 301 - FUNDAMENTALS OF READING INSTRUCTION II

The teacher candidate will plan and implement one reading comprehension lesson appropriate to the grade level and in accordance with district curriculum. The teacher candidate will use prescribed reading comprehension lesson design.
 

ELU 302 - CHILDREN'S LITERATURE

 The teacher candidate will complete a project involving the use of children’s literature in the classroom. Project requirements include use of a variety of literary forms, genre, quality selections, and the creation of a text set.
 

ELU 303 - LANGUAGE ARTS

The teacher candidate will develop and teach an integrated language arts lesson. Evaluation strategies appropriate to the grade level are to be used and the teacher candidate will submit an analysis and reflection.
 

 ELU 304 - SOCIAL STUDIES IN ELEMENTARY EDUCATION

The teacher candidate will develop and teach one integrated social studies lesson appropriate to the district curriculum and grade level.
 

ELU 308 - MATHEMATICS FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS

The teacher candidate will develop and teach two or three lessons in a strand of mathematics appropriate to the grade level assigned. The teacher candidate will develop an appropriate assessment activity or rubric, collect data and analysis of lessons in terms of student performance, and submit analysis of data to instructor for review.