Instructional Leadership, emphasis: K-12 School Leadership (MEd)
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  1. NAU
  2. COE
  3. Practicum supervisor resources

Practicum supervisor resources

Please review some of the resources available to COE practicum supervisors.

Student teacher sitting on a desk in front of classroom.

Expectations of practicum supervisors

  • initial meetings
  • communication
  • observations
  • summative evaluation

First steps as a practicum supervisor

  1. Finalize your syllabus (you may augment the syllabus, but not remove content or assignments in the syllabus as these are minimum expectations).
  2. Contact the teacher candidates in your practicum course through Louie.
  3. Teacher candidates should send an introductory email to their mentor teacher and copy you.
  4. Schedule the initial meeting between you, the mentor teacher, and the teacher candidate, preferably before the latter enters the classroom. Distribute the handbook and observation materials to both prior to the meeting.
    • discuss expectations
    • finalize the teacher candidate’s schedule
    • discuss observations
    • answer questions
  5. Schedule a mandatory meeting that includes all of your teacher candidates at the beginning of the term.
  6. Communicate at least monthly with the anchor faculty/partnership lead and mentor teacher regarding the candidate’s knowledge, skills, and dispositions. Address concerns as soon as they are noted to allow time for the candidate to progress.
  7. Follow the dispositional process in the handbook when concerns arise.

Suggested observation timeline

  1. Send an email to the teacher candidate and mentor teacher five days in advance to confirm.
  2. Require a lesson plan three days in advance from the candidate and pre-conference prior to the lesson.
  3. Observe the teacher candidate.
  4. Hold a post-conference after the lesson.
  5. Send both the mentor teacher and teacher candidate a written summary of the post-conference notes within one week.
  6. The teacher candidate will write a reflection of what they learned during their teaching session.

Required assignments:

  • practicum fieldwork notebook with all elements (see the practicum fieldwork handbook)
  • NAU dispositions self-assessment (see the practicum fieldwork handbook)
  • letter to mentor teacher
  • completion of hours, attending required meetings, and an overall satisfactory evaluation from the practicum supervisor in conjunction with feedback from the mentor teacher and from formal observations

Optional assignments:

  • reflections (lessons and practicum experiences)
  • classroom procedure form
  • ATR modules and videos
  • professional development workshops
    • AZ K–12 Center
    • district-level workshops
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Practicum fieldwork notebook

  • Teacher candidates are expected to create a practicum fieldwork notebook for each practicum experience, using a binder or digital format as instructed by the practicum supervisor.
  • The goal of this notebook is to be a ready tool of resources for each placement as well as a record of growth as the teacher candidate progresses through each practicum experience.
  • The teacher candidate builds their notebook during practicum one through five.
  • Several digital notebook options are available; please connect with the practicum supervisor for more details. Teacher candidates can choose whichever format they prefer.
Student teacher writing on a stack of post-it notes.

Placement data

  • Each semester, practicum supervisors are asked to provide placement information for each practicum course they are assigned to. This data is used to send the summative evaluations at the end of the term.
  • Collecting placement data through Microsoft Teams.
  • You will receive the placement data request from the practicum coordinator and an invitation email to the “practicum – [semester, year]” team, then use your NAU email and password to log in to Teams.

Additional resources

Submitting mileage reimbursement

Mileage reimbursement is paid for statewide practicum supervisors or for those traveling a certain distance outside of Flagstaff.

How to submit mileage:

  1. Complete travel training. Visit NAU Travel Training to view Spring dates and sign-up information.
  2. Complete a Travel Funding Request Form each semester. This must be completed prior to traveling or you may not be reimbursed.
    • Estimate the number of trips you will take each semester.
    • Submit the form to Julie.Ellsworth@nau.edu prior to your first trip. She will review, complete funding information, and sign. Julie will use this form to create your travel ticket.
  3. Keep a mileage log of your travel and submit the log to Julie, who will upload it to your ticket. This is a mileage log specific to the practicum; don’t use the form on the COE website.
    • You may submit the mileage log to Julie monthly or at the end of the semester.
  4. Complete your Annual Travel Certification Form prior to your first trip.
  5. Be approved as an authorized driver by completing the Authorized Driver Training prior to your first trip.

Name badges

  • Practicum supervisor name badges:
    • Provide new supervisor information to the following contacts including name, complete title, and shipping address (if statewide).
  • Teacher candidate name badges:
    • Requests should come from Leads and Anchors (or in some cases the Practicum Supervisor) and go through the department contact above.
    • If a student has a name change or loses a badge, they should contact All Awards directly to arrange payment and shipping. The cost of additional badges is not covered by the program.
  • NAU–Yuma funding requests:
    • Please route through John Georgas, Vice Provost for Academic Operations.