University Supervisor Responsibilities Related to the Student Teaching Program

The university supervisor is the most important connection for the teacher candidate. The university supervisor serves as a liaison between the site school and university. In addition, the university supervisor ensures the teacher candidate is given the opportunity to demonstrate skill as a reflective decision maker. The teacher candidate must be given ample opportunity to reflect upon the myriad of decisions and performances that come with student teaching. The decisions and reflections should be appropriately evaluated. Simply stated, the university supervisor should ensure that the teacher candidate is given every opportunity to succeed.

Moreover, it is the responsibility of the university supervisor to interpret for the cooperating school and teacher candidate all program and Missouri State University policies. If any unusual student teaching practices or problems exist, they should be discussed with the university supervisor. Problems should be broached by whomever they concern - the teacher candidate, cooperating teacher or administrator of the cooperating school. During visits to the school, the university supervisor will discuss with the cooperating teacher the work of the teacher candidate; observe the teacher candidate in a classroom situation and conference after the observation; request various written projects from the teacher candidate; and finally, the university supervisor will maintain contact with the school administrator(s) to secure reactions and suggestions regarding the operation of the student teaching program in the cooperating schools.

In certain instances, such as when a teacher candidate wishes to be absent for a reason other than illness, advance approval of the university supervisor should be secured. It should be noted that changing a teacher candidate placement and/or removing a teacher candidate from student teaching may be necessary. Circumstances may arise where it is in the best interest of the teacher candidate to be removed from a placement because of unforeseen issues that could be detrimental to a positive student teaching experience, or because of unsatisfactory progress and performance or violation of school and/or university policies.

Minimum qualifications

The university supervisor has 3 to 5 years experience in PK-12 schools and/or Educator Preparation. The university supervisor has the ability to interact, mentor, and communicate with teacher candidates and on-site supervisors. The university supervisor is also concerned for the individual and is specialized in supervision skills which enable effective teaching/learning practices to be observed regardless of the subject matter being taught. Missouri Educator Evaluation System (MEES) calibration training must be completed once per academic year.

I. Roles and Responsibilities related to Mentoring the Teacher Candidate

The specific roles and responsibilities of the university supervisor are given below. The university supervisor should:

  1. Discuss material in the Student Teaching Handbook emphasizing required items.
  2. Meet with the teacher candidate (TC) and cooperating teacher (CT) during the first week of each placement. A minimum of six visits per semester is required for each teacher candidate. The visits will consist of an orientation/initial visit with the teacher candidate and cooperating teacher the first week, a final visit with the teacher candidate and cooperating teacher the last week, and four observation visits in between. If problems arise, more visits may be necessary. Each visit must be documented.
  3. Require teacher candidates to prepare a lesson plan for every lesson taught according to the guidelines and format of the teacher candidates’ program. Lesson plans are necessary for teacher candidates to demonstrate competencies and reflective decision making of lesson delivery. Formal lesson plans make excellent artifacts, as they exemplify a broad array of the Missouri Teacher Standards (MTS) competencies, and should be readily available to the university supervisor at each visit.
  4. Observe and confer with the teacher candidate in order to improve instructional practices through field experiences in which the teaching/learning situation and related planning and evaluation activities are examined.
  5. Assist teacher candidates with negotiating transition of responsibilities and any other challenging dynamics that may arise.
  6. Supervise the completion of the teacher candidate mid-semester self-evaluation. Direct the student to review the completed mid-semester self-evaluation with the cooperating teacher.
  7. Advise the teacher candidate regarding completion of concrete documentation e.g. time sheets, lesson plans.

II. Roles and Responsibilities related to the Cooperating Teacher and Placement School

The specific roles and responsibilities of the university supervisor are given below. The university supervisor should:

  1. Assist the Professional Education Services office in the assignment of teacher candidates and recommend reassignment when necessary.
  2. Discuss the Guiding Principles and how they relate to student teaching with the teacher candidate and cooperating teacher, conveying to the cooperating teacher that the teacher candidate should be given opportunities to demonstrate the skills associated with the teacher as a reflective decision maker.
  3. Discuss material in the Student Teaching Handbook emphasizing required items.
  4. Meet with the cooperating teacher during the first week of each placement. Six visits are required for each placement. The visits will consist of an orientation/initial visit with the teacher candidate and cooperating teacher the first week, a final visit with the teacher candidate and cooperating teacher the last week, and four observation visits in between. If problems arise, more visits may be necessary. Each visit must be documented.
  5. Request that the teacher candidate receive an orientation into the school environment.
  6. Establish and maintain good relationships between the university and cooperating schools.
  7. Acquaint cooperating school personnel with the philosophy, objectives, organization and content of the teacher education program.
  8. Inform the cooperating teacher to evaluate the teacher candidate using the Weekly Progress Form found in Student Teaching Forms that can be accessed through and discuss the completed evaluation with the teacher candidate.
  9. Become familiar with the philosophy, objectives, organization and content of the cooperating school’s program.
  10. Work with university and cooperating school personnel in planning an appropriate program of experiences for teacher candidates, as required by the program. During the initial visit with the cooperating teacher, the university supervisor should emphasize the importance of the cooperating teacher’s mentoring role to the teacher candidate.
  11. Supervise the completion of the teacher candidate mid-semester self-evaluation. Direct the student to review the completed mid-semester self-evaluation with the cooperating teacher.
  12. Consult with cooperating teachers and other professionals in order to analyze the performance of teacher candidates and plan experiences that will lead to greater understanding and the improvement of teaching.
  13. Consult with cooperating school personnel on curricular, instructional, and organizational matters when requested.
  14. Cooperate with other university and school personnel in evaluating and refining the teacher education program.

III. Roles and Responsibilities related to Meetings and Professional Development

The specific roles and responsibilities of the university supervisor are given below. The university supervisor should:

  1. Participate in professional development opportunities as requested by the program coordinator.
  2. Participate in other activities designed to supplement and complement student teaching experiences.
  3. Communicate with program coordinators in order to remain current with specific content area requirements.

IV. Roles and Responsibilities related to Evaluation and Assessment

The specific roles and responsibilities of the university supervisor are given below. The university supervisor should:

  1. Complete the teacher candidate’s formative and summative MEES Teacher Candidate Assessment.  Final student teaching grades should be aligned with formative and summative MEES scores.
  2. Verify that all assessments and other evaluations are completed for each assigned teacher candidate.

Grading for Teacher Candidates