Field Experiences Mission and Diversity Commitment Statements

Field experiences at The University of Texas at Austin are an integral component of our teacher preparation programs, built on strong collaboration between school districts and colleges of the University. Our future teachers engage in purposefully crafted field experiences that cultivate depth of knowledge, research-based practices, and professional ethics. These experiences are designed to be sequential, cumulative, and performance-based, while preparing our graduates to implement and evaluate effective practices with diverse student populations in varied settings. As a result, teachers prepared at the University will master subject knowledge and pedagogical skills, work collaboratively with all stakeholders, develop dispositions to be active citizens, and offer their students the opportunity to develop these characteristics themselves.

Cooperating Teacher Characteristics for Quality Field Placements

(Originating from the Cooperating Teacher Agreement Form)

Updated 02.22.16

*Objective:* In order to provide supportive classroom environments for preparing pre-service teachers, cooperating teachers should *strive to exhibit* the following characteristics:

____	1. Teacher Performance
		Performs at the top levels of the district teacher appraisal
		The cooperating teacher demonstrates and models proficient use of academic English (and academic Spanish or other language, in bilingual classrooms)
		Follows through with job-related commitments

____	2. Professionalism
		Demonstrates behaviors that reflect commitment to ethical concerns
		Exhibits enthusiasm, flexibility and open-mindedness
		Teacher participates regularly in professional development about approaches to teaching and updates practices based on new knowledge.

____	3. Mentoring Skills
		Models and encourages self-reflective practices
		Promotes a collaborative and non-threatening environment where mistakes are the building blocks of learning
		Provides constructive feedback and praise
		Communicates effectively
		Receptive to new ideas and practices

____	4. Diversity
		The cooperating teachers’ actions are respectful of the numerous diversities within the school population and community (e.g., culture and language, economic status, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religion, physical and personal attributes and disabilities)
		Actively promotes student appreciation of diverse groups and cultures through curricula and instructional activities Utilizes culturally and linguistically responsive strategies and techniques to address the needs of diverse learners

____	5. Special Populations and Inclusive Settings
		Collects and shares student information in order to plan and implement differentiated curricula and instruction
		Demonstrates knowledge of federal, state and local policies/procedures
		Demonstrates knowledge of instructional strategies for all special populations served in the classrooms Works collaboratively with family members, and other support personnel to appropriately identify and address students’ individual needs

____	6. Technology
		Is or would be supportive of an interactive, technology-rich teaching/learning environment

____	7. Student Outcomes
		Demonstrates an ability to differentiate instruction to meet the needs of each and every student Continuously monitors student achievement and efficacy of instruction Uses student data to effectively plan and implement best-practice interventions.

Texas school-district personnel and University of Texas faculty collaboratively developed these recommendations.

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Commitment to Diversity

Teachers graduating from our programs will join the existing force of educators who have the dispositions and skills needed to be highly qualified and effective teachers of students from racial, ethnic, linguistic, or socioeconomic groups currently under-served by the education system. Our graduates will have the ability and commitment to recognize and respond to individual needs and differences, in order to support student success in school and life.