Information for Cooperating Teachers

Dear cooperating teachers: The School of Teacher Education sincerely appreciates your willingness to take part in preparation of the new generation of teachers. UNC places high expectations on its teacher candidates to be supportive, helpful, collaborative and punctual to aid in the cooperating teacher’s classroom environment and school.

Cooperating teacher qualifications are:

  • Valid Colorado license in the area of teacher candidate training.
  • For student teaching or comparable final field experience: At least three full years of full time professional experience in the area of teacher candidate training. All other supervision such as practicum: 2 years of experience.
  • Building principal or District approval; recognition as a master teacher or educational professional.

Cooperating teacher expectations vary across the programs; please check with program coordinators. Common expectations:

  • Meet with UNC faculty supervisor at the beginning or before the field experience.
  • Mentor teacher candidates, observe their teaching and provide constructive, detailed feedback.
  • Complete, sign, and turn in evaluation forms and other documentation (see appropriate handbooks).
  • Immediately contact UNC supervisor or program coordinator if you have concerns about candidate's professional dispositions.

Forms and information

Field Assessment Form

The Field Assessment Form (FAF) is used to evaluate Elementary and Early Childhood Teacher Candidates at various times during their field experience (see specific handbooks for details). The form can be copied from the handbook or be downloaded here.

Credit for supervision

All UNC cooperating teachers may receive graduate credit that can be applied toward re-certification for supervising teacher candidates. Simply fill out this form at the end of the semester (by April 1 in Spring, and by November 1 in Fall) in which you hosted a UNC teacher candidate, and mail it to: Lynette Kerrigan, CB 107, 216 McKee Hall, Greeley, CO 80639; OR fax to 970.351.1877, but do not do both. ** PLEASE NOTE: YOU MUST USE THE FORM AT THE ABOVE LINK - ANY OLD FORMS RECEIVED WILL BE RETURNED TO YOU ALONG WITH A NEW FORM AND THE PROCESS WILL BE DELAYED! Logs are no longer required. If the form is submitted before the above deadlines, you do not need to send payment with the form; UNC will bill you later at $50 per credit for processing. You are not being charged tuition for the credit(s). Normally, Extended Studies would charge $340 per credit.

*NOTE: if the form is submitted past the deadlines, you must send payment for credit processing PLUS a $25 late fee with the form.

UNC pays schools $80-$100 per teacher candidate as a supervision stipend. Payment for practicum or part-time supervision is sent to the school. Most building principals return the money to cooperating teachers in one form or another. However, we have no control over how these payments are distributed. Payment for student teaching supervision is paid directly to the cooperating teacher.

  • If you hosted a teacher candidate for 16 weeks, 5 days a week student teaching, mark the 2 credits on the form
  • If you hosted a teacher candidate for one of the following experiences, mark 1 credit on the form:
    • STEP 363 Secondary, 2 days a week
    • EDEL 445 Literacy Practicum, 2 days a week
    • EDEL 602, MAT: Elementary Education Practicum, 2 days a week
    • EDFE 554 Secondary Postbaccalaureate Practicum
    • Art, Music, PE Student Teaching for 8 weeks only, 5 days a week

Cooperating Teacher Resources

Books and Online Resources for Mentoring and Coaching Beginning Teachers

Books

  1. Mentoring Beginning Teachers: Guiding, Reflecting, Coaching  
    by Jean Boreen , Mary K. Johnson , Donna Niday , Joe Potts ($18.50 Amazon), Stenhouse Publishers (February 2000) ISBN-10: 1571103090
  2. Mentoring Across Boundaries: Helping Beginning Teachers Succeed in Challenging Situations by Jean Boreen, Donna Niday, and Mary K. Johnson (Paperback - Nov. 2003)
    ($18.50-Amazon), 214 pages  Stenhouse Publishers (November 2003) ISBN-10: 1571103775
  3. Being an Effective Mentor: How to Help Beginning Teachers Succeed by Kathleen Feeney Jonson
    ($33.95 Amazon) 224 pages Corwin Press; 2nd edition (April 17, 2008) ISBN-10: 1412940621
  4. A Better Beginning: Supporting and Mentoring New Teachers
    by Marge Scherer (Editor) ($25.95) 244 pages  Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development (ASCD) (November 1, 1999)
    ISBN-10: 0871203553  
  5. How to Help Beginning Teachers Succeed, 2nd Edition by Stephen P. Gordon , Susan Maxey, Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development (ASCD); 2nd edition (September 2000) ISBN-10: 0871203820

Online Resources: Mentoring and Coaching Beginning Teachers

Send suggestions to Dr. Brian Sevier.

rightcol1 rightcol 2