Was not recommended?

So I just a call from my consultant today from the teaching program I'm in and just found out I was not recommended, which caught me by surprised. Now I just finished student teaching back on November 20 and had four visits from a facilitator who critiqued me on teaching. He didn't have any problems with me and the guy has been a teacher and principal for x amount of years, so he's been around the block. He addressed a few things but they were pretty minor and assured me I doing a good job. He also did not get any information from my mentor teacher or the principal saying I was having any kind of problems during my tenure student teaching.

Now I admit I was having problems at the beginning with classroom management, but who wouldn't have problems who's never done this before? I'm not some pro who's done this thing for 15 years, but I listened to the mentor teacher and improved. He even observed me, critiqued me, talked to me about the things he saw, and sent the report to the teaching program I'm in. But if the guy was having a problem with me, especially by mid October or even November before I left, he should have told me what was going on. But he didn't say a word to me, nor did the principal say a word to me, and I left on the 20th of November thinking I did a pretty good job. The mentor teacher and the principal did not even contact the teaching program I'm in to voice their concerns that I wasn't doing an adequate job. Nor did they communicate their concerns about me to the faciliator who observed me for four times. He was shocked when he was informed sometime last week that I was not being recommended.

How in the world am I supposed to know how I'm doing or what I need to improve on if no one doesn't say anything to me and keeps everything bottled up to themselves until after I leave? Just plain horrible unprofessionalism on their parts.

So now I can email my facilitator and do an exception of policy where she and another person can review my time as a student teacher and the notes my consultant made when he watched me for 4 times and recommended me, or I would have to do another 3 to 6 weeks of student teaching and pay another 500 dollars.

I'm just so upset (I could use a more colorful word) that this thing has happened and I'm just now finding out about this. I'm beyond dumbfounded.

Can someone explain to me how this thing happened? Any teaching vets want to throw out their 2 cents because I need opinions on this.

 

I'm so sorry this has happened to you. It really doesn't sound fair.

Did they give you details on why you weren't being given a reccomendation? When you say that you were having troubles with classroom management--what sort of troubles? What grade level were you student teaching in?

 

I'm sorry this is happening to you. Can you discuss with a supervisor the reasonings for why you weren't recommended? Maybe email your mentor teacher and principal to find out...did you happen to ask them for letters of recommendation?

 

I taught 8th grade history. The reason why I wasn't recommended was I wasn't responding to the needs of the students.

For classroom management, it was about trying to get the students to settle down and do their work. However, this was at the very beginning of the year and was not a problem with me by October or November. If it was a problem, the facilitator who observed me four times would have addressed it with me.

 

I find it highly unprofessional that you were treated this way. I will be getting a student teacher next semester and I am going to make it a point to remember to give plenty of updates so they know how they are doing. I don't want this student teacher to get the same surprise as you!

 

If I was doing such a lousy job, they should have told me, the facilitator, and the teaching program I'm in that I wasn't improving.

Caught me by surprise.

 

Classroom managment is something that develops when you've been in the classroom for awhile..I see this between the two teachers I work with: one is a new teacher, the other has been doing it for awhile. They basically have the same classes (they teach SS/Science) and the classes act totally different between the two teachers. What do you mean you weren't meeting the needs of the students?

 

ryhoyarbie, I am sorry to hear that this has happened. It sounds as if you kept up your part of the bargain -- by acting on advice that was given to you -- and as if your evaluator(s) did not communicate in a timely or forthright way.

My one suggestion would be to make a radical change if the policy exception isn't granted or the review isn't successful. You've learned something about the people you were working with -- those at the school where you were placed, and those associated with your teaching credential program. If you have to repeat your student teaching experience, can you transfer, and do it under the auspices of a different teaching credential program (and/or in a different school)? You would know, going in, what to look for in the people you would be choosing to work with.

Most impotantly, do not be discouraged and do not let anything stand in the way of your goal of becoming a teacher.

 

Apparently I wasn't responding to students questions and helping them when I was teaching. I guess I was in la-la land and avoided all the students who needed help. Yeah that's what happened.......:huh:

I can get the program I'm in to review my work and the four observations the facilitator made about me and possibly override what the mentor teacher and principal said and get recommended. But if that doesn't pan out, I would have to student teach another 5 weeks at another school and pay an additional 500 dollars, not to mention get observed again a few more times.

 

I'm not saying that this is true in your case, but sometimes the issue isn't that you were doing a horrible job the whole time, it's that you didn't improve, especially after being given direction or notified that XYZ was an area where you needed to improve.

What specifically do your observations say? Can you post a few of the statements that might be neutral or negative? Were you ever placed on any sort of improvement plan?

Do you have copies of all your observations and evaluations? Gather all those items, and anything else you think demonstrates that you were doing a good job and improving while student teaching.

In any event, it sounds to me like you should have this situation overruled, provided that you have all the documentation you need. If that doesn't happen, 5 weeks and 500 bucks sounds like a lot and a big hassle, but it really isn't all that bad. You can do it if you have to.

Good luck, and keep us posted!

 

I got all the observation sheets from the person who observed me, and have the observation report from the mentor teacher.

Here's what the facilitator who observed me four times said.

Observation 1, October 1: Always have a warm-up activity. Always have suppliment material for students who finish early. Play the whole room and be mobile. Provide students with classroom expectations.

Observation 2, October 30: Monitor the classroom and hallway as students arrive. This sets the tone for your expectations and the classroom's environment. Good job for writing the page numbers on the board for students work because this saves valuable class time.

Observation 3, November 13: Classroom management is improving. Avoid down time in getting papers from students. Good power point presentation.

Observation 4, November 18: Good transition into assigned groups. Most students remained engaged in the activity. Redirect more often on some students and reassign them or seperate if they're having problems.

Here's what the mentor teacher wrote when he observed me on October 12:

Make sure you see raised hands. A few students became frustrated thinking they were being ignored. Even if you are bombarded, let each student know you will do your best to answer their questions in due time. Try to answer why lesson is being taught. Standing in front of the class was effective when the class became disruptive. Be sure to mention consequences because of their actions. Ask higher order questions and make students explain their answers. Be sure to give a clear time on the completion of the assignment. Don't stress and have fun with the students to help engage them.




Those are the things that were written by the facilitator and the mentor teacher and the dates when I was observed. It's the little things that needed to be corrected. The facilitator wrote satisfactory on everything he saw on all four of my observations.

Also, I was not given any documentation stating I was having a problem, nor was I informed or put on some sort of plan by the mentor teacher and principal.

 

I also emailed the mentor teacher and asked why I wasn't informed that he was having a problem with my teaching and that I am concerned about this problem.

However, I don't think he'll reply back to me.

 

Make an appointment with the director of Student Teaching.

Bring all that documentation with you.

Ask, politely, whether, in light of all this positive feedback, there's a chance the grade was a mistake.

 

Are you totally against another round of student teaching? It would probably be a good thing for you. You could practice the things your CT said you need to work on, get a new CT (hopefully someone who will guide you and help you), and you can get a new grade and recommendation. I hope you can sort this whole thing out! Good luck!

 

I could do another round for 5 weeks, but that will cost another 500 dollars. I feel I did the best job I could have done and if there were any problems the mentor teacher and the principal should have addressed any issues they had with me and document those problems. But they didn't and that leads me to be suspicious of them.

 

According to the email I got yesterday from the mentor teacher, he did not know he was supposed to communicate my progress with the teaching program I'm or even talk to the facilitator who observed me for four times.

He wasn't contacted by the program until sometime last week where he ws given an evaluation card showing a rating of not meeting the standards, developing, or proficient in four categories including classroom managerment and curriculum. The evaluation card said to be recommended, the student teacher needed to be proficient. The mentor teacher said I was developing in those four categories but was not proficient, so there for I was not recommended.

I think the mentor's thinking was I needed to proficient and strong no matter what based on what the instructions said on the evaluation card. But the problem is no one can be proficient at any job with just under two months under their belt. I'm not using that as an excuse on my part, but just stating the obvious. I don't think anyone here can say they were great at teaching with just two months into their first year. Perhaps what the program I'm in wanted the mentor teacher to do was to recommended me even though I'm still developing and that they know I'm not going to be proficient yet but will in the future after x amount of years.

So I don't know. I need to talk to the representative I have in the program I'm in some more now that I think I know where the mentor teacher's logic was. I probably would have done the same thing if I were the mentor teacher, maybe.

But what a mess.

 

I'm so sorry for this disappointing experience. I don't have any more suggestions. I hope you get everything worked out.

 

Has your cooperating teacher ever had a student teacher before? It doesn't sound like he has had much experience with student teachers.

 

He had a student teacher last year and she's working at the same school. However, he might not get another student teacher or might decline if offered another one because of what has happened with me.

I'm also surprised the head principal did not communicate anything with me or with Region 11, and she's been at that school for 16 years. So I don't know what her excuse is in all of this.

 

Okay so the consultant I have talked to me a few days ago and she said that I'm going to do another round of student teaching for another six weeks and the facilitator who observed me for the four times previously wants to observe me some more, so I'm going to let him. It's going to be free of charge too. The consultant said the principal and mentor teacher messed up, did not communicate with her, the principal did not communicate with me, or evaluate me.

I told the consultant I don't care who she sets me up with, as long as it's in driving distance of where I live (don't want to end up driving 20-30 minutes) and that the mentor teacher needs to have 10-15 years worth of teaching and needs to have several student teachers in the past. The mentor teacher I had only has been teaching four about 5 years and only had one student teacher before me.

So that's the story of this entire mess. The consultant said out of the four years she's been doing this that this is the second time this has happened. :woot:

 

I'm glad you got some sort of a resolution, and one free of charge. It stinks that you'll have to do more student teaching, but it WILL give you a peek at another teacher's room, more contacts, and more experience.

 

This sounds like it was nightmare for you.... but hopefully this experience will be much better and you'll be able to look back on student teaching positively rather than the negative experience you had.

 

I am hoping that your new experience will be better for you! I do think that part of the success of student teaching is finding a CT who you click with.

 

It seems as if the card that had to be filled out contributed to the problem, as well as the mentor teacher not having enough experience to know what "progressing" meant in this situation.

Of course you would be "progressing" for the exact reasons you stated. Good teachers are always progressing in some areas of teaching, no matter how many years they've taught. Perhaps he just didn't understand that "progressing" meant "not passing" in this situation.

You're going to have to decide to not be annoyed anymore, even though you had a right to be. But now, it's time to try and let it go, and shine so much on the next session that the reports will be glowing. It will only help all the way around. Prove them wrong, sister! Go get 'em! ("mutter....mutter...I'll show them... grrr...mutter....mutter!") That would be my attitude, anyway.

 

I have a feeling that doing some additional student teaching will really be a blessing!

Go get em tiger! Impress the pants off of your new CT!

 

I'm sorry about the circumstances surrounding your student teaching, but USE this opportunity to get more experience, more letters of recommendation, and best of all, this will give you time to work on the minor issues now so when you are in the job market, those issues don't hold you back.

This could be a great experience for you. Every moment in the classroom gives you valuable experience and that experience will show in job interviews. It may end up being a blessing in disguise. As you said, two months of teaching experience isn't that much but when you are vying for a job against veterans, you need all the experience you can get!

 

Thanks for the support. I'm pretty much over the fiasco that happened last month. That was last month, last year. I'm already ready for my next venture where ever that will be and ready for an additional six weeks.

Just waiting for where I have to report to for my next assignment.

 

Sounds good! Good luck ryhoyarbie!

 

UPDATE:

The school district I student taught at, which is the same one I went to as a kid, decided to not let me to do anther round of student teaching. Boo hoo.......Their reason? They said I needed a "fresh start". Whatever that means.....

The teaching program I'm in tried another neighboring school district in which another teacher I know said she would help me, but the school district does a year long student teaching program and wouldn't accept me since it is February.

So the consultant who is helping me trying to find another placement is calling a few more neighboring school districts.

However, if she can't find anything for me by late February, she and her boss will review my case again and possibly recommend me.

Oh and my consultant has contacted the principal at the school I student taught at at least 3 times and still can't get a hold of her. Perhaps the principal is trying to avoid my consultant altogether because she knows she messed up, perhaps........

 

I'm sorry that you are still struggling with this issue. I don't have any more advice...just want you to know that I'm thinking about you.

 

Okay, I start at another school district, Garland ISD, this Monday on the 22nd doing 5th grade. The teacher only knows I have done student teaching at another middle school but doesn't have any other information and I'm keeping my lips sealed.

I met with the teacher today for an hour and talked about school, where she grew up, yadda yadda, and we talked about 5th grade and her class, and after an hour I met with the students (27 of them) and then said see you all on Monday.

I also emailed the mentor teacher a few days ago and told her about myself and all of that.

I also met with the principal, assistant principal, the other 5th grade teacher, a 4th grade teacher, a 1st grade teacher, and some of the office staff.

And I wore a shirt and tie when I went to the elementary school.

Bottom line, I hope this isn't another screw up in the end. Based on what I have learned since the last student teaching experience, I'm determined it won't be.

 

Thanks for the update and best wishes on the student teaching in the 5th grade.

 

Wow! That is a mess....

 

wow - How are things going with the new student teaching placement? Well I hope...... Garland is a great district.Let us know.....

 

I'm really sorry to hear of all the trouble you've been having. I too am getting another placement after having a pretty horrendous ST experience with the MT writing that I had no business being a high school teacher and my university supervisor doing nothing to refute her words or offer other encouragement.

I had my meeting with the program people and it looks like I will go do more observations at another school to get more exposure AND come under the wing of another university supervisor who has taught me and thinks highly of me. Need that to rebuild my confidence and psyche.

Hang in there, sometimes a fresh start is what you need!

 

Thanks for the support.

The student teaching gig for the 5th grade class is doing pretty good. The mentor teacher and I talk a lot about lessons (lesson planning is tough as nails for me since I've never done it before and it takes a while for me to form out a plan on what I want the students to do), things I'm doing well in and things that need to be improved, etc.

However, coming into this 5th grade class towards the end of the year and only being there for 6 weeks as proven somewhat difficult, that and many of the students aren't that respectful, although some are. The mentor teacher is saying I'm doing fine though making minor problems a rookie would be making.

The facilitator who observes me (who also observed me during my first placement last semester) wants me to be more energetic like an award show host and making sure classroom problems are kept to a minimum, such as no talking, redirecting all students to stay on task, rewarding those with praise when they do what I've asked, etc. Basically he wants me to bring my A-game on the next time he visits me.

In my own opinion, I think I'm doing an average job (although I grade myself pretty hard).

 

being a teacher really is like being on stage - kids are excited when you are.

 

Ah, so I had the all mighty principal come and pay me an visit a few days ago and she observed me. After school she called me in with the head teacher I'm assigned to and told me straight off that based on what she has seen from me with the times she's come in (I only thought she's seen me this one time) that if there was a job opening at her school next year she wouldn't hire me. Great. Good confidence booster. She told me some areas to work on and that's all.

I think by this point that I probably need to move on to something else. I have two weeks left and already emailed my faciliator, who comes out and observes me, that despite the constant help he and the mentor teacher give me that it seems that it's not working out and I just don't think I can improve to the level they want me to be at. He emailed me back and wants an emergency observation with me this coming Monday and wants to talk. He also emailed the mentor teacher and told her he was coming on Monday. He also got an email by the principal with the observation she had with me a few days ago.


Don't know if the principal meant what she said, if she was having a bad day, or if she was trying to rattle my cage, but either way it didn't help me.

I already told the mentor teacher that I don't know if I can improve to the level everyone wants me to be at and emailed the faciliator explaining why I think I need to do something else. The mentor teacher asked if I was going to stick around for the two weeks I have left with her or if I was going to just leave. I said I'd stick around and do my best but told her what the principal told me didn't help me.

 

oh I am so sorry to hear that. And I agree - why criticize without trying to help. I hate that there are schools like that.