University Supervisor Responsibilities Related to the Student Teaching Program

Minimum qualifications 

  • three to five years experience in PK-12 schools and/or Educator Preparation 
  • a master’s degree in education or a related area 
  • live within 50 miles of the school where they are supervising 
  • the ability to interact, mentor, and communicate with teacher candidates and on-site cooperating teachers/mentors  
  • specialized in supervision skills which enable effective teaching/learning practices to be observed regardless of the subject matter being taught  

Roles and Responsibilities  

The university supervisor should: 

At the beginning of the semester 

  1. complete Missouri Educator Evaluation System (MEES) calibration training once per academic year. The MEES is aligned with the nine Missouri Teacher Standards and is similar to evaluations that school principals use to evaluate first-year teachers. The rubric reflects the transition from "knowing" to "doing" that is expected of teacher candidates during the student teaching semester. The MEES rubric scoring scale has five performance levels across a continuum. University supervisors will receive instructions on completion of calibration training and the assessment from the Education Assessment office.
  2. meet with each assigned student teacher by the end of the first week of the semester.
  3. serve as a liaison between the site school and university by establishing and maintaining communication and good relationships between the university and cooperating schools. 
  4. request that the teacher candidate receive an orientation into the school environment. 
  5. interpret all program and Missouri State University policies for the cooperating school and teacher candidate. 
  6. participate in professional development opportunities and activities as requested by the program coordinator. 

During the semester 

TC = Teacher Candidate, CT = Cooperating Teacher

  1. make six total visits –  
    1. one orientation visit the first week of each placement with the cooperating teacher (CT) and the teacher candidate (TC),  
    2. four observations in the classroom, and  
    3. one final visit with the CT and TC.  
    4. If problems arise, more visits may be necessary. Document all visits. 
  2. discuss the appropriate learning experiences for the TC, as required by the program, emphasizing the importance of the CT’s mentoring role to the TC during the initial visit with the CT. 
  3. discuss material in the Student Teaching Handbook with the CT and TC. 
  4. contact the program coordinator or the field placement specialist if their student is not placed in the content and grade level of the certification they are pursuing. For example, English BSED majors must be in a 9th-12th grade English content classroom. Please note, Elementary Education majors must complete student teaching in all four subject areas: English language arts, math, science, and social studies. 
  5. communicate with the field placement office and the program coordinator when it is necessary to change a TC placement and/or remove a TC from student teaching when it is in the best interest of the TC, because of unforeseen issues, because of unsatisfactory progress, or because of performance or violation of school and/or university policies. 
  6. require the TC to prepare a lesson plan for every lesson taught according to the guidelines and format of the TC’s program, reflecting Missouri Teacher Standards (MTS) competencies, and using Missouri Learning Standards. These plans should be readily available to the university supervisor at each visit. 
  7. discuss the work of the TC with the CT to plan experiences that will lead to greater understanding and the improvement of teaching and conference with the TC after each observation. 
  8. provide feedback about the TC’s decisions and reflections based on observations in a timely manner to allow the TC every opportunity to succeed. 
  9. ensure the TC is given the opportunity to demonstrate skills as a reflective decision maker.
  10. discuss practices and problems with the TC, CT, or administrator of the cooperating school as needed.  
  11. complete the TC’s formative MEES as directed by the Education Assessment office and discuss the results with the TC either before submission or within one week of submission.
  12. approve or deny instances submitted in advance by the TC when a TC wishes to be absent for a reason other than illness. 
  13. assist the TC with negotiating transition of responsibilities from the CT to the TC and any other challenging dynamics that may arise. 
  14. advise the TC regarding completion of concrete documentation as instructed by the program e.g. time sheets, lesson plans. 
  15. if required by the program, inform the CT to evaluate the TC using the Weekly Progress Form found in Student Teaching Forms and discuss the completed evaluation with the TC. 
  16. consult with cooperating school personnel on curricular, instructional, and organizational matters when requested. 
  17. communicate with program coordinators to remain current with specific content area requirements. 

At the end of the semester 

  1. complete the Teacher Candidate’s summative MEES as directed by the Education Assessment office.  
  2. align Teacher Candidate's final grades with formative and summative MEES scores. Send Teacher Candidate final grades to the instructor of record. See Grading for Teacher Candidates. (The recommended grade from Cooperating Teachers and University Supervisors are simply recommendations. The instructor of record for the student teaching course should determine a final grade based on the summative MEES scores, Cooperating Teacher and University Supervisor recommendations, and overall performance in student teaching. It is generally expected that the MEES score and course grade will be in alignment for each Teacher Candidate. In exceptional circumstances, these two evaluation elements may differ.)
  3. verify that all assessments and other evaluations, as directed by the Education Assessment office, are completed for each assigned Teacher Candidate. 

Teacher Candidate as a Substitute Teacher

Since the Culminating Experience is a state requirement for teacher certification, Teacher Candidates should be present in their assigned classes with the Cooperating Teacher as much as possible. If a need arises for a Teacher Candidate to serve as a substitute in their assigned school, each candidate must get permission from the Program Coordinator for their program. Teacher Candidates must only sub in their content area for certification, and they must be paid for the hours as a substitute.