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Resources for Cooperating Teachers
This website is designed as a resource for cooperating teachers to access information and forms necessary to guide their student teacher. Additionally, the Clinical Supervisor is always available to support the cooperating teacher and student teacher. Contact the department faculty for more information.
Lycoming College Education Department Goals & Vision
Our mission at Lycoming College is to provide an academic program that produces reflective teacher practitioners who think critically about the many aspects of teaching and learning, creating frameworks that allow them to effectively teach diverse learners and to create learner-centered classroom environments focused on performance based instruction and assessments (see full statement on the college website).
In connection with Lycoming College’s mission statement, the vision of the Education Department Certification Program is to develop teachers educated in the diverse and broad-based traditions of the liberal arts. The Education Department is devoted to providing opportunities for creative work in teaching, research and community service. The Department embraces an approach to education that is student centered, inspires a genuine respect for learning, culture, diversity, and enhancement of individual and community life. Both faculty and students develop the ability to learn through collaboration, reflection and practice.
Through the program, student teachers are prepared to:
- Make effective decisions about curriculum and instructional methods based on an understanding of the whole child, child development theory and research on best practices.
- Interact and communicate effectively with young children to provide a standards-aligned developmentally, culturally and individually appropriate curriculum.
- Assess children’s growth and development using multiple data sources.
- Communicate effectively and work cooperatively with parents/families, school personnel and the broader community; and engage other professionals, colleagues and administrators in support of children as members of a learning community, thereby building relationships among the constituencies of the learning community.
The Lycoming Education Program is committed to preparing teachers to enter the diverse and demanding world in which they will practice their profession. A critical component of this commitment is the strong connection between the college and local public and private schools in the Lycoming County area. For this reason, all students will be assigned to cooperating teachers in the Lycoming County area. This connection provides shared resources, practicum, placement, opportunities for teacher research, curriculum planning, as well as many other professional development activities. In addition, the Education Department collaborates with many local pre-schools in the surrounding area.
One of the benefits of having local supervising faculty is the opportunity for frequent observations and conferences with each of you throughout the student teaching experience. The observation-conference-goal setting cycle is critical to your progress and ongoing professional development.
This handbook is updated yearly in accordance with Pennsylvania Department of Education guidelines.