Practicum in Special Education in Jewish Day Schools, Grades 1-6

Catalog description

Candidates complete 50 hours of observations in a General Education classroom at the grade 1-3 or grade 4-6 level. Students also complete 100 hours of observations in a Special Education classroom (inclusion classes with strong special education components are acceptable) at the grade level not used for the General Education requirement. Certified teachers complete 25 hours of observations in a General Education classroom at the grade 1-3 or grade 4-6 level and also complete 25 hours of observations in a Special Education classroom (inclusion classes with strong special education components are acceptable) at the grade level not used for the General Education requirement. All observations are done in accredited schools with the involvement of appropriately certified supervising or cooperating teachers who submit student evaluation forms at the conclusion of the semester. Cooperating teachers should have a Master’s Degree and a minimum of three years teaching experience. Over the course of the field experience and practicum courses, some work is done in a high-need school or a school serving a high-need community. Students keep time sheets of their hours, maintain logs in which critical incidents are recorded and analyzed, respond to questions about elementary school education, analyze lesson presentations of cooperating teachers observed, and complete two term papers. The course also includes scheduled group meetings. An assigned Touro University faculty member meets with students at their field experience sites and evaluates student work for the course. (Please note: This course must be taken in the last semester of study.)