FAQ

May I choose the teacher with whom I want to student teach?

The “Placement Choice Form” does not allow the student to indicate preferences for student teaching. Students may only request school corporations. However, since all placements are made by the Director of Student Teaching and Field Placement in coordination with school corporation personnel, there is NO guarantee that any request will be granted.

How am I notified about my final student teaching assignment?

You will be notified via electronic mail. The student teaching application form requests a permanent e-mail address so the Office of Student Teaching and Field Placement may contact you as soon as your placement has been finalized.

How long will it take for the Office of Student Teaching and Field Placement to make my placement?

The Office of Student Teaching and Field Placement relies on school corporation personnel to assist with all student teaching placements, therefore this process can vary from weeks to months.

May I make my own placement for student teaching?

No. The Student Teaching Application provides you with an opportunity to request specific choices, but under NO circumstances should individual students contact any school corporation personnel to assist with their own placement. Failure to follow this guideline may result in cancellation of your placement.

Which calendar do I follow for the semester?

Each student teacher follows the calendar for his or her respective school placement. The Indiana University Northwest calendar and schedule is not applicable for the credits applied to student teaching.

Are there specific requirements and expectations I will need to satisfy for student teaching?

Yes. Before the student teaching semester begins, all students are required to attend an orientation session with cooperating teachers and university supervisors conducted by the Director of Student Teaching and Field Placement. Students and teachers will be provided with all of the requirements and expectations as well as an opportunity for all questions to be answered.

Who will assess my student teaching experience?

Every student will be assigned a university supervisor who will work with the student and the cooperating teacher. Formative and summative evaluation forms will be completed by both the cooperating teacher and university supervisor to provide the student with documented evidence of his/her progress. Final course grades (S or F) will be assigned by the Director of Student Teaching and Field Placement.

Where do I find my G.P.A. for professional education courses?

Your current overall G.P.A. is listed on your transcript. However, each student must compute his/her own G.P.A. for professional education courses. Using the scale on the back of your transcript, each student should add up the equivalent grade scores and divide by the total number of courses. The classes to be considered in the professional education G.P.A. are all those on the bottom half of the program planning sheets.

How do I calculate my G.P.A?

To compute your grade point average (GPA), multiply the course credit hours by the grade value for each class. The result will be the credit points.  Next add all of the credit points and divide by the number of credit hours.

Example:  Assuming a student earns 3 credit hours per class the grade point average would be determined as follows:

Dividing the total number of credit points (33.0) by the total number of credit hours completed (12), the grade point average is 2.75 (33.0/12=2.75).

* Please note that each grade holds a point value.  Grade point values can be found in the graduate and undergraduate bulletins and on the back of official IUN transcripts.