Kalamazoo College Education Department

STUDENT TEACHING INFORMATION

Student teaching at Kalamazoo College is an exciting opportunity to engage in the kind of experiences and research that are preparatory for both life as a classroom teacher and graduate study in the discipline of education. This is a program developed for students who are dedicated to the service of teaching at the middle or high school levels. The program is specifically designed for students who know their content areas well and are ready to show the maturity that classroom leadership demands. 

For an in-depth description of the student teaching experience, please click on the Student Teaching Handbook link below:

The Student Teaching Handbook

Application
Please fill out each part of the application form as completely as possible. It must be typed. By giving us this information, you are giving us permission to make electronic copies available. If you are accepted into the student teaching program, we will be sharing your application with future placement sites. Since this is in effect a job application, it will help form the first impression of you. Therefore, be sure to complete each section of the application linked below in a thorough and positive manner.

SECONDARY TEACHER CERTIFICATION PROGRAM APPLICATION FORM (PDF Format) (Word Format)

Additionally, you will need to register to take the Michigan Test for Teacher Certification (MTTC) Basic Skills portion before EDUC 490 and the Content Areas portion before you can request certification.  Online registration can be accessed through the link: www.mttc.nesinc.com

Acceptance
As part of the acceptance process, recommendations from your major and minor departments, an education department interview, two letters of recommendation, a strengthened electronic portfolio and your completed application will be taken into consideration. For example, your web site will serve as a resource for principals, mentor teachers and, later, potential employers to learn about your professional identity, your commitment to teaching, and your knowledge about the teaching/learning process. When we review your portfolio, we will be interested in how you express your intercultural understanding, including study abroad, courses and travel. If you have done a career development internship or gained academic distinction, we want to know that. You should even discuss all of your previous experiences with adolescents and children. You will be notified of acceptance in writing at the time of your initial placement.

Dismissal
The Chair of the Department of Education, in consultation with the Director of Student Teaching, will not accept students whose academic preparation, emotional maturity, or social interactions fail to show their readiness for independent classroom teaching at the secondary level. Further, the department reserves the right to dismiss any student whose performance in pre-student teaching (EDUC 490) or student teaching (EDUC 594) is not acceptable.