Student Teaching
How do I apply for student teaching in Germany?
When you fill out your student teaching application, select Germany as your first choice for placement. When you scroll down the list of placements, this will be near the bottom of the list. Do not confuse it with the IU Overseas Germany placement. They are different programs! You will still need to make second and third choices as well.
Who is my University Supervisor?
This will change from semester to semester. Currently a faculty member from the Elementary Education Department goes during the fall semester and a faculty member from the Educational Studies or Secondary Education Department goes during the spring semester.
What are the fees?
It is actually not that much more than student teaching in the States. You pay for normal tuition and an additional field study experience fee. This fee varies depending on the number of students enrolled for the semester and the exchange rate. Apartments on the base are provided to you, so you owe nothing for housing during your student teaching semester. You can use the money you would have used for housing on TRAVEL! A semi-complete list of items you pay for include tuition, the field experience fee, food, and travel. An estimated expense can not really be given because travel, food, souvenirs, etc can be as expensive or as cheap as you want them to be. It all depends on you and how much you want to spend during the semester.
Where are the placements?
There are two elementary schools (Wetzel and Smith) and one high school (Baumholder American). The links to these schools can be found in the schools portion of this website.
How many students normally participate in the Germany student teaching experience?
There have been as few as 3 students and as many as 9. The university would like to have at least 5 go if possible.
What are my responsibilities as a student teacher?
This depends on your classroom, as each teacher is different. You will normally start small and be lead up to running the entire day solo. As far as Ball State goes, you will keep a journal, have benchmark conferences, present your portfolio at the end of the semester, do the LAMP project, and plan/teach a unit plan.
What is the LAMP project?
LAMP is part of the unit plan you will be completing during your student teaching semester. Basically it helps prove you know how to assess your student’s knowledge and plan instruction from their needs. More specific requirements about the project can be found on Ball State’s LAMP website.
More Information
What do I need to know about the unit plan?
The unit plan is at least a 10 day thematic unit. A big thing to remember is that you must use your theme to cover different subject areas. You use your theme to create around 7-10 lessons that you will teach your students. In addition to lesson plans, you create parent letters, vocabulary lists, learning centers, and display areas. This unit also must build up to and end with a culminating activity. At the end of teaching it, you will write a lot of reflections so it can be improved for the next time you use it. The unit plan is basically a time for you to be as creative as you can be with your lessons and really shine. Specific requirements for this unit plan will be explained to you by your university supervisor.
*DON’T PUT THE UNIT PLAN OFF!!! Since the unit plan and LAMP project are not due until toward the end of the semester, it is easy to forget about it. Teaching the unit plan is only part of it. A lot of planning should go into it and after teaching it is when the real work begins. Putting it all together takes more time than you think it will, so start early and do NOT procrastinate with this one! You have to balance this project with all of your other student teaching responsibilities in the classroom. It can be quite overwhelming and stressful, especially if you are in a time crunch.
What is my portfolio presentation?
At the end of the semester, you will present your student teaching portfolio to your principal, university supervisor, peers, colleagues, and classroom supervisors. It is a time for you to showcase all the wonderful things you have done over the semester. You will have at least 22 “artifacts” in your portfolio. These artifacts are anything you have done throughout the semester that will help you prove your understanding of the INTASC Principles. Some other items in the portfolio are your philosophy of education, school demographics, classroom management plan, and unit plan. A more specific outline of the portfolio requirements will be in your Student Teacher’s Portfolio Handbook.
Do I need to buy any books for my student teaching semester?
Yes. You can find them at the Ball State Bookstore.
1. Evaluation of Student Teachers Guidebook (You need to buy two copies of this book. One will be for you and one is for your classroom supervisor)
2. Student Teacher’s Portfolio Handbook
What is a benchmark conference?
Benchmarks are done around every three weeks to monitor your progress as a student teacher. In your Evaluation of Student Teachers Guidebook, there are spaces provided on each page for you to write comments about how you are doing within each element of the INTASC Principles. You and your teacher will separately fill these charts out and then come together to talk about your progress. It is a good way for you to concretely see how you are doing in student teaching according to you and your classroom supervisor. It also gives you definite areas that you can work on for improvement.
When will I see my university supervisor?
Often! Depending upon how many students are at the high school and elementary schools, your supervisor could be in your building at almost all times. It is an amazing opportunity to have a Ball State faculty member as a resource whenever you need them.
Can the Germany experience be used in my honors thesis?
Absolutely! Simply talk with the professor you are working with for your thesis. Many previous Germany student teachers have used their experiences for their honors thesis projects.
Why the Germany student teaching experience?
You will:
-have a semester to travel throughout Europe
-gain experience with the DODDS schools system (this can lead to potential job opportunities)
-be immersed in a staff with a diverse previous experiences
-be working with highly qualified educators
-have a unique student teaching experience that will look great on your résumé
-never have a chance to live in Europe at a cheaper rate
How is student teaching in Germany different than student teaching in the States?
Diversity: Your classes will have students from many different backgrounds, cultures, countries, and experiences. You will also encounter many students who are ESL.
Terra Nova: This is what students take in place of the ISTEP. It is administered in the spring.
More Information
Standards: Instead of State Standards, you will use DODEA Content Standards. They are very similar to the standards you have worked with in the past.
DODEA
Technology/Resources: The elementary schools in Germany have resources and technology you might not get to work with if you were student teaching in the States.
The most exciting new technology in some Baumholder classrooms are Smart Boards.
Smart Tech
Military Lifestyle: If you have never had experience with military schools, there will be a few things to get used to. Normally one parent is taking care of the family while the other parent is deployed or in the field. This adds a different dynamic to the families, schools, and community you will be living in. Your students will also constantly be absent or moving. There is no attendance policy in DODDS schools. When parents come back for R & R or block leave, often students will be gone for significant periods of time. This can make it difficult to keep students caught up with the class. Military students have concerns that you might not be used to addressing in your experience with students from the States. Do your best and if you ever need advice on specific cases, never hesitate to ask the staff how you should handle them. The most important thing to remember is to constantly let your students know how much you care about them!
Travel: You are encouraged to spend time traveling! If you were student teaching in the States, you would definitely not have a chance to experience what you will while in Europe. There is so much to see and learn!