* UOTeach Elementary

Join our Cadre of Elementary Cooperating Teachers

Cooperating teachers provide critical training opportunities for new teachers to engage, learn, practice, and develop instructional and community building skills. We value the generosity, advocacy, and professional expertise of Cooperating Teachers as part of our instructional team

UOTeach Eementary K-5 Placement Partnership
The COE places about 50 Elementary licensure graduate student teachers with local teachers. In most cases, candidates in the UOTeach program, are placed with the same educator from September through the June, allowing them to develop a student -teacher relationship before taking on increasing levels of responsibility in your classroom.

This yearlong placement helps candidates’ partner with their mentor in creating welcoming and collaborative learning communities, experience the breadth and intersectionality of instruction, and develop an understanding of the arch of the school year. Candidates spend the first half of the year as active observers, gain confidence and familiarity before gradually increasing their hours in your classroom and taking on the responsibilities of student teacher.

Here is the general outline of UOTeach placements:

STEPSOn-site hrsPurpose Supporting University Supervisor (US)Licensure task support stipend
Start of Year Active Observation (Aug/September)12-15 hours a week, 4-weeksCandidate starts when teachers go on contract. Mentor is to model classroom instruction and provide active observation, shadowing, assisting, tasks that help candidate become familiar with the classroom, school, and students. -
Active Observation (Fall Sept 26-Dec 8)10 hours a week, 11 weeksCandidates continues active observation and relationship building in the classroom. Mentor provides engaging activities, including assisting in materials preparation, group support, and practice tasks. Candidate may broaden their familiarity with the building by observing and helping in other classrooms, as needed or appropriate.-
Supervised Student Teaching (Winter, Jan 8-Mar 22) 20 hours a week (4 hrs/5 days), 11 weeksCandidate to be working closely with mentor in co-planning, instruction, and assessment. TSPC requires that they serve as lead/co-teaching in at least one class period for 6 of the 10 weeks. Assigned US guides candidate and mentor through licensure observation and evaluation tasks.Yes
Supervised Student Teaching (Spring, April 1-Jun 14)40 hours a week, 11 weeksUnder the direction of their mentor, candidate gradually transitions to full-time lead/co-teacher, planning, organizing, delivering, and assessing instruction. Assigned US guides candidate and mentor through licensure observation and evaluation tasks.Yes
  • Supervision: Candidates are assigned a University supervisor to assist in managing their student teacher experience and ensuring University and licensure requirements are completed.
  • Stipend: The UO provides a stipend to cooperating professionals, through their district, in terms where licensure evaluation and assessment tasks are required  (stipend 2024/25: *$172, **$325). Check with your HR Office to determine how and when these benefits are dispersed. Stipends are subject to regular tax deductions.

Cooperating Teacher Training

As a mentor, you have a community of support to help in preparing a new teacher for the field. We partner with your district to provide you with orientation and support resources. Prior to each term, the UOTeach Clinical Coordinator will invite you to a synchronous online training meeting to connect you with our team and introduce you to evaluation and assessment tools, tips, and tasks.
Other Oregon Teacher Mentor Training resources

TSPC Cooperating Teacher Minimum Approval Criteria / Qualifications (OAR 584-400-0145)

  1. Hold a qualified TSPC license.
  2. Meet the experience requirements (≥3 years).
  3. Meet related endorsement requirements.
  4. Be part of the UO COE instructional team, including the Clinical Placement Coordinator and University Supervisor to support successful development of a student teacher. This includes online training meetings.

District teachers earn stipend, tuition benefits, and professional development units, in terms where licensure evaluation and assessments are required. Check with your HR Office to determine how these benefits are dispersed.

JOIN OUR INSTRUCTIONAL TEAM:
To become a New or Returning cooperating professional, sign up through your district process.
(local district sign up form links: Bethel | Eugene | Springfield)

Benefits of Serving as a Mentor:

  • Having an active and engaged University student helper in your classroom the first half of the year, who then gradually transitions to more instructional co/team support for planning, organization, delivery, and assessment responsibilities.
  • Support of a subject area university coach for help guiding the teacher candidate through the experience and licensure tasks.
  • Connections to UO faculty & resources, PDU’s, a stipend, and access to reduced UO tuition vouchers.
  • District support / recognition for training and recruiting new locally connected teachers to the district’s teacher pipeline.

Mentor Roles & Responsibilities:

  • Attend pre-term online orientation meeting and/or review UOTeach Cooperating Professional training materials.
  • Orient your assigned candidate to school and learning community policies and procedures.
  • Provide a positive model of what it is to be an educational professional, engaged teacher, student advocate, and community builder for all students.
  • Ensure a licensed teacher is present whenever the candidate is in the presence of k12 students.
  • Learn from your candidate as they work to apply their ideas, new learning tools, and educational research to the practice of teaching. Help shape candidate’s skills and develop strength-based instructional practices; school assessments; family involvement; design and implementation of intervention; evaluation of intervention; interdisciplinary collaboration; and hands on applications.
  • Encourage and enrich candidates preparation for working with diverse populations and provide a range of intervention model experiences.
  • Demonstrate how to arrange an environment for learning, plan and provide effective instruction and student supports, provide relationship to general education, collaborate, and provide suggestions for how to deal with challenging student behaviors.
  • Mentor your candidate’s interests, experience, and knowledge as a professional educator. Provide proactive guidance and coaching to normalize teacher anxieties and learning opportunities. Include university supervisor in candidate communications for wraparound supports.
  • Encourage and include the candidate in on-site and external professional development opportunities.
  • Licensure observation and evaluation responsibilities
    • Have weekly meetings with teacher candidate to review student’s progress, give candidate informal feedback, and answer questions.
    • During student teaching terms, work with the assigned university supervisor to provide regular consultation, guidance, and support.
    • Observe and complete all required licensure observations and evaluations, providing feedback on meeting candidate requirements.

Pre-Service Candidate Field Placement

The UO works with field placement affiliated partners for approved cooperating professional placement opportunities. The clinical professor assigns students to placements based on several factors including faculty recommendation, the student’s interest and prior experiences, availability of sites, and transportation limitations.

A: Clearance: As a prerequisite to entering the field, the UO requires that in addition to satisfactorily meeting all program requirements, UOTeach candidates must complete the following:

  • Oregon TSPC E-Licensure clearance
  • Oregon DHS mandatory reporting of child abuse
  • Civil Rights and Professional Ethics training (includes FERPA & HIPPA)

Candidates are instructed to send an introductory email and initiate a get-to-know you meeting before the start of their placement.

B: Field Activities:

  • Observe, practice, develop, and demonstrate the competencies required for initial licensure.
  • Help enhance the overall operation of the program for children and their families.
  • Proactively take on instructional responsibilities under the supervision of the assigned cooperating professional.
  • Demonstrate initiative and independence in co-teacher planning, organizing, delivering, and assessing instruction.
  • Engage in self-reflection exercises by completing reflections of their practicum activities and evaluating their overall progress on competency areas at the middle and end of the term with their supervisor and cooperating professional.
  • Maintain professional disposition in alignment with state, university, and site codes of conduct, sensitive to their role in providing care, custody, and control of minors and other vulnerable populations.

Field Placement Instructional Team

Updated: 9/17/24