Experience It.

Refocus for Success

What is ‘Refocus for Success’?

Refocus for Success is a mandatory, one day seminar for student teachers who have earned an unsatisfactory (U) for 1 or 2 student teaching experiences.

Student teachers who have had difficulties with the student teaching experiences but have earned a satisfactory (S) grade are also invited to attend Refocus for Success, but are not mandated to do so.

When is Refocus for Success offered?

Refocus for Success is offered as follows.

  • Early January
  • Mid-March
  • Late August
  • Mid-October

The Refocus for Success Agenda

Refocus for Success has been streamline beginning the fall semester 2009. The seminar will be divided into three major components:

  1. The mini-lessons taught by student teachers in attendance. The mini-lessons provide the students with an opportunity to self-evaluate; to be critiques and reviewed by peers; and to better understand the link teaching has to Planning, Instruction, and Evaluation. [PIE]
  2. The second component of the seminar usually concentrate on 2 topics that focus upon specific student teacher needs such as classroom management techniques, professional responsibilities, or assessment strategies. The focus on a particular topic(s) will of course vary at each seminar meeting dependent upon the areas of student need. The areas of classroom management will be one of the topics that will be mandated.
  3. The third component of Refocus for Success is a personalized contract. The contract outlines specific expectations for the student teachers upcoming student teaching experiences, along with appropriate dates to achieve the expectations.
  4. The contract is developed by the Associate Dean, OSTC, SAGE Enrollment in consultation with the college supervisor and associate teacher and provided to the faculty member who will then meet briefly with each student teacher to review the contract.
  5. The contract must be signed by the student teacher before s/he may participate in a student teaching experience.
  6. A copy of the signed contract is then forwarded to the college supervisor, so that s/he is aware of the contract expectations.
  7. The Refocus for Success seminar begins at 9:00 am & concludes by 12:30 pm.

The student teacher's preparation for Refocus for Success

  1. In preparation for the seminar, a student teacher is expected to submit two written mini-lesson plans prior to the seminar meeting, using the Medaille College format. Each mini –lesson must include at least two of the four (4) components; literacy, mathematics, science, and social studies.
  2. Mini lessons submitted should be no longer than one page in length. The lessons can be introductory, developmental, reinforcement, and/or review. Examples of mini-lessons might include a “booktalk” a “vocabulary lesson” use of “map skills” or learning about “geometric shapes.”
  3. The mini lessons will take no more than 5-7 minutes to teach.
  4. Mini lessons ( one page plans) must be submitted to the OSTC office at least one week before the date of the Refocus for Success seminar.
  5. Student teachers are expected to have the mini-lessons in a binder/notebook for the Refocus for Success meeting, along with all materials required to teach the two lessons.