Advice+about+fieldwork

The Warren Wilson College Teaching Candidate is a reflective innovator serving in communities with heart, head, and hands. ____ __Advice About Visiting, Observing and Working in K-12 Schools__ As a guest in a local school -- public or private, traditional or alternative -- you may discover a different set of norms and expectations from the comforts of the Warren Wilson campus. These guidelines should: Whether you plan to be a future public schoolteacher or not, whether you intend to teach away from North Carolina or in a different context, you must be very sensitive to the requirements described below. **__Students who cannot respect these guidelines cannot participate in__**__**fieldwork at schools**__. By request of Asheville City Schools and Buncombe County Schools, the WWC Fieldwork Coordinator will make initial contact for placement. Your first contact after orientation should identify your assignment and purposes in visiting; it should request specific dates and times **__no less than one week in advance__**. You are to give your host teacher your phone number, and you should expect to make a follow-up/confirming call. Principals are generally hard to reach on the first call: you should leave a clear message ("I want to confirm that it is okay for me to arrive on XX date and see XX class," etc.) often the secretary or other office worker can relay a message and confirm your approval. **__It is a very bad idea to arrive at a site unexpected, because you are likely to be turned away (having wasted your__** __**time)**__**.** __2. Keeping Appointments and Demonstrating You are Conscientious and Responsible__ Even the most carefully made contacts can be botched by late arrivals or missed meetings. Leave plenty of time to find a school -- and a place to park. The Education Department maintains a collection of maps and direction sheets to aid your navigation. Double check that you have the phone number of the school and the name of the person you are to meet. If you are in a long-term assignment, ask your host teacher for a calendar of his/her scheduled field trips, testing days & school closing days. If you **must** be late or change an appointment, call and apologize. Never simply skip an agreed upon visit or observation; this is rude. It is likely to cause your host to think you are not seriously interested and not worthy of future arrangements. It is also possible that the individual would hold your irresponsibility against other WWC students. It is worth noting that you can be perfectly organized and punctual and responsible and things can go wrong. Teachers have been known to forget to warn WWC students about field trips, testing days, and other schedule changes. These surprises can be frustrating and inconvenient, and the only real recourse is to understand the enormous number of pressures and competing interests that teachers must balance.
 * Help individuals make the best possible impression on those who may be future employers, colleagues, or friends;
 * Assure the college maintains its good reputation and that future students enjoy a welcome and easy access to school sites throughout the area (your hosts are our colleagues and friends);
 * Protect both undergraduates and K-12 from misunderstandings or other difficulties regarding safety and appropriateness.
 * 1) __Making Arrangements -- initial arrangements are usually made by the Education Department’s Administrative Assistant or the Education Faculty member__

__3. Dressing Appropriately and Other Miseries of Being a Grown-up__ K-12 students can be very easily distracted. They can be public – and even LOUD – with their judgments of your dress, hygiene, jewelry, etc. Different schools have different written and unwritten expectations and it is in your best interest to overdress until you become a part of the community. Think about the impression you want and need to make. For Asheville City and Buncombe County Schools: No dreadlocks, bare bellies, cut-offs, facial piercing. Buncombe County also expects NO blue jeans. It is amazing what a difference wearing a jacket (tweed or linen or corduroy, for instance) can make when you are trying to be treated as an adult. In most cases shorts or very short skirts are not appropriate. Visible piercings (other than ears) are likely to draw unwanted attention and can be disruptive. T-shirts may be too casual; remember that most schools prohibit advertising for alcohol or tobacco or other provocative designs. Be clean and odor free. If you smoke, beware of strong odors. __4. Maintaining Your Attitude and Being Ready for Weird Moments -- Professional Demeanor as a Role and a Safety Net__ One of the greatest difficulties about operating in a school as an undergraduate is that your status is not always clear. You may find yourself in situations where kids are testing your authority to make them do something, behave decently, follow directions, etc. There are no formulas for dealing with these tests. The best advice is that you make sure that you are **a role model and a responsible person -- not a parent, and not a friend.** Kids have been known to ask embarrassing personal questions, sometimes just to watch a visitor squirm. Younger students may want to hug you, sit on your lap, and otherwise claim you as their own! Be aware of what's appropriate in the classroom, and act in line with those expectations. With older students, especially high school ones, be very careful to maintain an appropriate physical and social distance: adolescents have been known to take advantage of the awkwardness as you try to act as an adult/ authority. Most students are happy to have you around. Be careful in your new role, but don’t let that keep you from getting to know the school and the people in it. __5. Don't Make Promises You Can't Keep__ Please be aware that students may ask if you will be back, ask if you will promise to keep working with them indefinitely, etc. Even if your intentions are good, be careful about what you say you will do. A teacher may change your assignment -- ask you to tutor a different child, or work with a different group of students. Try not to set kids up for disappointment in you. You do not want to make offers you will later regret -- volunteering time or efforts that become difficult to fulfill. Don't let your enthusiasm for a setting or a classroom run ahead of what you can manage. __6. Appropriate Follow-up and Building Your Own Reputation__ A quick thank you note at the end of your ten weeks is appropriate (addressed to the principal and the teacher, usually). If you have promised to share your written report or other work that results from your visit, you should do so.
 * __YES we believe you should appraise yourself and perhaps reign in your personal style.__**