Cooperating Teachers
A key element in preparing teacher candidates is the time they spend in the classrooms with professional teachers. We call these professional teacher-mentors cooperating teachers. Interested in becoming a cooperating teacher? Explore the requirements and expectations of this rewarding role below!
Cooperating Teacher Requirements
The Florida Department of Education and the University of West Florida require that all cooperating teachers meet the following criteria:
- Be certified in the subject area they teach
- Have received an effective or highly effective rating in their most recent year of service
- Have a minimum of three years of teaching experience
- Have completed the current Clinical Educator Training
- Have taught in their current grade or subject area for at least one year
- If hosting a Student Teacher, hold a reading certification or endorsement
Cooperating Teacher Responsibilites
As a cooperating teacher, you play a crucial role in mentoring and coaching teacher candidates as they develop their skills in the classroom. Your guidance helps bridge the gap between theory and practice, ensuring that candidates gain the confidence and expertise needed to succeed as educators.
Your responsibilities include:
- Modeling and sharing research-based best practices to support effective teaching and learning.
- Gradually releasing teaching responsibilities to the candidate at appropriate stages, allowing them to gain hands-on experience.
- Providing actionable, targeted feedback focused on growth and continuous improvement.
- Maintaining open communication with the university supervisor, sharing progress updates, and collaborating as needed to support the candidate’s development.
Your mentorship is instrumental in shaping the next generation of educators, and your commitment to fostering a supportive, professional, and growth-oriented learning environment makes a lasting impact on both teacher candidates and their future students.
Courses Requiring Cooperating Teacher Support
The following courses include a cooperating teacher component.
Candidates complete 15 hours of classroom observation. Cooperating teachers make themselves available to answer questions.
During their 100 hours in the classroom, candidates observe, assist, and teach at least two lessons. Cooperating teachers serve as mentors by providing coaching, guidance, and opportunities for candidates to support both small groups and the whole class. Additionally, cooperating teachers offer support for the candidates as they plan and deliver their two required lessons.
Candidates observe, assist and teach a minimum of three lessons during their 75 hours in the classroom. In addition, they will complete 25 hours focused on ESOL with corresponding activities. Cooperating teachers provide coaching and mentoring as opportunities for candidates to assist small groups and whole-class and provide support for candidate's three lessons and ESOL activities.
Candidates observe, assist and teach a minimum of three lessons during their 100 hours in the classroom. Cooperating teachers provide coaching and mentoring as well as providing opportunities for candidates to assist small groups and whole-class and provide candidate support to teach three lessons.
Candidates are in the classroom for an entire semester, all day, every day, with teaching responsibilities after a brief time of observation. They are required to be in full control of the class for a minimum of 6 weeks. Cooperating teachers provide coaching and mentoring as well as support so that the candidate can take on full teaching responsibilities.
Candidates are in the classroom for an entire semester, for a minimum of fours hours every day, with teaching responsibilities after a brief time of observation. They are required to be in full control a minimum of three class periods for a minimum of 6 weeks. Cooperating teachers provide coaching and mentoring as well as providing support so the candidate can take on the full teaching responsibilities.
