Dear Teacher Candidates,

As you continue with Practicum Mondays and prepare for your upcoming practicum block, we want to provide clarification on several areas where questions have recently arisen.

This information has also been shared with your Practicum Advisors so that we are working from the same expectations and information across placements. Our goal is to provide clear and consistent guidance as you move through your practicum experiences. Practicum is an important part of your development as a teacher. Along with planning and instruction, it is an opportunity to develop the professionalism, communication, responsibility, and reflective practice expected of members of the teaching profession.

📝 Learning Logs

• Teacher Candidates are not required to submit learning logs for Practicum Mondays, unless your Practicum Advisor has specifically requested them to support reflection, growth, or an identified area of need. If your Practicum Advisor asks for this on a Practicum Monday, you need to complete it.
• Learning logs are intended to support reflective practice during the practicum block and should be completed during that placement period.

🍎 Practicum 1 Teaching Load Expectations (first practicum course): To clarify the 25% teaching-load expectation for P1:

• You are expected to teach a minimum of 25% of your Mentor Teacher's daily instructional load.
• This expectation applies each practicum day and is not averaged across the practicum block.
• By the middle to end of the first week, you should be teaching approximately 25% of the daily instructional load, with responsibilities increasing as appropriate based on your readiness and placement context.
• The 25% teaching load is a minimum expectation, not a maximum. When appropriate, you may take on additional responsibilities related to planning, instruction, assessment, reflection, and other professional duties.

Your Practicum Advisor and Mentor Teacher will support your development throughout the placement, but you are also expected to take an active role in your growth and gradually assume greater professional responsibility. The same approach applies to subsequent practicum courses with higher teaching-load expectations: the required percentage represents the minimum daily teaching expectation for that practicum and is not intended to be averaged across the practicum block.

💬 Questions & Consistency of Information: Your Practicum Advisor and Mentor Teacher are important sources of mentorship and support throughout your practicum experience. At the same time, questions regarding practicum policies, procedures, teaching-load expectations, attendance, assessment processes, placement requirements, or other practicum expectations should be directed to the Practicum Office when clarification is required. When you are unsure, please ask. Seeking clarification directly, communicating professionally, and taking responsibility for understanding the expectations of your practicum are important parts of your professional development.

A Few Things to Keep on Your Radar: As you prepare for your upcoming practicum block, here are a few things to make sure are on your radar:

🍎 Teaching Percentage
Have you talked with your Mentor Teacher about how you will meet your required teaching percentage during practicum? Having this conversation early will help you plan for a gradual and successful transition into your teaching responsibilities.

📅 MTS PD Day
Have you decided which MTS PD Day session you plan to attend and reviewed the registration information? Be sure you know what you need to do in advance so you are prepared for the day.

🎨 Extracurricular Involvement
Have you decided on or started exploring how you will become involved in an extracurricular activity at your practicum school? Extracurricular involvement is part of the practicum expectations and is a great opportunity to connect with students and become involved in the broader school community.

🌱 Moving Forward

We encourage you to communicate openly with your Mentor Teacher and Practicum Advisor and to reach out directly to the Practicum and Partnerships Office when questions or concerns arise. Developing the confidence to ask questions, seek clarification, advocate for yourself appropriately, and take responsibility for your professional obligations are all important aspects of becoming a teacher. Our practicum documents are living documents and will continue to evolve as we refine processes, respond to emerging needs, incorporate new information, and improve clarity and consistency across the program. Please ensure you are referring to current practicum information and communications throughout the year.

🌟 Wishing You Well

We hope your Practicum Mondays are providing opportunities to build relationships, learn about your school community, and become more comfortable in your placement. Make the most of this time to ask questions, observe, participate, and prepare for the practicum block ahead. We wish you all the very best as you continue your practicum journey and look forward to seeing you grow in confidence, experience, and professional practice.

💬 Questions? Come See Us!

If you have a practicum question or just want to check in, come see us in the Practicum and Partnerships Office outside of your class time. We would love to connect with you in-person!

All the best,

Thomas Chaput, Director, and Tara Baxter

Practicum and Partnerships Office

Faculty of Education, University of Manitoba

Practicum.Education@umanitoba.ca

204-474-8865