Student Teaching

The final step to licensure

Our goal in student teaching is to ensure best practice, quality school placements which support the development of teachers who are competent in content skills, classroom management and knowledge of individual student learning needs. 

Through collaboration with school districts and cooperating teachers, we place about 500 to 700 future teachers to student teach in the last semester of their journey toward licensure. 

If you are interested in becoming a contracted school district or serving as a cooperating teacher, please contact deptteaching@uni.edu to verify that UNI has a contract with a school. If no agreement exists, we can start the processing of creating a contract, which usually takes 30 to 60 days. 

Teaching

Resources for Supervisors & Cooperating Teachers

Evaluation Forms

Available in Student Teaching Handbook

  • Two Week Evaluation Form 
  • Midterm Evaluation 
  • Final Evaluation 
  • Early Childhood Midterm and Final
  • Rubric for Evaluation
  • Disposition Evaluation Form

 

General Information

Available in Student Teaching Handbook

  • Observation Form With Standards 
  • Observation Form No Standards 
  • CT Mock Interview Regarding State Standards
  • Co-Teaching Models

 

Mentor Teacher Points for Renewal Credit Information

Iowa Student Teaching Centers

Greater Cedar Valley

Experience diversity of race, culture, socio-economic status and school types in 11 urban and rural school districts surrounding the UNI community.  

Coordinators: Beth Harris and Mary Beth Rygh

Aplington-Parkersburg
Cedar Falls
Denver
Dike-New Hartford
Dunkerton
Janesville
Jesup
Wapsie Valley
Waterloo 
Waverly-Shell Rock

Corridor

Student teachers in 19 area urban and rural school districts in the Cedar Rapids/Iowa City Corridor experience diversity in socio-economic status, English as a Second Language students and a true middle school program.

Coordinator: Leasha Henriksen

Alburnett
Anamosa
Benton Community 
Cedar Rapids
Cedar Rapids Xavier Catholic Schools
Center Point- Urbana Schools
Central City
College Community (Prairie)
Iowa City Schools/Coralville (PE only)
Iowa Valley (Marengo)
Linn-Mar
Lisbon
Marion Independent
Mt. Vernon
North Linn
Solon
Springville
Vinton-Shellsburg
Williamsburg

North Central

Student teachers are placed in schools from Charles City, Mason City and schools to the north where they gain the broadest, most practical experience in 14 public school districts plus several parochial school systems.

Coordinator: Kady Korbel

Britt-West Hancock
Charles City
Clear Lake
Forest City
Garner-Hayfield-Ventura
Hampton-Dumont
Lake Mills
Mason City
Nashua-Plainfield
Nora Springs-Rock Falls
New Hampton
North Butler (Allison, Bristow, Greene)
Northwood-Kensett
Central Springs (Manly, Nora Springs)
Osage (Osage, Little Cedar, Mitchell, New Haven and Orchard)
Riceville
Rudd, Rockford and Marble Rock
St. Ansgar
Sumner-Fredericksburg
Tripoli
West Fork

West Iowa and Omaha

A mix of larger cities — Omaha, Council Bluffs, Sioux City — and numerous smaller settings among the 30 districts comprise the West region. Various ethnic, cultural and religious backgrounds add to your experience in culturally diverse classrooms, including dual language programs. 

Coordinator: Katie Towler

AHSTW - Avoca
Alta-Aurelia
Atlantic
Boyer Valley
Cherokee
Carroll
Council Bluffs
Denison
East Sac
Exira-Elkhorn
Hinton
IKM - Manning
Kimballton
Lawton Bronson
Lewis-Central
Logan-Magnolia
Maple Valley Anthon Oto
Missouri Valley
OABCIG
Omaha (Public) 
Ridge View
River Valley
Riverside
Sergeant Bluff-Luton
Sioux City
Storm Lake
Tri-Center Neola
Treynor
Underwood
Woodbine
Woodbury Central

 

Southeast Iowa

Student teachers here work with diverse students in three types of public schools in the Quad Cities/Burlington region, where almost any academic major can be placed. The public schools include suburban, inner-city, and rural agricultural. Special opportunities include a K-5 bilingual program and a privately operated elementary school. 

Coordinator: Kelly Rohlf

Bettendorf
Burlington
Davenport
Clinton
Mount Pleasant
North Scott
Pleasant Valley

Greater Des Moines

Experience diversity of all kinds: schools of different sizes and different ways they organize classes; traditional and year-round schools; students from various cultures, languages and socio-economic backgrounds; and inner-urban, suburban and rural school settings among 13 districts. 

Coordinator: Melanie Hill

Adel-DeSoto-Minburn
Ankeny 
Bondurant-Farrar 
Dallas Center-Grimes
Des Moines (Public) 
Johnston
North Polk 
Norwalk 
Saydel 
Southeast Polk
Urbandale 
Waukee 
West Des Moines  

 

Central

Sixteen school districts in central Iowa, including Marshalltown, offer rural and urban settings with a variety of school organizational patterns and programs and varying mixes of cultural, socio-economic and religious diversity.

Coordinator: Steve VanderPol

AGWSR
Albia
BCLUW
Belle Plaine
BGM
Chariton
Colo-Nesco
Dysart (Union School District)
Eldora (South Hardin)
Gladbrook-Reinbeck
GMG
Grinnell
Grundy Center
Hubbard-Radcliff
Iowa Falls 
Knoxville
LaPorte City-Union
Marshalltown
Nevada
Newton
North Tama 
Oskaloosa
Ottumwa
PCM
Pella
South Tama
West Marshall

 

Northeast Iowa

Support from cooperating teachers and principals make student teaching in this region a positive experience. Placements are made in over 23 school districts primarily in rural settings from Decorah to Elkader with student enrollments of about 1,000. 

Coordinator: Neil Mullen

Andrew
Bellevue
Central (Elkader)
Dubuque
East Buchanan
East Dubuque
Edgewood-Colesburg
Clayton Ridge
Galena, IL
Independence
Maquoketa
Maquoketa Valley
MFL MarMac
Monticello
Starmont
West Central
West Delaware
Western Dubuque

[Northern Area]
Allamakee
Decorah
Eastern Allamakee
Howard-Winneshiek
North Fayette Valley
Oelwein
Postville
South Winneshiek
Turkey Valley

Northwest Iowa

Student teachers in this region, spanning from Fort Dodge to the Spencer area, teach in schools representing 33 school districts. Their classrooms have socio-economic and ethnic diversity, including growing Latino and Southeast Asian populations.

Coordinator: Sheryl Larson 

Algona
Eagle Grove
Emmetsburg
Estherville Lincoln Central
Fort Dodge
Graettinger-Terril
Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn
Humboldt
Kingsley-Pierson
Laurens-Marathon
LeMars
Manson–Northwest Webster
Marcus-Meriden-Cleghorn
MOC Floyd Valley
Pocahontas
Prairie Valley
Rockwell City
Sheldon
Sibley-Ocheyedan
Sioux Central
South O'Brien
Spencer
Spirit Lake
Webster City
West Bend-Mallard