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Cooperating Teacher Training Programs

Welcome to hosting our teacher candidates (i.e., student teachers) from the Initial Teacher Licensure Programs at LMU. Our candidates are well trained and ready to be in your classroom.

To prepare you for hosting a teacher candidate, we would like to give you some information/training about our programs and expectations, as well as information about cooperating teaching. At the end of the training you will find important paperwork that should be completed.

This training should only take less than 30 minutes, so we encourage you to read it carefully. If you have any questions, please contact the corresponding person below.

ITLU | Joy Collingsworth | 423.869.6403 | joy.collingsworth@lmunet.edu

MEd ITL | Rebecca Burleson | 423.354.5522 | rebecca.burleson@lmunet.edu

Step 1

Cooperating Teacher Training General - Powerpoint

Step 2

To be a Cooperating Teacher (CT) (i.e., mentor), there is some paperwork required. Most of the paperwork you should complete can be found online. Please see the document below for a Checklist of Required Paperwork with deadlines.

Checklist of Required Paperwork-Cooperating Teacher

Examples of Forms For Cooperating Teachers

Step 3

You may need a password for some of these forms. The password can be found in the document below. Please do not share this password with your student teacher.

Online Password

Step 4

Your student teacher will come into your classroom excited but probably a little apprehensive, too. We know that you will welcome him/her into the room. Below are some guidelines that will make that transition a little easier.

Welcoming Your Teacher Candidate

Step 5

At Lincoln Memorial University, we encourage co-teaching in order for our candidates to model what they are seeing in the classroom. This is a very effective strategy that is also recommended by our national accrediting agency. Below you will find information and examples of co teaching in the classroom. Please note: While we encourage co-teaching, this should not take the place of a student teacher taking over as lead teacher while in your classroom. Quite the contrary, the candidates should assume the major responsibilities in the classroom as soon as possible.

Co-Teaching Cooperating Teacher Training - Powerpoint

Co-Teaching Strategies and Examples

Step 6


Now that you have read through the online training information, here's the good news. For hosting our teacher candidates, you are paid a stipend at the end of the semester. The letter below explains this process, and the form should be completed and returned to the field supervisor for your student teacher at the beginning of the semester.

Stipend Letter

Please complete these sections of the W-9: name, address, social security number (NOT the employer ID number), signature (must be original, cannot be electronic), and date.

Example W-9

Step 7

Congratulations! You have completed the training!


Again, thanks for hosting our teacher candidates.

Without you, our developing future teachers would not be possible.