Southern Utah University

Course Syllabus

Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Fall Semester 2025

Student Teaching (Face-to-Face)

SOSC 4980-01

Course: SOSC 4980-01
Credits: 3
Term: Fall Semester 2025
Department: HSOC
CRN: 32346

Course Description

This course is designed to give prospective History and Social Studies Student Teachers a capstone experience in working with public school students prior to making application for licensure in the State of Utah. Student Teachers are expected to serve in a teaching/management/leadership role in a public-school classroom under the supervision of a Mentor Teacher (at your assigned school) and Supervisor (Dr. Klein). The Student Teacher is expected to demonstrate competence in each of the targeted Utah Effective Teaching Standards. Student Teachers are also expected to complete the Professional Licensing Program of the SUU Education Department (aka the “PLP”). Upon successful completion and evaluation of Student Teaching, Student Teachers are recommended for licensure with the State of Utah, based upon their Major and area of concentration.

Required Texts

No texts or materials required. 

Learning Outcomes

  • To demonstrate competency in History and/or Social Studies content and content-specific pedagogy
  • To include school-based clinical experiences for a candidate to observe, practice skills, and reflect on teaching
  • To demonstrate a variety of instructional strategies to ensure that all learners develop a deep understanding of content areas and their connections and build skills to apply and extend knowledge in meaningful ways.

Course Requirements

*All of the below assignments have corresponding modules in CANVAS*

  • Schedule an Introductory Meeting with Dr. Klein within a week of beginning of SUU’s semester. Because some of you may begin before SUU’s semester, you are welcome to schedule this meeting before the semester begins.
  • Due September 3rd
  • Three formal observations of your teaching by Dr. Klein.
  • Observation #1 should be before September 12th
  • Observation #2 should be before October 17th
  • Observation #3 should be before November 21st
  • For each observation you will create and submit a lesson plan. These 3 lesson plans are submitted in CANVAS.
  • Please use the SUU Education Department lesson plan template
  • Dr. Klein will be observing you based on the skills outlined in the official PLP observation form, the “STER scoring sheet”
  • Both of the above documents are available on our CANVAS webpage
  • Schedule a Mid-point Meeting with Dr. Klein.
  • This should be within a few days of your 2nd observation by Dr. Klein.
  • Preferably we will sit down and chat immediately afterwards.
  • Due November 1st
  • Acquire a letter of recommendation from Dr. Klein.
  • After your 2nd observation you will request a letter of recommendation from Dr. Klein by completing a CANVAS assignment “brag list.”
  • Schedule a Final Meeting with Dr. Klein.
  • Due December 5th
  • Submit your finalized PLP portfolio to Dr. Klein or to a Professor in the Education Department for check-off

Course Outline

This is a Pass/Fail course:

Pass = Acceptable work. Assignments were insightful, coherent, analytical, and original. Lesson Plans incorporated social studies pedagogical techniques, primary sources, and higher level thinking skills. Meetings and observations with Dr. Klein were scheduled and completed by deadlines.

Fail = Unacceptable work. Assignments were incomplete. Lesson Plans were disorganized. Meetings and observations with Dr. Klein were not scheduled.

Instructor's policies on late assignments and/or makeup work

You will be on time, every day, prepared and professional.

You will communicate clearly with Dr. Klein as well as your mentor teachers.

You will meet all deadlines.

You will follow placement district/school policies and procedures.

You will represent SUU positively, professionally, and ethically at all times.

If there is a question or concern you will contact Dr. Klein immediately.

Attendance Policy

Regular attendance is required at all class meetings. You are required to notify the instructor if extraneous circumstances may necessitate an accommodation.

Course Fees

3 credits; $12 fee

ADA Statement

Students with medical, psychological, learning, or other disabilities desiring academic adjustments, accommodations, or auxiliary aids will need to contact the Disability Resource Center, located in Room 206F of the Sharwan Smith Center or by phone at (435) 865-8042. The Disability Resource Center determines eligibility for and authorizes the provision of services.

If your instructor requires attendance, you may need to seek an ADA accommodation to request an exception to this attendance policy. Please contact the Disability Resource Center to determine what, if any, ADA accommodations are reasonable and appropriate.

Academic Credit

According to the federal definition of a Carnegie credit hour: A credit hour of work is the equivalent of approximately 60 minutes of class time or independent study work. A minimum of 45 hours of work by each student is required for each unit of credit. Credit is earned only when course requirements are met. One (1) credit hour is equivalent to 15 contact hours of lecture, discussion, testing, evaluation, or seminar, as well as 30 hours of student homework. An equivalent amount of work is expected for laboratory work, internships, practica, studio, and other academic work leading to the awarding of credit hours. Credit granted for individual courses, labs, or studio classes ranges from 0.5 to 15 credit hours per semester.

Academic Freedom

SUU is operated for the common good of the greater community it serves. The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition. Academic Freedom is the right of faculty to study, discuss, investigate, teach, and publish. Academic Freedom is essential to these purposes and applies to both teaching and research.

Academic Freedom in the realm of teaching is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the faculty member and of you, the student, with respect to the free pursuit of learning and discovery. Faculty members possess the right to full freedom in the classroom in discussing their subjects. They may present any controversial material relevant to their courses and their intended learning outcomes, but they shall take care not to introduce into their teaching controversial materials which have no relation to the subject being taught or the intended learning outcomes for the course.

As such, students enrolled in any course at SUU may encounter topics, perspectives, and ideas that are unfamiliar or controversial, with the educational intent of providing a meaningful learning environment that fosters your growth and development. These parameters related to Academic Freedom are included in SUU Policy 6.6.

Academic Misconduct

Scholastic honesty is expected of all students. Dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent (see SUU Policy 6.33). You are expected to have read and understood the current SUU student conduct code (SUU Policy 11.2) regarding student responsibilities and rights, the intellectual property policy (SUU Policy 5.52), information about procedures, and what constitutes acceptable behavior.

Please Note: The use of websites or services that sell essays is a violation of these policies; likewise, the use of websites or services that provide answers to assignments, quizzes, or tests is also a violation of these policies. Regarding the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), you should check with your individual course instructor.

Emergency Management Statement

In case of an emergency, the University's Emergency Notification System (ENS) will be activated. Students are encouraged to maintain updated contact information using the link on the homepage of the mySUU portal. In addition, students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Emergency Response Protocols posted in each classroom. Detailed information about the University's emergency management plan can be found at https://www.suu.edu/emergency.

HEOA Compliance Statement

For a full set of Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) compliance statements, please visit https://www.suu.edu/heoa. The sharing of copyrighted material through peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, except as provided under U.S. copyright law, is prohibited by law; additional information can be found at https://my.suu.edu/help/article/1096/heoa-compliance-plan.

You are also expected to comply with policies regarding intellectual property (SUU Policy 5.52) and copyright (SUU Policy 5.54).

Mandatory Reporting

University policy (SUU Policy 5.60) requires instructors to report disclosures received from students that indicate they have been subjected to sexual misconduct/harassment. The University defines sexual harassment consistent with Federal Regulations (34 C.F.R. Part 106, Subpart D) to include quid pro quo, hostile environment harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. When students communicate this information to an instructor in-person, by email, or within writing assignments, the instructor will report that to the Title IX Coordinator to ensure students receive support from the Title IX Office. A reporting form is available at https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?SouthernUtahUniv

Non-Discrimination Statement

SUU is committed to fostering an inclusive community of lifelong learners and believes our university's encompassing of different views, beliefs, and identities makes us stronger, more innovative, and better prepared for the global society.

SUU does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex (including sex discrimination and sexual harassment), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, disability status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, military status, veteran status, or other bases protected by applicable law in employment, treatment, admission, access to educational programs and activities, or other University benefits or services.

SUU strives to cultivate a campus environment that encourages freedom of expression from diverse viewpoints. We encourage all to dialogue within a spirit of respect, civility, and decency.

For additional information on non-discrimination, please see SUU Policy 5.27 and/or visit https://www.suu.edu/nondiscrimination.

Pregnancy

Students who are or become pregnant during this course may receive reasonable modifications to facilitate continued access and participation in the course. Pregnancy and related conditions are broadly defined to include pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, lactation, related medical conditions, and recovery. To obtain reasonable modifications, please make a request to title9@suu.edu. To learn more visit: https://www.suu.edu/titleix/pregnancy.html.

Disclaimer Statement

Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.