Practice 3. Year, . 6 Term, 7 Period
Supervised professional training is varied and ensures that students gain experience of different aspects of the kindergarten teacher profession in a kindergarten field characterised by change, diversity and complexity.
Supervised professional training and academic studies will together help students develop knowledge, skills and general competence.
Supervised professional training will connect the different parts of the educational programme, prepare students for work in kindergarten, and help them understand children’s situation in the family and society. Supervised professional training is an integral part of the various fields of study in the educational programme.
The main perspective for supervised professional training during the third year of study is the ‘Management of children and kindergarten’.
Students must familiarise themselves and comply with the laws and regulations that apply to the university and the kindergarten conducting supervised professional training.
Students must anonymise all written communication/documentation that involves children and parents/guardians. When using video recordings, photographs, audio recordings, etc., special permission must be obtained from the child’s parents/guardians. Storage of the recordings must take place in accordance with the licensing provision for the kindergarten.
A ‘Declaration of Confidentiality’ must be signed by students at the start of studies and is submitted to the Service Office. If necessary, students must also sign a ‘Declaration of Confidentiality’ at their practice placement.
Passed 6th period of supervised professional training.
An approved certificate of good conduct is required from the police.
General learning outcomes that apply to all periods of supervised professional training:
KNOWLEDGE. Candidates
• have knowledge about kindergarten’s social mandate and have the ability to initiate and cope with changes, and be able to influence developments in kindergartens
• demonstrate the ability to reflect on kindergarten’s core values, their own and others’ attitudes and behaviour
• see a connection between theory and practice and can use academic literature and relevant theory in all work tasks
• have the ability to lead balanced pedagogical work, with the main emphasis placed on children’s formation, play and learning
SKILLS. Candidates
• can plan, carry out and assess pedagogical work in accordance with ethical requirements and guidelines
• have the ability to contact and interact with individual children, groups of children and adults
• have leadership and collaboration skills in relation to groups of staff, parents/guardians and other partners, as well as knowledge about the coordinators’ tasks
GENERAL COMPETENCE. Candidates
• have the ability to reflect on ethical challenges in the profession
• have the ability to assess themselves and are responsible for their own learning
• demonstrate responsibility for following up work schedules and agreements
Learning outcomes that apply specifically to the 7th period of supervised professional training:
Knowledge:
Candidates
• have knowledge about different management and organisation theories
• have knowledge about professional ethics and power relationships within a diverse kindergarten environment
• have knowledge about how one’s own management affects collaborative processes between children, parents/guardians, colleagues and external agencies
Skills:
Candidates
• can identify areas that require development work and see how structural and cultural conditions determine frameworks for management and development work
• Can lead, plan, implement and critically assess a delimited piece of development work in kindergarten, both independently and in collaboration with others
• Can motivate, supervise and critically reflect on development and learning processes in kindergarten
General competence:
Candidates
• Can lead pedagogical work and make decisions that lead to the development of kindergarten as a learning organisation
Scope of 7th supervised professional training period: 15 days in 6th semester.
Nord University allocates practice placements in municipalities with which the university has collaboration agreements. Supervised professional training is a compulsory part of kindergarten teacher education. Experiences gained by students during supervised professional training are the starting point for discussion and reflection in the programme of study. A clarification and concretisation of the work in connection with the periods of supervised professional training are stated in the training plan. 100% attendance is required regarding supervised professional training. The supervised professional training period must be passed in order to proceed to the next supervised professional training period. In special cases, the head of studies may decide on deviations from this rule.
7th period of supervised professional training. 6th semester
Assignment 1. Assessed and approved by the practical training supervisor:
• Supervised professional training contract (clarify expectations, work schedule for the period, supervision)
• Concluding meeting with coordinator focusing on cooperation and management
• Minutes from and reflections on supervision conversations, meetings
• Midway self-assessment
• Final self-assessment of the period
Assignment 2. Assessed and approved by the practical training supervisor:
‘Exercise of pedagogical management’
• Informal and formal observation related to planning development work
• Didactic planning of a delimited piece of development work in consultation with the practical training supervisor
• Pedagogical management
• Take over as pedagogical leader for 10 days and carry out a piece of development work (based on existing kindergarten plans)
Assignment 3. Assessed and approved by the lecturer.
• Reflection related to one’s own professional role.
An ongoing assessment takes place in consultation with the student during supervised professional training.
All assignments must be approved and available in Canvas after the applicable deadline.
Supervised professional training, individual, grading scale Pass/fail, represents 100%
Assessment is based on the students’ practical and theoretical work during the period of supervised professional training. 100% attendance is required regarding supervised professional training.
Educational institutions and kindergartens are learning arenas of equal importance that are jointly responsible for content, quality, progression and assessment in supervised professional training.
According to the Regulations relating to Studies and Examinations at Nord University, students are entitled to two attempts at supervised professional training. If the student fails to pass the supervised professional training course on the second attempt, the student’s admission to a course or specific programme of study will be revoked. Students who have not passed, discontinued or have received legitimate absence from supervised professional training must, as a general rule, attempt a new round of supervised professional training during the next ordinary implementation of the course. Supervised professional training must be passed in order to have the field of study approved.
