Student Teaching Practicum at Doherty Memorial High School

This paper summarizes the experience of a mathematics student teaching practicum at Doherty Memorial High School in Worcester, MA. Its intended purpose is to fulfill the requirements of the Interactive Qualifying Project at Worcester Polytechnic Institute and to present a case for the completion of the standards set by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. The paper begins by looking at the legal and historical aspects of education in Massachusetts, the demographics of Doherty Memorial High School and then delineates the five professional teaching standards and their satisfaction through the student teaching practicum. Finally, the classes taught are explored in greater detail to give the reader insight into the experience of teaching in an urban classroom