D717 is Student Teaching I in Elementary Education at Western Governors University, the first of a two-part series.
WGU calls it a mandatory course for all candidates seeking initial licensure, offering supervised classroom experience in a real-world setting. The BA guidebook lists it at 8 competency units and the MAT guidebook at 4.
WGU's student teaching page describes it as a full-time, supervised, in-classroom experience of a minimum of 60 days. The challenge is rarely the content. It is managing a full-time placement, accepting feedback and still producing the reflective evidence the course requires.
Course at a Glance
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| University | Western Governors University (WGU) |
| Course code | D717 |
| Level | Bachelor's or MAT, depending on program |
| Size | 8 CUs (BA) or 4 CUs (MAT) in the guidebooks |
| Placement | Full-time; WGU states a minimum of 60 days across student teaching |
| Extra requirement | Synchronous learning sessions in addition to the placement |
What D717 Covers
| Competency (WGU wording, summarized) | What it means in practice |
|---|---|
| Demonstrates effective instructional strategies and assessments drawing on content and pedagogy | Teaching and checking learning with purpose |
| Demonstrates effective practices supporting improvement through reflection and collaboration | Using feedback and working with colleagues |
| Demonstrates knowledge of students' learning and developmental patterns | Planning around who the pupils are |
| Demonstrates professional dispositions and ethics | Reliability, respect, confidentiality |
| Reflects on instructional practice | Learning from what happened |
WGU adds that the synchronous sessions cover communication and collaboration, accepting feedback, positive learning environments, and technology and online learning.
Key Concepts Explained
Feedback Cycles
Observers give feedback on your teaching. Strong candidates record the feedback, decide on one change and try it at the next lesson.
Example: Feedback: "Most questions were closed." Change: write three open questions per lesson in the plan. Evidence next week: a short note of how pupils responded to the open questions. This shows reflection leading to action.
Culturally Relevant Materials
WGU's description mentions exploring new teaching materials and methods that are culturally relevant. Show how you reviewed or changed materials so pupils see themselves in learning.
Positive Learning Environments
Routines, clear expectations and respectful language. Reflect on what worked and what you would change.
Typical Assignments and How to Approach Them
| Evidence | What it shows | How to approach it |
|---|---|---|
| Observations and evaluations | Teaching quality | Prepare plans in advance and ask what to focus on |
| Synchronous sessions | Professional learning | Attend, take notes and apply one idea each week |
| Reflection | Insight | Evidence, interpretation, change |
| Collaboration evidence | Teamwork | Describe a specific planning or feedback conversation |
A Competency-by-Competency Study Approach
- Instruction. Keep a lesson folder with plan, check and a note on the result.
- Reflection and collaboration. Log each piece of feedback and your response.
- Learners. Maintain a short class profile and update it.
- Dispositions. Note specific moments that show reliability and respect.
- Reflection. Write a short weekly entry rather than one long final piece.
Where Students Get Stuck
- Time. A full-time placement leaves little room for writing; schedule it.
- Defensiveness about feedback. Treat it as data.
- Missed sessions. Attendance at synchronous sessions is required.
- Reflection with no evidence. Cite what pupils did.
Planning Table
| Rhythm | Habit |
|---|---|
| Daily | Short note on one thing that worked and one to change |
| Weekly | Review feedback, set one goal |
| Before observation | Share plan, agree focus |
| End of course | Combine notes into final reflection |
A Weekly Rhythm for a Full-Time Placement
| Day | Habit |
|---|---|
| Start of week | Share the plan with your mentor and agree one focus |
| Daily | Two-line note: what worked, what to change |
| Midweek | Review pupil check results and adjust |
| End of week | Write a short reflection entry and set the next goal |
This is a suggested routine, not a WGU requirement. The aim is to prevent a pile of unwritten reflection at the end of the course.
Using Observation Feedback
After each observation, write down the two strongest and two weakest points in the evaluator's words. Choose one weak point and plan a specific change. At the next observation, show the change. Evaluators see growth when you can point to feedback received, action taken and result seen.
Making the Most of Synchronous Sessions
WGU requires attendance at synchronous sessions on communication and collaboration, accepting feedback, positive learning environments, and technology and online learning.
Treat each as a short professional development workshop: note one idea, try it in the next lesson and record what happened. Those notes become ready-made evidence for the reflection and collaboration competencies.
Study Tips for D717
- Plan writing time as firmly as teaching time.
- Ask your mentor for a short debrief after key lessons.
- Keep all documents anonymized.
How We Help with D717
Send the prompts, rubric and your own notes with identifying details removed. A tutor can explain what strong reflection looks like, edit your drafts, or write model reflections on invented scenarios. See our capstone help guide for wider support.
GradeEssays is independent of Western Governors University. We cannot teach in your placement or write reflections for submission as yours. Use our help as study support under WGU's integrity policy. Orders are written from scratch, with free revisions within the scope of your original request and a full refund if late. No pass is promised.
Strengthen Your D717 Reflections
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Frequently Asked Questions
Student Teaching I in Elementary Education, the first of two parts, per WGU.
WGU's student teaching page describes a full-time, supervised experience of a minimum of 60 days. Confirm details in your handbook.
8 in the BA guidebook; 4 in the MAT guidebook.
Yes, WGU says candidates must attend them in addition to their classroom placement.
Student Teaching II.
No. We tutor and edit your own work. You write and submit your own reflections.