D720 Student Teaching II in Special Education is the final part of the two-part series at Western Governors University and a mandatory course for initial licensure candidates. Its final evaluation determines eligibility for licensure as a professional educator.
By now you are expected to teach with growing independence, support diverse learners and show an ongoing commitment to improving through reflection and collaboration.
Course at a Glance
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| University | Western Governors University |
| Code | D720 (check your degree plan) |
| Follows | Student Teaching I in Special Education |
| Evaluation | Final evaluation plus ongoing observations |
| Sessions | Professional growth, ethical decision making, self-care |
What D720 Covers
| Competency (summarized) | What evaluators look for |
|---|---|
| Ongoing commitment to improvement through reflection and collaboration | Working with colleagues, using feedback |
| Implements effective instruction and assessment | Content knowledge and pedagogy applied |
| Implements knowledge of learning and developmental patterns | Instruction that fits each learner |
| Implements professional dispositions | Ethical, reliable conduct |
| Reflects to create a professional development plan | Evidence-based next steps |
WGU says the evaluation assesses relevance and cultural engagement of activities, effectiveness in teaching each student, the ability to analyze and adjust methods, and willingness to explore new materials.
Ideas That Carry the Course
Independence with Support
Implementing means doing, not just describing. Plan, teach and assess lessons yourself while staying open to your mentor's guidance.
Assessment That Guides the Next Step
Show how you used assessment to adjust instruction, such as regrouping learners or reteaching a skill.
Example: After a short quiz on sight words, you notice two learners confuse similar words. The next lesson includes a targeted sorting game for them, and a re-check confirms whether the confusion has eased. Your reflection describes this chain in four lines.
Development Plan
Convert your strongest observations into goals, such as building consistent transitions, with an action and a measure for each.
Typical Work and Approaches
| Work type | What it tests | Approach |
|---|---|---|
| Teaching and assessment | Implementation | Plan, teach, check, adjust |
| Final evaluation | Overall readiness | Discuss criteria with your mentor beforehand |
| Sessions | Growth, ethics, self-care | Link takeaways to your plan |
| Development plan | Reflection into action | Few goals, clear actions |
Preparing for the Final Evaluation
The final evaluation is the single piece that decides licensure eligibility, so it deserves its own preparation. Nothing here is a trick; it is simply a way to make sure the evidence you have already created is easy to see.
Two or three weeks before the evaluation, review each competency and ask whether a stranger reading your materials would find a clear example. If not, plan a lesson or reflection that fills the gap. Talk to your mentor about what the evaluator will want to observe, and practice explaining your plan aloud in a minute.
| Check | Question to ask yourself |
|---|---|
| Instruction | Does my plan show a clear objective, activity and check for understanding? |
| Each learner | Can I name how I adjusted for different needs? |
| Cultural engagement | Is at least one activity genuinely relevant to the learners' lives? |
| Adjusting | Can I give a recent example of changing a plan mid-lesson or the next day? |
| Dispositions | Have I been prepared, on time and respectful in every interaction? |
On the day itself, teach the lesson you planned and be ready to explain choices calmly. Evaluators also see how you respond when something does not go to plan.
Writing the Development Plan
A development plan is not a wish list. Choose two or three priorities that came from your actual feedback, such as smoother transitions or more frequent data collection, and write one specific action for each.
For every action, add how you will know it is working and when you will review it. A plan that says "use a visual timer for transitions and track the time lost over two weeks" is far stronger than "improve classroom management". Keep the tone professional and forward-looking, and connect it to the ethics and growth themes from the synchronous sessions.
Where Students Get Stuck
- Fatigue. The final stretch is demanding; the self-care theme exists for a reason.
- Plans without evidence. Tie every goal to something that happened.
- Unclear accommodations. State what supports you used and why, without identifying learners.
- Leaving writing to the end. Draft as you go.
Study Tips for D720
- List the five competencies on one page and note evidence for each weekly.
- Seek feedback on a plan draft from your mentor.
- Use anonymized labels for pupils.
- Rest before your final evaluation day.
How We Help with D720
Send your prompts, rubric and drafts. We provide model examples, editing feedback and explanations. See the education assignment help guide for general support.
GradeEssays is independent of Western Governors University and cannot teach your placement, sit your evaluation or access your WGU account. Our work is study support within WGU's academic integrity rules, with free revisions and a full refund if late.
Prepare for the Final Evaluation
Share your Student Teaching I feedback and drafts. We give model examples and editing feedback.
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Frequently Asked Questions
WGU says successful completion of Student Teaching II is a crucial step in the licensure process because it determines eligibility for licensure as a professional educator.
Professional growth opportunities, ethical decision making and self-care.
Reflecting on your practice to create a professional development plan.
It is the final part of the series and moves from demonstrating to implementing, with a final evaluation.
The title matches; use the code in your degree plan.
No. We cannot promise outcomes; we provide study support only.