D739 Student Teaching I in Special Education at Western Governors University is a supervised classroom experience where you demonstrate professional ethics, collaborate with experienced teachers and implement instruction rooted in learners' developmental patterns.
This page focuses on feedback. WGU says candidates receive ongoing feedback through observations and evaluations and are expected to reflect on their commitment to professional practice, adjust their methods and try culturally relevant materials. How you handle that feedback is the heart of the course.
Course at a Glance
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| University | Western Governors University (WGU) |
| Code | D739 (the title also appears under D719 in our listings) |
| Series | First of two student teaching courses |
| Core activity | Supervised teaching with observations and evaluations |
| Also required | Synchronous learning sessions |
The Feedback Cycle
Think of the course as repeated cycles of teach, receive feedback, adjust and reflect. The competencies describe this cycle from different angles.
| Step | Competency it supports | What to record |
|---|---|---|
| Plan and teach | Effective instruction and assessment | Objective, activities, check for understanding |
| Receive feedback | Professional and instructional improvement | Exact comments, date and observer |
| Adjust | Learning and developmental patterns | What you changed and why |
| Behave professionally | Dispositions and ethics | Examples of communication, punctuality, confidentiality |
| Reflect | Reflects on instructional practice | What the evidence shows |
A Worked Feedback Entry
A strong entry is short, specific and honest. Compare a weak and a strong version.
Weak: "My observer said I should give clearer directions. I will try to be clearer."
Stronger: "My observer noted that three learners began the task late because directions came in one long sentence. I rewrote them as three steps with a visual cue and checked by asking one learner to repeat them. Start times improved, though one learner still needed a prompt, so I will add a first-then card."
The second version shows the whole loop in four sentences, and it needs no invented statistics.
Typical Work and Approaches
| Work type | What it tests | Approach |
|---|---|---|
| Observations | Response to feedback | Debrief the same day |
| Evaluations | Overall competence | Ask what meets and what exceeds expectations |
| Sessions | Collaboration, feedback, environments, technology | Apply one idea per session |
| Written reflection | Analysis | Use the entry pattern above |
Working with Mentors and Colleagues
Collaboration is named directly in the competencies and in the session themes. It is easy to underrate because it looks like ordinary conversation, but evaluators can only credit what they can see or read.
Build visible habits. Share a draft lesson with your mentor the day before, ask a focused question rather than "is this OK", and write a line afterwards about what changed because of the conversation. With paraprofessionals and specialists, agree who does what in each activity and note it in your plan.
| Situation | Better question to ask | What to record |
|---|---|---|
| Before a lesson | Where might two learners struggle with these directions? | The change you made |
| After an observation | What is one thing I should keep and one to change? | Both, with the date |
| With a specialist | Which supports work best for this routine? | The support you tried and the result |
Respect boundaries while you do this. Information about pupils stays within the school, and your written reflections should never identify them.
Writing the Reflection Itself
A good reflective piece moves in a clear order: a brief description of the event, an analysis of why it happened, evidence from pupil work or feedback, the change you made and what you will do next. Aim for balance, with most of the words on analysis rather than description.
Use the first person and plain language. Avoid vague praise such as "the lesson was successful" and instead say what pupils could do at the end that they could not do at the start. If something failed, say so; honest analysis of a weak lesson often shows more growth than a polished account of an easy one.
Where Students Get Stuck
- Defensiveness. Critical feedback is useful evidence of growth when you act on it.
- Forgetting comments. Write them down immediately.
- Vague adjustments. State the exact change.
- Skipping technology and online learning. This is a named session theme, so be ready to discuss it.
Study Tips for D739
- Create a table with columns for date, feedback, action and result.
- Ask your mentor to tell you one thing to keep and one to change after each observation.
- Try at least one new culturally relevant material and document its effect.
- Read your reflection aloud to check it sounds like you.
How We Help with D739
Send your prompts, rubric and feedback notes. We provide model entries, editing feedback and explanation of the competencies. Our reflective essay help guide covers structure in more depth.
GradeEssays is independent of Western Governors University and cannot teach your placement or access your account. Our work is a study aid used within WGU's academic integrity rules, with free revisions within the scope of your original request and a full refund if late.
Make Feedback Work for You
Share your observation notes and drafts. We help you structure reflection that meets each competency.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Candidates receive ongoing feedback through observations and evaluations, and are encouraged to reflect, adjust methods and explore culturally relevant materials.
Reflecting on instructional practice is one of the five listed competencies.
Yes, alongside the placement.
The title is the same; follow the code in your own degree plan.
Use it. Show how you responded; that supports the improvement competency.
No. We offer examples and feedback on your own work.