An approach to supervision and evaluation of student teachers includes identification of generic teaching competencies and a systematic appraisal with reference to established desirable teaching behaviors. Structured Classroom Observation Guides, focusing on particular skills during each week of the practicum experience and progressing from basic to complex skills throughout the course of the semester, were developed for use by student teachers' supervising teachers and university supervisors. Teaching competencies included on the Observation Guides were determined by reasonable expectations of ability to write and speak well, research findings on teacher effectiveness, established educational practice, and the educational philosophy of the college and training school site. Student teachers are observed for competency in general professionalism; gaining and holding pupil attention; using reinforcement; increasing student motivation; lesson planning, implementation, and evaluation; and leading classroom discussion. These competencies are organized in a hierarchy which reflects generally accepted assumptions on how difficult they are for student teachers to master. This report presents a discussion on the rationale for developing the Structured Observation Guides and how they are used. Samples from the Observation Guides are included that list the teaching behaviors to be observed at every level of difficulty in the hierarchy. (JD)