Field and clinical experiences provide a wide range of opportunities for teacher candidates and other education professionals to improve, enhance, and polish real world practice in their field(s) of certification. They are designed to give students a view of the full picture of the educational process in PK-12 setting. Each semester the Office of Field and Clinical Experiences assists in arranging field and clinical placements which span programs related to initial and advanced certification in teacher education, school counseling, school psychological examiner, principal certification, superintendent certification, and special education director certification.
Field and clinical experiences typically begin with observations, advancing to practicum experiences where students teach and or perform limited, but similar duties as the education professional. Finally, students participate in student teaching or internships where they eventually accept full responsibility of students as an educator in the certification role they are seeking. These field experiences are conducted under the close supervision of expert educators, university supervisors, and mentors helping the students to become reflective, effective decision-makers.
Field and clinical experiences follow the state and university guidelines including qualifications for host teachers, cooperating teachers, site supervisors, and mentors. Through these experiences students will learn to apply the conceptual framework of “Teaching and Leading as an Art and a Science” and grow as a reflective practitioner.
