Home › Ella Cline Shear School of Education › Field Experiences

From service learning to student teaching, field experiences play a critcal role in helping teacher candidates develop their own teaching in a school environment. Field experiences provide a bridge between gaining knowledge through coursework and becoming comptetent members of the teaching profession who can make informed instructional decisions. All field experiences and student teaching placements are supervised by qualified faculty and provide candidates with experience in a variety of communities and with diverse students.

All teacher candidates in undergraduate programs leading to initial certification engage in at least 100 hours of field experiences integrated with coursework prior to student teaching. Candidates in Childhood with Special Education engage in 150 hours of field experiences prior to student teaching. Candidates in all programs participate in two student teaching placements of approximately seven weeks each. The culminating experience for teacher candidates, student teaching, allows them to participate fully in a learning community.

Field Experiences

Early Childhood and Childhood, Childhood, and Childhood with Special Education

For candidates in Early Childhood, Childhood, and Childhood with Special Education, early field experiences in Blocks II and III involve class visits to schools, where candidates are engaged in observation and assisting in classroom activities. Later field experiences in Blocks IV and V, called practica, are individually placed and provide candidates with the opportunity to teach lessons to individual students or small groups.

In order to participate in the practicum field experience, candidates in Childhood and Childhood with Special Education must submit a candidate information form and resume at the time they register for Block IV and Block V courses. Candidates in Early Childhood and Childhood must submit a candidate information form and resume at the time they register for Block V courses. Updated candidate information forms are due by the last day of drop/add during the practicum semester.

To be eligible for Block IV and Block V practica, candidates must:

  • attend the practicum presentation the semester of placement
  • submit a completed candidate information form, resume, and FERPA form
  • have completed all prerequisite courses in education
  • be registered in all of the courses for the Block
  • keep time available as designated in the Master Schedule
  • be accepted as candidates by the School of Education
  • have satisfactory academic standing

 

Adolescence

Adolescence candidates are responsible for seeking their own practicum placement, which should take place during the winter break between Block II and Block III. They must file a letter of intent, candidate information form,  resume, and candidate contract by the Wednesday after Thanksgiving during Block II.

Opportunities are available to complete the practicum during the Block II semester.  Candidates must attend the panel presentation in the beginning of the semester and complete the required paperwork: letter of intent,  candiddate information form, resume, candidate contract, and any additional forms provided by the school/district.

All candidates are responsible for arranging their own transportation for field experiences.

More information about field placements is available at http://boxes.geneseo.edu/Education/riordan.
Please look under your certification.

Contact:
     Terry Riordan
     Field Placements Coordinator
     South 214
     585-245-5255
     riordan@geneseo.edu
    
Additional volunteer experiences in educational settings throughout the year are publicized as they become available.

 

Student Teaching

Teacher candidates in all programs are required to complete one semester of student teaching. Student teaching is a full-time job, in which the teacher candidate is expected to join the school faculty as an adjunct professional, assuming faculty responsibilities, including attendance at faculty meetings and adherence to the school's in-school hours. 

In order to participate in student teaching, all candidates are required to attend the student teaching application meeting held one year prior to the semester in which they plan to student teach. Applications are due within one month of the meeting.  Resumes and personal sketches are due the same semester as the application.

The Office of Field Experiences makes all arrangements for student teaching placements, based upon program requirements and the availability of sites within a 50-mile radius of Geneseo. Some out-of-area placements are available with partner school districts; these require a separate application submitted with the student teaching application.

 

Early Childhood and Childhood, Childhood, and Childhood with Special Education

To be eligible for the student teaching semester, all teacher candidates in Early Childhood and Childhood, Childhood, and Childhood with Special Education must:

  • attend a student teaching application meeting one year prior to the semester in which they plan to student teach
  • submit a completed application
  • have completed all prerequisite courses in education
  • have a cumulative GPA of at least 2.75 along with a GPA of at least 2.75 in their major and their Education courses
  • have no grade of E in any required course, nor an Incomplete in any course
  • have a minimum grade of 2.0 in the semester prior to student teaching
  • have demonstrated readiness in field experiences
  • have at least second-semester junior standing
  • have registered for the appropriate student teaching courses

Adolescence

Teacher candidates in Adolescence programs student teach in the fall semester. To be eligible for the student teaching semester, all teacher candidates in Adolescence programs must:

  • attend a student teaching application meeting one year prior to the semester in which they plan to student teach
  • submit a completed application
  • have completed all prerequisite courses in education
  • have a cumulative GPA of at least 2.75 along with a GPA of at least 2.75 in their major and their Education courses
  • have no grade of E in any required course, nor an Incomplete in any course
  • have a minimum grade of 2.0 in the semester prior to student teaching
  • have demonstrated readiness in field experiences
  • have senior standing and completed at least two-thirds of the requirements of their major
  • have registered for the appropriate student teaching courses

All candidates are responsible for arranging their own transportation and housing during student teaching.

More information about student teaching is available at http://boxes.geneseo.edu/Education/Student%20Teaching.

Contact:
     Jeannine Cox
     South 211
     585-245-5564
     cox@geneseo.edu