Early Field Experiences

The purpose of the Early Field Experiences site is to secure placement sites within schools and community organizations and identify cooperating teachers who serve to mentor students while they pursue a teaching degree.

A significant part of the Teacher Education Program is the field experience component that students have in area schools. Students in the teacher education program participate in field experiences courses in the two departments: Curriculum and Instruction and Psychoeducational Studies. All field experience prior to student teaching is called early field experience. The field experiences provide students a variety of school and grade level settings where students observe, assist, participate, plan and ultimately teach. These experiences give students the opportunity to reflect upon learning and teaching in their particular school setting, and help tremendously in preparation for student teaching.

The purposes field experiences are to help students understand the nature of teaching by observing and interacting with mentor teachers and to realize teaching is a life-long commitment to learning. Providing early field experiences to future teachers aids them in making informed decisions throughout their course of professional preparation and responds to request from students and practicing teachers to provide frequent, reality-based field experiences. Early field experience courses are included as part of the admission standards for the Teacher Education Program.