We recruit schools each Spring to host our Field I pre-service teachers
* Note: Students are placed as cohorts to observe the school as a whole under the guidance of the Field Experience Liaison. No individual Partner Teachers are assigned or required.
Dates: October 10-20, 2023
Field Experience I
Life in Schools (EDUC 440)
This practicum is the first glimpse into our wonderful profession where students have the opportunity to develop strong observational skills, ask deeper questions about life in schools and whenever possible and at the discretion of teachers, assist the classroom teacher.
Field Experience I is for two weeks occurring in the Fall of semester 1. The Preservice Teacher will observe life in schools at both the elementary and secondary levels. There is no Partner Teacher, instead, Preservice Teachers observe the school as a whole under the guidance of the School Liaison and the Field Experience Instructor.
- 2 weeks in the Fall, first EDUC term
- Students work in groups
- Structured as ethnographic research inquiry into the culture of schools
- Deeply integrated into two on-campus courses (EDUC 430 and EDUC 435)
- Course description
School Policies:
- A Field Instructor will be attached to your school and work closely to ensure all school policies are followed by preservice teachers.
- Placements in rural and remote locations will generally be individual placements, or as pairs if possible
Amount of Teaching:
The focus of Field Experience I is to document the lives and cultures of students, teachers and schools using ethnographic field notes. Preservice Teachers will be expected to assist as much as possible, at the discretion of the Partner Teacher.
Outcomes:
By the end of Field Experience I it is expected that Preservice Teachers will have met the following:
- The development of strong observational skills that will allow for deeper questions about teaching, learning and life in schools. From these questions, Preservice Teachers will begin to form theories based on on-campus discussions and readings in order to make appropriate suggestions.
- Throughout the course of Field Experience I, it is expected that Preservice Teachers will be involved with students as often as possible and will involve themselves in discussions with staff members regarding questions that have arisen about life in schools.
- Forming professional relationships is one of the foundational aspects of good teaching. Evidence of attempts to form professional relationships and to demonstrate exemplary professionalism should be at the heart of the work being done by Preservice Teachers in both schools.
Evaluation:
For Field Experience I, there is no evaluation requirement for the school partners.