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COURSES OF STUDY
Field Experiences and Clinical Practice
Students enrolled in the Teacher Education Program participate in three
levels of field experiences. The first level involves primarily observation,
typically done in education courses at the 200 level and/or exploratory
experiences during the exploration term. The second level involves working
with children and youth in a specified area such as reading, mathematics,
social studies, science, etc. These are completed in the methods courses
within a major. The third and most in-depth experience is clinical practice
(
student teaching), a series of placements in two or more schools for a
minimum of a full semester. Clinical practice measures a student’s synthesis
of all previous coursework.
Application for Clinical Practice
Teacher candidates must make formal application for clinical practice.
The student’s application must be approved by the education faculty
prior to the term when teacher candidates expect to begin the teaching
internship. The criteria for approval to student teach are as follows:
(1)
A cumulative grade point average of 2.50 or higher in professional
studies and in the teaching field.
(2)
Grades of “C” or higher in all courses in professional studies. A
grade of “C-” is not acceptable.
(3)
A satisfactory interview and ePortfolio review, with two or more
members of the faculty to assess performances in field experiences.
(4)
A minimum passing score set by the Alabama State Department of
Education on the PRAXIS II test appropriate to the subject field and
grade level for which certification is sought.
Eligibility for the Teaching Certificate
The education faculty may need to change requirements in the Teacher
Education Program in order to comply with regulations and policies of the
Alabama State Board of Education, which grants the teaching certificate.
Students should consult a faculty advisor or the certification officer in
education concerning current certification requirements.
To be eligible for a teaching certificate a student must complete an
approved course of study in one of the following programs:
Elementary/Collaborative Education Program K-6
Secondary Education Program 6-12
Visual Art P-12
Music Education P-12
