Field Experiences
A field experience is an opportunity to apply knowledge gained in the classroom with supervised practice in the field. The primary model of field instruction is a concurrent model, meaning you take classes at the same time you are in the field. State law requires 80 hours of field experience before you can student teach.
Each field experience will be different as they have their own objectives and goals. Your initial experiences require you to observe students in the classroom and how the teacher teaches. Over time the expectations pertaining to your involvement increase as you become more knowledgeable and comfortable with the teaching profession. Eventually, you will create and teach your own lessons. The progression of the field experiences is steady and will vary based on the ability and comfort level of each student.
The Teacher Education Program (TEP) Coordinator is responsible for the field experience placements. Every effort is made to place you in a setting that provides you the maximum potential to grow personally and professionally.
The teachers who serve as mentoring teachers do so voluntarily. They understand and value the opportunity to work with pre-service teachers. These teachers are selected by the Department of Education faculty and the Teacher Education Program (TEP) Coordinator based on their expertise, experience, passion for education, and support for the Cornell educational program.
Yes. Due to the sheer number of placements made and the requirements of the placements, students will need to have access to transportation to perform field experiences. Carpooling is an option.
Generally, placements are made within 40 minutes of Cornell College. It is not the policy of the Education Department to allow off-site student teaching. If there are extenuating circumstances regarding a special placement request, please consult the Teacher Education Program (TEP) Coordinator.
Field experiences are made with the interest of all parties considered. These placements are not negotiable. However, if an extenuating circumstance occurs please contact the Teacher Education Program (TEP) Coordinator.
During the methods courses the grade for the practicum experience will be part of the overall grade for the methods course. During student teaching, a grade of Credit or No Credit will be given at the end of each block.
Please contact the Teacher Education Program (TEP) Coordinator.
Student teachers complete an application which provides vital placement information such as grade level, content area, background information and blocks preferred for student teaching.
Diverse Practicum and Student Teaching Placements - The State of Iowa requires all colleges and universities to ensure teacher candidates interact with a wide breadth of students. We track each candidate's school placement monitoring the socioeconomic status of students, ethnic makeup, English proficiency and other factors.
Once all placements have been made, a meeting will be held the spring of junior year, so that the student teacher can be given all of the pertinent information such as teacher name, school, grade, and content area.
Students will be required to contact the mentor teacher to set up a meeting prior to the end of the school year. If the meeting does not occur, the student can be denied the opportunity to student teach. This meeting serves as an opportunity for the student to meet the mentor, see the classroom and obtain any materials the mentor feels would be useful for the student to review over the summer. If there is difficulty in setting up the meeting, the Teacher Education Program (TEP) Coordinator must be notified.
During the student teaching experience, a supervisor will make regular visits to observe and provide constructive feedback to the student regarding performance. If students are not fulfilling the expectations of the field experience and the standards set forth by Cornell College or the partner schools, the placement may be terminated.
At the end of every block, the student will be given a grade of Credit or No Credit.