Office of Field & Clinical Experiences

Throughout the Education Preparation Program, students will engage in Early Field Experiences designed to prepare them to be successful in the teaching profession.  Early Field Experiences are connected to education courses and are divided into two levels with the following goals for each level.

Early Field Experience 1 Goals

During Early Field Experience I courses, faculty will…

1. Introduce pre-majors to modern American educational environments.
2. Confirm pre-majors’ interest in and passion for the teaching profession.

Early Field Experience 2 Goals

During Early Field Experience II courses, faculty will…

1. Provide Opportunities for pre-majors and majors to gain knowledge of positive learning communities and classroom environments.
2. Engage pre-majors and majors in planning for culturally responsive teaching and learning.
3. Provide opportunities for pre-majors and majors to learn the importance of various forms of assessments and their purposes (formal & informal, formative & summative, and progress monitoring.
4. Provide pre-majors and majors an opportunity to understand the importance of/and ways to develop positive relationships with families and the community to support student learning.
5. Provide opportunities for pre-majors and majors to reflect on related experiences in classrooms.

Preclinical Practicum

The preclinical practicum is a semester-long supervised practicum completed as part of the requirements for a program area methods course. Teacher candidates complete a *minimum of 110 hours in their assigned classroom during the semester.  The goal is for candidates to experience a teacher’s full day in school as they refine the skills, knowledge, and dispositions for a successful Clinical Internship/Student Teaching semester. (*Birth-to-Kindergarten and Elementary Education majors spend two full days each week in their assigned classrooms.) The table below lists Preclinical Practicum Courses by Major Area of Study. The methods courses provide teacher candidates with a comprehensive overview of the most effective approaches to planning, implementing, managing, and assessing successful and effective study learning experiences.

To allow time for optimal placements, undergraduates should apply for the preclinical practicum after they have completed 60 - 75 credit hours; graduates should apply for the preclinical practicum after they have completed 12 - 15 credit hours.  Effective Fall 2021, applications should be submitted in advance of the deadlines listed below.  Applications submitted after the deadline will be processed with applications for the next application deadline.  Candidates should secure the link for the application from their program advisors.

During the Preclinical Practicum teacher candidates will…

1. Demonstrate effective, data-driven planning for instruction and assessment.
2. Demonstrate effective, developmentally appropriate instructional delivery methods.
3. Provide developmentally appropriate feedback to P-12 students to improve their development and learning.
4. Demonstrate commitment to the profession and self-development to improve student development and learning.
5. Develop relationships with parents, guardians, and the school community to improve student development and learning.
6. Use critical thinking and reflection to improve teaching, student development, and student learning.
7. Advocate for the success of P-12 students.
8. Discuss and use developmentally appropriate digital tools for teaching and learning.
9. Integrate digital tools in instructional planning, delivery, and assessment to ensure that learners are actively engaged in using digital tools.

Clinical Internship

The Clinical Internship (Student Teaching) is a semester-long capstone clinical experience that follows the Preclinical Practicum.  Clinical interns spend 16 weeks in their clinical settings gradually assuming lead teaching and planning responsibility for the classroom under the guidance and supervision of their clinical educator and university supervisor.  By design, teacher candidates complete their Clinical Internship in the same classroom in which they completed their Preclinical Practicum.  Clinical interns are co-enrolled in EDU/PED 4333 or EDU 6323 and participate in weekly seminars and designated professional development days where they share ideas and receive guidance on their final capstone assignments as they prepare for North Carolina Licensure in their selected teaching major.

During the Clinical Internship, teacher candidates…

1. Demonstrate a variety of leadership skills in various appropriate venues (i.e. classroom, school, profession, community).
2. Demonstrate high ethical standards by upholding the Code of Ethics for North Carolina Educators; the Standards for Professional Conduct, and the WSSU Policy on Academic Integrity.
3. Establish and maintain a respectful, nurturing classroom environment that embraces diversity and incorporates high academic and social expectations for all students.
4. Facilitate learning through a variety of research supported instructional and assessment strategies and appropriate integration of technology.
5. Demonstrate the ability to increase literacy skills, knowledge, and dispositions in ALL learners using science of reading research-based strategies.
6. Modify instruction to meet the needs of diverse learners.
7. Demonstrate content knowledge via alignment of curriculum with the North Carolina Standard Course of Study.
8. Demonstrate developmentally and culturally appropriate instructional and assessment strategies.
9. Reflect on and modify their practice as a result of analysis of student learning, involvement in professional development, and investigation of research supported strategies.
10. Demonstrate use of developmentally and culturally appropriate formative and summative assessment strategies.
11. Design instruction to increase critical thinking and problem-solving skills and foster leadership qualities.
12. Collaborate appropriately with a variety of individuals to ensure academic achievement and social development of all students (i.e. students, families, significant adults, colleagues, support specialists).