Early Field Experience

The State Board for Educator Certification requires that: Educator preparation entities shall provide evidence of on-going and relevant field-based experiences, as determined by the collaborative, in a variety of educational settings with diverse student populations, including observation, modeling, and demonstration of promising practices to improve student learning.

Early field experience is a valuable learning opportunity, but it is most effective when closely related to the content of the course with which it is associated. Students need to have guidance about what they are observing and why. Even students who are already working full time in a school learn from observing other teachers and looking broadly at the structure and operation of schools. UTD students in the teacher certification program are required to complete early field experiences in the following classes:

Grades EC-4 students will participate in 40 total hours of early field experience in three classes:

• American Public School  - 20 hours of guided observation/tutoring
• Classroom Management for EC-4  - 20 hours observation

Grades 4-8 students will participate in 40 total hours of early field experience in classes according to Certification Field:

• American Public School - 20 hours of guided observation/tutoring for ALL 4-8 fields
• Classroom Management for 4-8 - 20 hours observation for 4-8 Generalist
• C&I English -20 hours observation for 4-8 ELAR field
• C&I Science - 20 hours observation for 4-8 Science field
• C&I Social Studies - 20 hours observation for 4-8 Social Studies field
• C&I Math/CIS - 20 hours observation for 4-8 math/CS field

Grades 8 -12 students will participate in 40 total hours of early field experience in two classes:

• American Public School - 20 hours of guided observation/tutoring
• The appropriate secondary C&I class - 20 hours of observation

All placements for early field experience will be made by the Teacher Development Center in schools with which we have a partnership. Students cannot self-select schools which are not part of the observation program.