Calgary & Area Field Experience Placements

This page speaks to Field Experience placement considerations for on-campus students in 

• Field Experience II (EDUC 465)
• Field Experience III (EDUC 540)
• Field Experience IV (EDUC 560)

Q: I am an on-campus pre-service teacher. Will my Field Experience be in Calgary? 

A: As an On-Campus student, we will place you in Calgary & Area. We work with a wide range of incredibly supportive partner schools and teachers in Calgary and the surrounding communities. 

• We invite all Calgary & Area schools to mentor our Pre-Service Teachers. Calgary & Area includes school divisions in and around the City of Calgary.
• Historically, we have placed pre-service teachers in a variety of school districts, including: Public School Districts, Separate School Districts, Francophone, Private Schools, Charter Schools,  alternative education programs, and more!

Q: What does Calgary & Area mean?

A: Geographically, Calgary & Area includes: Airdrie, Beiseker, Blakie, Bragg Creek, Calgary, Cayley, Chestermere, Cochrane, Crossfield, Diamond Valley, Heritage Heights, High River, Indus, Kathyrn, Langdon, Longview, Millarville, Okotoks, Red Deer Lake, Springbank, and Strathmore.

• To assist, here is our UPE Field Map.

Q: What is considered when securing my placement? 

A: Three elements are considered:

• Attention to diversity of experience,
• Attention to teachable subject area, and
• Willingness of a partner teacher to volunteer to mentor.

Your residential location will be considered although it is secondary to those elements.

Q: Can I arrange my own placement?

A: No! Pre-arranging placements with specific schools and/or teachers is not permitted. Under no circumstances shall student teachers contact a field site regarding their placements until they have been confirmed and posted by the faculty. 

• Final placement decisions are made in the Undergraduate Programs in Education office and are contingent on placement availability.
• The faculty will assign student teachers to specific schools, partner teachers and supervisors/ instructors for the field experiences.

Q: What is the Placement Information Form?

A: The Placement Information Form collects your personal information and placement preferences to assist us with our placement process. The Field Experience team uses the information collected through the form to determine your preferences, ineligible sites, potential conflicts of interest, residential address during Field Experience and access to a vehicle or public transportation.

When completing your form, we strongly encourage you to include your preferences, professional and educational background, and interests in this form as this information helps us and our educational partners choose the most appropriate placement and partner teacher for you.

• We cannot guarantee that you will be placed in your preferred school board/division(s). When you complete your placement information form, we encourage you to include many areas, school boards and areas of interest in your preferences. With this greater flexibility, we will make every effort to place you in the best placement possible!
• You will not have access to the Field Experience Placement Information form until you have enrolled in your Field Experience course. You will be asked to submit your "Placement Information Form" through our online student field experience ("SFE") portal. Please reach out to UPE Field Experience if you have any concerns about your submission or access. 
• For more information, please visit our Placement Information Form page

Q: Do you consider my interests and preferences?

A: Yes! When completing your Placement Information Form, we strongly encourage you to include your preferences, interests and professional and educational background. This information helps us and our educational partners choose the most appropriate placement and partner teacher for you. 

When completing this form, we will ask you a variety of questions. We strongly encourage you to include your preferences, professional and educational background, and interests in this form as this information helps us and our educational partners choose the most appropriate placement and partner teacher for you!

Q: Why do you ask about my strengths?

A: Many of our students have diverse backgrounds, and interests and areas of expertise that include languages, sports, specialized skills, trades, or interests. This section helps us better understand your strengths, professional goals and other considerations when securing your placement. 

Q: Is my teachable subject area and grade division pathway considered?

A: Yes! For Field Experience III & IV, your placement must be 50% in your teachable subject area. We encourage you to comment on your background knowledge, expertise, and experiences that you have had outside of your academic studies that may be useful in a school setting. 

• Elementary placements are considered Kindergarten, Grades 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
• Secondary placements are considered Grades 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12

Q: Do you consider my address and commute time when securing my placement? 

Yes, your residential location will be considered, although it is secondary to these elements: Attention to diversity of experience; attention to teachable subject area; and willingness of a partner teacher to volunteer to mentor. 

When you complete your Placement Information Form, you will be asked to confirm your address during Field Experience and your transportation method. 

Commute time considerations:

Every effort is made to place student teachers within a reasonable traveling distance from their place of residence, however, based on available school sites, this cannot be guaranteed. Placements may have a travel requirement of up to 90 minutes from your home. Our priority is to give you the best placement possible with a focus on partner teacher availability and school willingness to host pre-service teachers.

• If using public transportation, our rule for public transit is maximum 90 minutes from your home to the school (one-way) on Calgary Transit. 
• If travelling by car, our rule is maximum 90 minutes from your home to the school (one-way).

Address considerations: 

• When completing your Field Experience form for Field Experience II, III & IV, we will ask you to identify your Calgary-and-Area community and/or quadrant in our UPE Field Map. We have named our quadrants using a color, as well as a description - when you complete your Placement Information form, we will ask you to refer to quadrant color. This helps flag our quadrants are not the same as the City of Calgary quadrant divisions. 

Q: Will I be placed with my preferred school division? 

A: We cannot guarantee that you will be placed in your preferred school board/division(s). When you complete your placement information form, we encourage you to include many areas, school boards and areas of interest in your preferences. With this greater flexibility, we will make every effort to place you in the best placement possible. 

Q: What happens after I submit my Placement Information Form? 

After you submit your Placement Information Form, the Directors of Field Experience will review your submission. The Field Experience Team and Field Experience Directors work with a variety of interested Partner Teachers and Supportive Placement Schools. The Directors of Field Experience will match you with a suitable Partner Teacher. You will have an opportunity to review this placement before it is finalized, to ensure no conflicts of interest exist.

Q: Can I change my placement?

A: This is not normally possible, unless a mistake has been made in the placement process (for example, you have erroneously been placed in a school that you once attended as a student).

• Final placement decisions are made in the Undergraduate Programs in Education office and are contingent on placement availability. 
• Your placement information form submission is considered during the placement process. Your submission indicates your preferences but we cannot guarantee we will meet any of your preferences. 
• The faculty will assign student teachers to specific schools, partner teachers and supervisors/instructors for the field experiences.

Q: How do I sign up for Field Experience? 

A:  Please register for your Field Experience courses through the UCalgary Student Centre.

• Please check your Fall and Winter registration and ensure that you are enrolled in your classes.
• The Field Team's communications rely on your registration in the appropriate Field Experience courses.

Q: How long is each Field Experience? 

Our Bachelor of Education students undertake 20 weeks of in-classroom practicum, or field experience, organized into four, cohort-based courses. Our Field Experience practicums are designed to ensure you have the experience you need to become an In-Service Teacher, structured to develop skills and confidence. 

• Field Experience I: 2 weeks
• Field Experience II: 4 weeks
• Field Experience III: 6 weeks
• Field Experience IV: 8 weeks

Q: When is Field Experience? 

A: Field Experience dates and deadlines are posted here. Start and end dates will depend on school schedule, including holiday breaks. Please ensure that you are available for the entirety of the practicum dates.

Q: Are the placements full-time? 

A: Yes, Full-time, Monday-Friday participation is required. Field experience placements are scheduled in a 'chunk', meaning that when you are in field, all of your other courses stop, and you will be at your partner school from Monday to Friday, for whatever that school's hours are (and then some!). We encourage you to review your role and responsibilities as outlined in the Pre-Service Teacher Field Experience Handbook. Mandatory Seminars are scheduled for each practicum. These dates were posted on the UPE Field Experience webpage here. 

Q: What if I have a personal connection to a teacher, principal or school? 

A: When completing the Placement Information Form, you will be asked to provide a list of schools you attended or graduated from within the last 5 years, schools where family or friends presently attend or work, and schools where you coach and/or volunteer.

• You will not be placed in schools where you attended or from which you graduated within the last 5 years or where family or friends presently attend, work or have a professional affiliation.
• It is the responsibility of the student to notify the faculty of any ineligible sites, where family or friends attend or work, and sites in which the student has volunteered or attended. Failure to comply with these conditions may jeopardize successfully completion of the field experience, and affect the validity of teacher certification. 

Q: Where can I find more information about Field Experience? 

A: We have a few resources to assist! 

• Review the Course Descriptions and Learning outcomes, here.
• During the orientation and welcome sessions, we will have Field Experience sessions to outline expectations and provide you with the opportunity to ask questions!
• For a more in-depth look at your Field Experience, please read the Pre-Service Teacher Field Experience Handbook. Please be familiar with your roles and responsibilities as outlined in the Pre-Service Teacher Field Experience Handbook. Pay close attention to the Attendance Policy, Police Information Check Requirement, and Checklists. 
• Course Outlines are incredibly helpful! Course outlines are posted here.