Partner Teachers & Field Experiences

Field Experience I: Life in Schools (EDUC 440)

This practicum is the first glimpse into our wonderful profession where students have the opportunity to develop strong observational skills, ask deeper questions about life in schools and whenever possible and at the discretion of teachers, assist the classroom teacher.

Field Experience I is for two weeks occurring in the Fall of semester 1.  The Preservice Teacher will observe life in schools at both the elementary and secondary levels.  There is no Partner Teacher, instead, Preservice Teachers observe the school as a whole under the guidance of the School Liaison and the Field Experience Instructor.

• 2 weeks in the Fall, first EDUC term
• Students work in groups
• Structured as ethnographic research inquiry into the culture of schools
• Deeply integrated into two courses (EDUC 430 and EDUC 435)
• Course description

Course Outline:

• To better understand the Field Course structure, we invite you to review the EDUC 465: Field Experience I Course Outline. 
• To view all our course outlines, visit here.

School Policies:

• A Field Instructor will be attached to your school and work closely to ensure all school policies are followed by preservice teachers.
• Placements in rural and remote locations will generally be individual placements, or as pairs if possible

Amount of Teaching:

The focus of Field Experience I is to document the lives and cultures of students, teachers and schools using ethnographic field notes.  Preservice Teachers will be expected to assist as much as possible, at the discretion of the Partner Teacher.

Outcomes:

By the end of Field Experience I it is expected that Preservice Teachers will have met the following:

1. The development of strong observational skills that will allow for deeper questions about teaching, learning and life in schools. From these questions, Preservice Teachers will begin to form theories based on on-campus discussions and readings in order to make appropriate suggestions.
    
2. Throughout the course of Field Experience I, it is expected that Preservice Teachers will be involved with students as often as possible and will involve themselves in discussions with staff members regarding questions that have arisen about life in schools.
    
3. Forming professional relationships is one of the foundational aspects of good teaching. Evidence of attempts to form professional relationships and to demonstrate exemplary professionalism should be at the heart of the work being done by Preservice Teachers in both schools.

Evaluation:

For Field Experience I, there is no evaluation requirement for the school partners.   

Field Experience II: Individual Learning in Classrooms  (EDUC 465)

• 4-week placement within March & April, to accommodate Spring Break and Teachers’ Convention
• Ideally, they are placed in pairs. However we are happy to accommodate any requests to place just one student.

Course details and focus:

The Pre-service Teacher will examine the complex dimensions of individual learning in classrooms with a particular emphasis on the collaborative nature of the teaching profession. 

• Inquiry theme is individual learners and learning
• Focus is on working with individuals and small groups
• Assignments include planning and implementing a series of learning experiences for a small group of learners, and team-teaching with individuals and small groups of learners, with a mentor teacher’s guidance
• Course description

Course Outline:

• To better understand the Field Course structure, we invite you to review the EDUC 465: Field Experience II Course Outline. 
• To view all our course outlines, visit here.

Amount of Teaching:

• Pre-service Teachers will teach 1/3 or approximately one class per day by the end of week 2 (at Partner Teacher’s discretion). 
• Pre-service Teachers will also be responsible for written lesson plans for all lessons taught including formative assessment.

Field Experience Design:

The Pre-service Teacher(s), with the support of the Partner Teacher, may employ just one or two of the following options or they may move between the three options as required:

1. Individual/Small Group Instruction. Plan a series of curriculum learning engagements/lessons for individuals and small groups of learners under the Partner Teacher’s mentorship.  This experience will allow Pre-service Teachers to delve more deeply into the examination of who the learners are and their unique needs.  Each lesson will require a written lesson plan that asks what do I want the learners to know and what will I accept as evidence that the lesson has been successful?
    
2. Team Teaching Instruction. Collaboratively prepare a series of curriculum learning engagements/lessons to be taught in a large class setting as part of a team teaching opportunity.  Pre-service Teachers will be responsible for delivering a portion of the lesson, which has been collaboratively developed and will also be responsible for assisting with those elements of the lesson for which they are not directly responsible.  The Pre-service Teacher will still be asked to collaboratively plan and participate in a series of curriculum learning engagements/lessons, each requiring a written lesson plan that asks, what do I want the learners to know and what will I accept as evidence that the lesson has been successful? 
    
3. Whole Class Instruction. Prepare a series of curriculum learning engagements/lessons to be taught in a large class setting under the Partner Teacher’s direction.  In order to examine the complexities of differentiation, Pre-Service Teachers will develop a series of curriculum learning engagements/lessons, each requiring a written lesson plan that asks what do I want the learners to know and what will I accept as evidence that the lesson has been successful? 

Evaluation:

The Partner Teacher will prepare a narrative assessment which will be a formal, but formative, written assessment of the Pre-service Teacher’s strengths and areas for growth.  The assessment should be based on the competencies identified for EDUC 465.

School Policies:

• We are committed to ensuring our preservice teachers follow all school and school district policies and processes.
• A Field Instructor will be attached to your school and work closely to ensure all school policies are followed by pre-service teachers.

Field Experience III: Principles of Social and Cultural Engagement  (EDUC 540)

• 6 week placement
• Final year pre-service teacher
• November & December
• One pre-service teacher is individually paired with the same mentor teacher (or team-teaching pair of partner teachers) for Field Experience III & IV

Course details & focus:

• Focus is on complex dimensions of learning and teaching in context of whole program
• Students will have a graduated process of assuming teaching responsibly up to 75% by the end of their field experience, with emphasis on diversity
• Under partner teachers’ mentorship, the student extends their understanding of planning, assessment, and self assessment
• Course description

Course Outline:

• To better understand the Field Course structure, we invite you to review the EDUC 540: Field Experience III Course Outline
• To view all our course outlines, visit here.

Amount of Teaching:

• By the fourth week of Field Experience III Pre-service Teachers will be teaching 50-75% of the day.

Field Experience Design:

• Field Experience III asks Pre-service Teachers to prepare a series of curriculum learning engagements/lessons to be taught in a large class setting under the Partner Teacher’s direction. Pre-service Teachers will develop a series of curriculum learning engagements/lessons, each requiring a written lesson plan that asks, in particular, what do I want the learners to know and what will I accept as evidence that the lesson has been successful?  This will allow Pre-service Teachers to experience the complexities of differentiation and to examine the unique needs of learners in the larger class setting.  

Evaluation:

• For each Field Experience III and IV, the Partner Teacher will prepare a narrative assessment which will be a formal, but formative, written assessment of the Pre-service Teacher’s strengths and areas for growth.  The assessment should be based on the competencies identified for EDUC 540 and 560.

School Policies:

• We are committed to ensuring our preservice teachers follow all school and school district policies and processes.
• A Field Instructor will be attached to your school and work closely to ensure all school policies are followed by pre-service teachers.

Field Experience IV: Extended Teaching and Curriculum Expertise  (EDUC 560)

• 8 week placement
• February to April
  • This is an 8-week placement within February-April, to accommodate Spring Break and Teachers’ Convention
• One pre-service teacher is individually paired with the same mentor teacher (or team-teaching pair of partner teachers) for Field Experience III & IV

Course details & focus:

• The Pre-service Teacher will deeply examine curriculum, planning and assessment to engage diverse learners in whole class settings. 
• Course description

Course Outline:

• To better understand the Field Course structure, we invite you to review the EDUC 560: Field Experience IV course Outline
• To view all our course outlines, visit here.

Amount of Teaching:

• By the end of the fourth week of Field Experience IV, the Pre-service Teacher will be expected to take responsibility for the instructional load and will be teaching 80% to 100% of the day.

Field Experience Design:

• Field Experience IV follows the same design as Field Experience III with the goal of increasing independence on the part of the Pre-service Teacher, while still receiving feedback that will allow for improvement and professional growth.

School Policies:

• We are committed to ensuring our preservice teachers follow all school and school district policies and processes.
• A Field Instructor will be attached to your school and work closely to ensure all school policies are followed by pre-service teachers.

Evaluation:

• For each Field Experience III and IV, the Partner Teacher will prepare a narrative assessment which will be a formal, but formative, written assessment of the Pre-service Teacher’s strengths and areas for growth.  The assessment should be based on the competencies identified for EDUC 540 and 560.