The first year of the Teacher Education Program prepares Teacher Candidates by providing opportunities to immediately apply course principles in Host School (e.g., classroom) settings. A variety of field experience assignments are embedded into the Foundation or Specialization courses (i.e., TESP 501, TESP 502, TESP 508, TEP 511, TEP 512, SPED 517, SPED 518), which apply toward the 60 hours of required field experience. 

A key aspect of the educator preparation programs in the Department of Teacher Education, which houses the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and the Department of Special Education, is the Clinical Practice component. Whether a Teacher Candidate is completing Clinical Practice as a student teacher or as a classroom teacher-of-record, this is a time to continue gaining knowledge about the teaching and learning process. It is an opportunity to combine theoretical perspectives with the realities of situated classroom practices. In order to accomplish this, the Department of Teacher Education looks to its University Coaches, Cooperating Teachers, Site Administrators/Site Mentors, partner districts, and schools to serve as facilitators of this essential continued learning. It is only through a collaborative relationship among University Coaches, Cooperating Teachers, Site Administrators/Site Mentors, schools, and districts that we ensure our Teacher Candidates will connect the Department of Teacher Education’s foundation of knowledge, theory, and research to their practical experiences in schools and in surrounding communities.