A key component of all teacher preparation programs is clinical experiences, which involve the time a candidate spends in real-world classroom and educational settings. The Office of Professional Licensure is committed to providing diverse placements and experiences for candidates in P-12 schools. All student teaching candidates have a variety of field and placement experiences to ensure they have opportunities to work with P-12 students from varied backgrounds, socioeconomic statuses, ethnic/racial groups, English language proficiencies, as well as students with exceptionalities.
Clinical experiences provided by the student teaching pathway include Field Experiences and the Student Teaching Clinical Practice:
Field Experiences are clinical experiences that candidates participate in prior to their student teaching. Most candidates/student teachers complete at least one field experience during the year prior to their semester-long student teaching. Many candidates complete multiple field experiences prior to their student teaching. During field experience placements, pre-student teachers are expected to tutor; work with small groups; conduct purposeful observations; teach lessons; monitor student performance; and assist with planning, materials development, and assessments. The experiences and skills introduced in field experiences serve as foundational knowledge to inform the student teaching clinical practice.
The student teaching clinical practice consists of a full academic semester. During this academic semester, candidates are placed with a highly qualified mentor teacher in the classroom setting.
The student teaching structure is based upon a co-teaching model where student teachers and mentors collaboratively plan and implement instruction and assess for student learning. Initially, the mentor assumes the leadership role in each of these areas and, within a flexible gradual release structure, shifts the major responsibility to the student teacher toward by mid-semester. Both are expected to be actively engaged in day-to-day planning, instruction, and assessment throughout the semester.
During the student teaching clinical practice, candidates will have direct teaching experience with a variety of student populations, including students with diverse learning needs and from diverse backgrounds in at least two (2) settings during the semester.
In addition to the support provided by the mentor teacher, a UTK supervisor also maintains close contact with both mentor and student teacher to enhance the professional development of the teacher candidate.
The student teaching semester is defined by the school calendar of the partnership school system and not that of the University calendar. Student teachers are subject to the same vacation periods, holidays, and required in-service days as their mentor teachers. Student teachers are not allowed to end their placement school duties earlier than required without the permission of the Associate Dean for Professional Licensure, Dr. David Cihak; the UT supervisors; and the principal of the school of placement. The number of hours student teachers spend weekly in their school assignment will be determined by the University program to which they are assigned in conjunction with the placement schools.
State guidelines specify that student teachers must spend a minimum 15 weeks in direct-teaching activities with a significant portion in full-day, continuous teaching experiences. The exact structure of the student teaching experience is co-determined by the school administrator, the mentor teacher, and the UTK supervisor. While the exact structure of the student teaching will vary based on the skills, dispositions, and readiness of the student teacher, all student teaching will include co-planning, side-by-side teaching, and the gradual release of all aspects of instructional responsibilities from the mentor teacher to the student teacher. This gradual release will also consider external factors, such as completion of the edTPA and school/district calendars.
Student teachers are not excused from their school placements because of conflicting responsibilities. Absences from student teaching placements are acceptable only in cases of personal illness or death in the immediate family. If a student teacher has primary responsibility for one or more classes and must be absent, written lesson plans must be provided in advance to the mentor.
Any planned absences relating to job search, interviews, or edTPA must be approved by the mentor teacher and follow proper protocol regarding filing for these events.
Because of state student teaching and licensure requirements, excessive days missed must be made up in an appropriate school setting.
An agreement must be developed between OPL and a school system before a student teacher may be placed in a school in that system. Student teachers will not be placed in schools solely as a matter of personal convenience.
Student teachers must follow school and district policies as they apply to regularly employed staff. These include arrival and departure times, parking, smoking and vaping regulations (no smoking, vaping, or possession of tobacco/nicotine products on any school campus), dress code, use of school-owned equipment and supplies, and similar policies.
Student teachers are to attend school-related functions that mentoring teachers are expected to attend: faculty meetings, PTA meetings, parent-teacher conferences, IEP meetings, and similar activities. UTK class schedules may interfere with some afternoon school activities. Student teachers should discuss any conflicts with all applicable parties (their mentor, their UTK Supervisor, UTK Faculty, their school principal, if appropriate).
Standards outline what students should learn in a given subject and grade level; curriculum outlines how students should be taught. Standards are defined and approved for each subject and grade level by the State Board of Education. Depending on districts, schools, grade level, and subject areas, defined curriculum may or may not be provided.
A student teacher accepts the responsibility to teach the required standards as approved by the Tennessee State Board of Education. If a curriculum has been approved or adopted by the school/district to which they are assigned, student teachers accept responsibility to teach the approved curriculum.
All student teachers are required to carry professional liability insurance as a pre-condition to student teaching in the school of placement. Failure to provide evidence of coverage via HAL will result in removal from the student teaching.
Based on state policy, all student teachers are required to complete a Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) criminal background check as a pre-condition for admission to the Bailey Graduate School of Education Teacher Preparation program. TBI provides the UTK Associate Dean with clearances for each prospective student teacher. A list of student teachers cleared to begin their field experience and student teaching is provided to each school system.
All student teachers placed in school districts where drug screening is required shall complete this security clearance before being allowed to begin their student teaching. The specific requirements for this process are available at https://osbe.utk.edu.
Student teachers are accountable for P-12 student behavior when conducting any educational activity, especially when the mentoring teacher is not present. Student teachers have the same status as mentoring teachers in pupil management. Student teachers must assume liability for their actions during instructional activities. Student teachers may not participate in any crisis intervention involving restraints.
UTK student teachers may neither administer corporal punishment to students nor serve as witness to its administration.
UTK student teachers may not initiate or carry out searches of students, students’ property, or students’ lockers.
Student teachers must not transport students in their own personal vehicles either before, during, or after school.
Everyone in Tennessee is a mandatory reporter of child abuse and neglect, as specified by Tennessee Code:
Tennessee Code Annotated 37-1-403(a)(1) Any person who has knowledge of or is called upon to render aid to any child who is suffering from or has sustained any wound, injury, disability, or physical or mental condition shall report such harm immediately if the harm is of such a nature as to reasonably indicate that it has been caused by brutality, abuse, or neglect or that, on the basis of available information, reasonably appears to have been caused by brutality, abuse or neglect.
Tennessee Code Annotated 37-1-403(i)(1) Any school official, personnel, employee, or member of the board of education who is aware of a report or investigation of employee misconduct on the part of any employee of the school system that in any way involves known or alleged child abuse, including, but not limited to, child physical or sexual abuse or neglect, shall immediately upon knowledge of such information notify the department of children's services or anyone listed in subdivision (a)(2) of the abuse or alleged abuse.
Each student teacher assumes the professional propriety necessary for keeping confidential information that is given in confidence by students, teachers, administrators, and mentoring professors in accordance with Tennessee statute T.C.A. § 49-5-1003 and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, 20 USC § 1232(G), (FERPA). This includes information derived from student performance, personnel records, or faculty meetings.
Student teachers must maintain professional and ethical conduct as outlined in UTK’s ProCADs and the Tennessee Code of Ethics (see earlier ProCADs section).
A student teacher must assume the role of the teacher in the community concerning socially acceptable behavior. Student teachers will establish and maintain professional relationships with all relevant members of the school and the school community. Social behavior expectations and requirements of student teachers also apply to student teachers’ social media accounts.
Please read carefully. The most common complaint that UTK receives regarding our student teachers is about how they choose to dress in the school setting.
At an absolute minimum, student teachers must follow the dress code that P-12 students in their host school must follow—for example, no sleeveless tops, leggings, or exposed undergarments.
In addition, student teachers should dress professionally. For example, while students may be allowed to wear sweatpants, sweatpants are not considered professional dress; therefore, student teachers should not wear them.
When in doubt about appropriate attire for the teaching profession, student teachers should seek guidance from their mentor teacher and their UTK supervisor.
UTK provides support for the professional dress of our teacher candidates. Examples include the following:
Smokey’s Closet provides free, gently used professional clothing for students.
As professionals, student teachers need to be mindful of professional courtesies. Each student teacher has the responsibility to ask permission of those requested to complete recommendations concerning future employment.
Student teachers are responsible for their own transportation and housing. For information on UTK housing, contact the Director of Residence Halls.
The role of the mentoring teacher is critical to a successful student teaching. The decision-making process for mentor selection occurs between districts, building level administrators, and BGSE. Mentoring includes sharing, modeling, coaching, and encouraging the student teacher’s professional growth and development in the context of daily classroom life. Most importantly, collaborative mentors work side-by-side with their student teachers to assure their learning and that of their students. Mentoring teachers participate in training regarding responsibilities and expectations, which is available at the University of Tennessee Mentor Teacher Orientation.
UTK faculty and our partnering mentor teachers and administrators collaboratively identified the following indicators that we collectively believe to be paramount characteristics of quality mentoring:
1) Engaging in balanced, reflective conversations about instructional practices, efficacy, and intentionality
2) Incorporating practice into coaching sessions using precise feedback and modeling
3) Providing actionable feedback on instructional planning with clear next steps
4) Utilizing observational data and student work to focus feedback
5) Setting goals, providing resources, and giving feedback
6) Sharing authority and responsibility
7) Assessing student teacher skills and co-created goals with the student teacher and holding the student teacher accountable to goals
8) Developing student teacher understanding of content pedagogy
UTK asks that our mentor teachers complete a ProCADs assessment of their student teachers at the end the semester. If a mentor teacher hosts a student teacher for a shorter length of time, the mentor might also be asked to complete a ProCADs assessment for the student teacher. These assessments provide UTK with valuable information regarding the professional competencies, attitudes, and dispositions of our student teachers.
Should a mentor teacher have a concern about the professional competencies, attitudes, or dispositions of a student teacher, the mentor should contact the UTK supervisor to discuss these concerns. UTK’s Office of School-Based Experiences may also be contacted to discuss concerns. Each concern will be addressed on a case-by-case basis.
UTK also asks that our mentor teachers take the time to evaluate the performance of our UTK supervisors. Surveys will be sent to mentor teachers at the end of each semester, and any input received regarding UTK supervisors will be used to continually improve the quality of our teacher preparation program.
The UTK supervisor is the crucial liaison between the preparation the student teacher receives at UTK and the practical experiences of the student teaching. The major responsibility of the UTK supervisor is to facilitate the professional development of the student teacher in close collaboration with the mentor teacher and with school administrators, the Office of School-Based Experiences, and additional UTK faculty as appropriate.
The UTK supervisor is required to:
● Communicate with student teachers weekly.
● Include mentor teachers in communications with the student teachers whenever possible.
● Observe and evaluate student teachers at least 4 times a semester. The UTK Supervisor must
Use the TEAM observation model with fidelity.
Provide observation feedback via HAL within 5 school days.
Include the classroom mentor on observation feedback provided via HAL.
Provide meaningful, actionable feedback to the student teacher.
Allow enough time between observations for improvement to reasonably occur.
Model professional competencies, attitudes, and dispositions (ProCADs).
● Evaluate the student teacher’s ProCADs at the middle and end of the student teaching semester.
UTK supervisors may have additional requirements, based on program/licensure area.