Student Teaching Mission and Procedures
Student teaching at William Carey College is a 13-week course including seminars on campus. Students must document a minimum of 140 hours of actual teaching and 60 days in the schools during student teaching.
Requirements :
- Be a senior
- Pass the English Proficiency Exam
- Earn an overall GPA of 2.5 or better
- Earn a grade of C or better in all professional education courses
- Earn a grade of c or better in all course in major teaching field
- Pass PRAXIS I AND PRAXIS II (Principles and Teaching and Learning and the specialty test for your area)
- Have a statement from the student’s advisor certifying the student’s competency in the subject area in which the student is seeking certification
- Have approval of the chair of the department and the director of student teaching
- Complete all specialty and professional courses with a minimum grade of C or better in each course. Special permission from the chair of the department must be secured to take courses after student teaching.
When do I apply?
Students must make application to take EDU 483, EDU 484, or EDU 496, directed teaching, prior to enrolling for the course. The deadlines for making application are September 15 for spring semester and March 1 for fall semester .
Where can I student teach?
The department of education has contracted with several school districts to accept and work with student teachers from William Carey College . You should give three choices for schools or grade levels preferred. Where these choices can be honored, students are placed in one of their choices. Students are not permitted to student teach in a school where they were students. Students are usually not placed in school where their children are students. The final decision about placement is make by the director of student teaching.
What are Student Teaching Seminars?
Seminars are meetings that are scheduled during student teaching to help you successfully complete the experience. The initial seminars will deal with the requirements of INTASC. Other seminars will be announced and arranged throughout the student teaching experience.
Do I have to complete all parts of PRAXIS?
Yes. All students must have successfully completed PRAXIS I: Reading , Writing, and Mathematics prior to acceptance into teacher education. Students are encouraged to take the professional knowledge (Principles of Learning and Teaching) and the specialty area examinations at least one trimester before student teaching. The student must present passing scores on PRAXIS II, PLT and specialty are to the Education Department before he/she will be allowed to begin student teaching in the schools.
Who supervises me during student teaching?
Students will be supervised by an assigned college faculty member who serves as coordinator of the experience along with the classroom supervising teacher. The student teacher will report to this college faculty member in matters related to assignment, attendance, grades, and INTASC evaluation. The Student Teaching Handbook details the requirements for completion of student teaching.
A member of the regular teaching staff of a local school will direct the professional experiences of the student teacher in the classroom. The supervising teacher will make assignments for actual teaching and other duties to be completed during the student teaching experience. The supervising teacher will be the student teacher’s day-to-day supervisor and is responsible for guiding him or her successfully through the student teaching experience.
Start of School Experience (SOS)*
What is SOS?
You are assigned to a teacher at the beginning of school for one week (five days) in order to “bank” that week for spring student teaching.
What is the purpose of SOS?
There are two reasons for SOS. One reason is to give students the opportunity to experience the beginning of the school year. The other reason is to prevent spring student teachers having to begin the student teaching during winter trimester exam week. The SOS week is banked in the fall and students have to complete only twelve additional weeks during the spring trimester.
How do I sign up for SOS?
Request the SOS packet of materials from the education department office during the spring trimester before your student teach the following spring. Fill in the student application sheet and return it to the education department office.
*SOS is ONLY for students who student teach during spring trimester