Field Experiences

Throughout their course work, middle grade education majors are directed and monitored in field experiences attached to specific courses. Each course maintains explicit observation experience requirements, which students must document in their field experiences in terms of type and number of hours.

 Projected Courses with Field Experience Hours

Types of Field Experiences

Directed Observation -
The instructor specifies experiences for students to observe in their field placements. Students log their participation hours and types of experiences.

Supervised Participation -
Instructors assign specific participation assignments and mentor teachers provide evaluations of the students’ participation in their classes. 

Supervised -
A cooperating teacher and college supervisor are assigned to the student. Both provide guidance, formative feedback, and evaluation of the intern.

All students in middle grades education complete field experiences in elementary (Grades 4-5) and middle school (Grades 6-8) settings. While documenting the hours of field experiences at different levels prior to student teaching, students also complete field experiences in culturally diverse settings. To ensure this exposure, students are placed in specific diverse settings.

The Internship in middle grade education is completed over 16 weeks. Suggested levels of experience in student teaching are outlined in the Student Teaching Handbook to help the cooperating teacher direct the activities of the student teacher in such a way that there is gradual progression toward full-time classroom instruction. Time limits are framed for various levels of participation but the final decision will depend upon the readiness of each student teacher to move from one level to the next.

Level I -  Observation -
Student interns observe the activities of the cooperating teacher and engage in activities that will familiarize them with students, materials, and routines.

Level II - Participation -
Student interns participate in the routine duties of the classroom

Level III -Teaching Under Supervision -
Student interns conduct classroom instruction under the observation of cooperating teacher.

Level IV -Teaching -
The student interns conduct classroom instruction over an extended period of time. The student is not under the direct observation for the major part of the period.

Clinical Settings

Student placements during the clinical year are located in partner schools with which we have contracts. Groups of students are placed in those schools. These schools are presently located in Dawson, Forsyth, Lumpkin, Hall, Habersham and White counties, including the Gainesville City system.

A rotation in level is required in the middle, secondary and P-12 programs as well as at least one diverse placement. Placements are arranged during each field-based course and at the time of internship application. Secondary and P-12 students will have to document at least 150 hours of additional field experience.

Students are given the opportunity to express geographic preference within the partner school network. They are not placed in schools that their children attend, that they personally attended in the last ten years or in which close relatives are employed.

The Teacher Education Handbook and the Internship Handbook provide more specific information about policies and procedures.