Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Field Experiences vary between programs. Generally undergraduate, field work is arranged for two days per week for the junior year with increasing involvement during the senior year. All field work culminates with the Internship semester, which involves placement in a classroom setting every day for the fifteen-week semester. Graduate field work (practicum) is assigned to specific courses and generally involves the completion of a particular number of hours as specified by the graduate catalog and the course syllabus.
You will receive announcements on the portal each semester regarding field experience applications.
Students do not request specific sites for field experiences. Every effort is made to ensure that students see diverse school settings and age groups. The Office of Field Experiences always considers addresses when making placements, but consideration must also be made for any specific major needs, school needs, and faculty driving time.
Notify the OFE as soon as possible if your address changes for mailing purposes and for your field experience placement notification.
GPAs are checked at the end of every semester. If your GPA drops below the requirement for your major, you will be removed from Teacher Education and will not be allowed to continue in your major courses until your GPA is raised to the appropriate level.
Field experiences will always be discussed in classes during the first week of classes. Faculty will discuss with students their responsibilities and will share the specific site information once the semester is in session.
No. Several hundred placements are requested each semester and in order to properly insure that the school, the district office, and the College of Education are all aware of placement confirmations, the Office of Field Experiences will not share placements with faculty or students until all placements are confirmed.
If students begin having difficulties in their field experiences, the University Supervisor and the appropriate Department Chair will begin to compile a Professional Development Plan, so that difficulties may be resolved.
Students must make a “C” or better in all professional educational courses, teaching field courses (content), and supporting courses (Area F) and are not allowed to complete Internship (student teaching) until those courses are completed with a grade of “C” or better (see Teacher Education Handbook).
Field experiences are completed during the last two years of the candidate's program. Different programs vary the approach and days in the field; however, all programs require significant field experience time in the schools. During this time, field experiences are divided up over the last four semesters of a program. As a Board of Regent's requirement, the College of Education documents all field experiences for each candidate who declares Teacher Education as a major (or minor for those receiving Arts and Science degrees) to ensure that students complete a variety of experiences across diverse environments.
Yes. A UWG College of Education name badge must be visible on your person at all times when you are at your school site. Administrators have been notified that candidates/interns should not be allowed on school property without the College of Education name badge. If you have misplaced your badge or if you are a first semester teacher candidate, you will need to acquire a badge from Campus Services (the round building in the center of the campus). Your UWG ID badge will not be accepted as identification in the schools.