Student Teaching

Admission to Student Teaching

Since this is a professional program that leads to certification, the clinical component of student teaching carries significant weight. Admissions to student teaching is not a given, it is something that is valuable and earned through a series of successful accomplishments. Admissions to student teaching is also not automatic. There is a process that must be followed. Read about the steps for the process.

All teacher candidates must earn a passing score on one of the New York State Teacher Certification exams before the School of Education will approve their application to student teach.  These exams include:  Educating All Students (EAS) or the Multi-Subject Content Specialty Test (CST). The edTPA is typically completed during the student teaching semester.

Eligible teacher candidates may apply for student teaching in a fall or spring semester. Applications may be requested at the Front Desk. The application will include a personal data form, an advisor’s section, an application for fingerprinting, and a Student Teaching Preference Form. The application also requires a 3-5 page typewritten reflective autobiographical essay. Completed applications must be submitted to Ms. Deborah Edwards-Anderson, ECE Program Manager. Please check the ECE webpages for application deadlines. Once a candidate’s eligibility for student teaching has been confirmed by the ECE Program Manager and ECE Program Director, the candidate will sign up for an interview with an ECE faculty member. The student teaching applicant is expected to bring her or his completed Student Teaching Preference Form to the interview. Following the interview, ECE faculty members meet to review each candidate’s student teaching application. The candidate’s academic performance in the program, professional dispositions, and interview data are all considered by ECE faculty members as they decide whether or not to approve a candidate for student teaching. A final recommendation to approve or not approve a candidate for student teaching will then be made to the Committee on Student Services of the School of Education. Candidates will receive final notification of approval or non-approval by the ECE Program Director.   

Student Teaching and Seminar

Student teaching is a full semester (15 weeks), and consists of two placements in two of the three age groups within the span of early childhood (Birth-8 years):

1. Birth to Pre-Kindergarten
2. Kindergarten 
3. First or second grade

Student teaching placements are full-day, four days a week.