The College of Education is commited to a field-based professional development program. Early in their program, students are required to spend a significant portion of their professional development courses observing and working with experienced teachers in the local school districts. Subsequent course work is taught at the school sites, with the students utilizing the setting to become actively involved in applying the concepts learned in the lectures. The field-based program culminates in the student teaching experience, wherein the student is assigned on a one-to-one basis with an experienced master teacher and moves from observation through cooperative teaching to full responsibility for a class.

Admission to the Field-Based Block Course
      The field-based block course is a Tuesday and Thursday commitment from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. In addition to the requirements for admission to Teacher Education listed above, individuals applying will need to have completed:

1. READ 3320 (EC-4) or READ 3321 (Grades 4-8)
2. SMTE 1350 (EC-4) (Grades 4-8)
3. SMTE 3315 or SMTE 3316 (EC-4) (Grades 4-8)
4. 39 hours of the General Education Requirements