Education Fieldwork Experiences

Undergraduate and graduate education students seeking certification in grades PK-4, 4-8 or 7-12 in regular education and/or special education are required to complete field experiences for most education courses every semester. Graduate students who are working full-time will need to be available for these placements during the regular school day. These field experiences allow teacher candidates to make explicit connections with course content and promote an understanding of student cognitive development, motivation and learning styles.

The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE), the agency approving certification for teacher candidates, has a model for conceptualizing the necessary developmental and competency-based stages requiring teacher candidates to assume more responsibility in the teaching and learning process.

PDE’s framework for PK-12 program guidelines cites four stages of field experience, including student teaching. According to the framework, “Each stage is progressively more intensive and requires the candidate to gradually assume more responsibility. The experiences should take place in collaborative settings across all grade environments throughout the PK-12 system. This includes learning about the socio-emotional, cultural, linguistic, and academic traits of students.”

For additional information, please consult the Education Preparation Program Undergraduate Handbook.

Undergraduates receive their field experiences from the Director of Clinical Experiences at the beginning of each semester. Graduate students already working in schools may be able to use their own classrooms or schools for field experiences. 

To Participate in field experiences, students must obtain the following FIVE clearances and are valid for 3 years:

• Pennsylvania State Criminal History Record (Act 34)
• Pennsylvania Child Abuse History Clearance (Act 51)
• Federal FBI Criminal History Report (Act 114)
• Proof of Tuberculin Skin Test
• Mandated Reporting

Students must obtain clearances prior to being enrolled in their first semester. All incoming undergraduate students must apply for all clearances fall of freshman year (even if he or she has had an FBI clearance in the past.). All transfer applicants and post-baccalaureate candidates must submit all 5 newly obtained clearances prior to the start of their first semester. NEW CLEARANCES MUST BE OBTAINED BEFORE THE START OF STUDENT TEACHING. 

 No placements are made without submission of the required clearances. Learn more about Background Clearances.

Stage 1: Observation

Intending teachers are observers in a variety of educational settings appropriate to various grade level assignments and should occur in a range of school settings to enable a broad experience. Students will be organized in groups to travel through a rotation of “rounds”(elementary, middle grades, and high schools) located in the city of Philadelphia. They will engage in reflective discussion about their experiences with their host teacher and with their university-based faculty member(s).

Stage 2: Exploration

Intending teachers work under a host teacher’s supervision during individual tutorials or with small groups of students. They will have experiences in two blocks in order to better appreciate language and cognitive differences in student populations. In keeping with PDE guidelines for teaching English Language Learners and those designated as needing Special Education support, they will have two five-week blocks in settings designed to increase the learning possibilities for each identified group.

Stage 3: Pre-Student Teaching

In pre-student teaching, candidates work with small groups of students in school or after-school settings under the supervision of a certified teacher. For this phase of field experience, K-12 level candidates will be formally admitted to the education program and have taken at least one methods course, but will not be in full control of a class.

You can access the Classroom Observation Form: 

Stage 3 Teacher Observation Form

The School of Education and Human Development has a collaborative model with willing PK-12 schools, principals and teachers. 

• Dr. Rich Levy
  • rlevy@sju.edu
  • 610-660-3162
  • Merion Hall 227