Department of Education and Leadership
Clinical Practice (Field Placement)
Co-teaching for the traditional pathway is the heart of the Elementary Education (Multiple Subjects) credential program. Expectations for clinical practice include activities prescribed by the cooperating teachers or district and assignments for Elementary Education (Multiple Subjects) courses that will be carried out in the field.
Co-teaching is a now proven concept here at CSUMB which places candidates in the field from the first day of school until the last day of the public school calendar. Placements are for four half-days per week at a particular grade level for one semester, candidates then switch to another grade level within the same school for the second semester of the program.
Candidates are matched with trained cooperating teachers who work closely with the candidate using a variety of co-teaching strategies to develop the necessary skills to one day have their own classroom.
Candidates in Stage 2 of the program will initially continue with a Monday-Thursday schedule. In addition to staying for collaboration days, Stage 2 candidates add on an additional full-day, so their schedule generally consists of three half-days and one full day. Later in Stage 2, candidates should begin spending full days with their co-teachers, Monday-Thursday, for five weeks. (If a candidate is engaged in Stage 2 co-teaching in the spring term, this typically happens by the end of March or early April.) For two of these five weeks, candidates should be in the lead position (not solo).
Candidates may begin their five weeks of full-time teaching earlier. There is flexibility in the timeline. Candidates may choose to divide their full teaching weeks into three weeks of full days (Monday-Thursday) as one block and two weeks of lead teaching (Monday-Friday) as another block. Because language arts is sometimes not taught in the morning, some candidates stay for full days early on so they can co-teach in ELA and then do their two weeks of lead teaching after edTPA.
Placement requirements
In addition to the requirements for admission to the program student teachers must complete the following prior to placement.
Character identification clearance
- Certificate of Clearance
- Passing TB testing within two years of placement
- CPR certification - available online
- U.S. Constitution (course exam) on official transcript
Both teacher candidates and interns are supported weekly at their site by a university supervisor who will also formally observe and evaluate them in their field placements a minimum of eight times during two consecutive semesters of the program.
Field Placement
The CSUMB Teacher Education Program is committed to providing you with optimal opportunities to work in school settings. The field courses (ED 624 and ED 625) are an integral part of the teacher education program, providing challenging and rewarding classroom experiences that are framed with university coursework. The willingness of partner schools to participate in the program by allowing access to collaboration with outstanding educators provides learning opportunities that can only be experienced through direct interaction with teachers and students in classrooms.
The chart below summarizes the field experience in the two Secondary Education (Single Subject) Pathways:
| Co-Teaching Teacher Candidates | Intern Teacher Candidates |
|---|---|
| Placed in a partner district classroom by CSUMB (notification of placement in spring or early summer) | Finding employment is the candidate’s responsibility in one of the approved districts. |
| Teach for 3 class periods and a prep period from the first day of school to the last – the remainder of the school day is your time | Teach for amount of time stated in the contract, often full day from the first day to the last |
| Teaching along side a co-teacher provides daily support and mentoring in the classroom throughout your placement. | Log 189 hours of support and guidance received per year (log a minimum of 5 hours per week.) |
| Rich teaching experience but no pay for the work | Paid according to district salary schedule |
| While co-teaching, courses are completed in 3 semesters - Summer, Fall, Spring | While intern teaching, courses are completed in 5 semesters – Summer, Fall, Spring, Fall, Spring which includes an additional intern seminar course for 2 semesters |
| Can participate in the Credential + MA program | Can complete a MA separately after receiving their credential |
| Supported in the field by a cooperating teacher and a CSUMB Clinical Coach | Supported in the field by a support provider and a CSUMB Clinical Coach |
| Complete an edTPA in the final semester | Complete an edTPA in the final semester |
| Receive preliminary credential when program is completed | Receive preliminary credential when program is completed |
Character identification clearance
- Certificate of Clearance
- Passing TB testing within two years of placement.
- CPR certification - available online
- U.S. Constitution (course or exam) on official transcript