Skip to main content

EDUC 651

I. Course Title: Student Teaching, Elementary Education (PK-6) and Early/Primary Education (PK-3)

II. Course Number: EDUC 651

III. Credit Hours: 9 credits

IV. Prerequisites: EDUC 430 or 530

V. Course Description: 

Internship plus seminar.

This semester long full-time field experience provides candidates extensive clinical experience in a grade level appropriate for licensure in grades PreK-6 or PreK-3. Candidates have the privilege of designing and delivering a wide variety of learning experiences in their placement with the advantage of mentorship and coaching provided by schools, licensed teachers, and university faculty. They begin by observing and co-teaching with their cooperating teachers and gradually assume full responsibility in the classroom. Special seminars are scheduled regularly to enhance professional development of the candidate.

Note(s): A fee of $110 will be charged to students taking EDUC 651.

VI. Detailed Description of Content of the Course:

This semester long full-time field experience provides candidates extensive clinical experience in a grade level appropriate for licensure in grades PreK-6 or PreK-3.  Candidates have the privilege of designing and delivering a wide variety of learning experiences in their placement with the advantage of mentorship and coaching provided by schools, licensed teachers, and university faculty.  Effective lesson planning, assessment, instructional delivery, and classroom management that supports the success of diverse learners are key focus areas. They begin by observing and co-teaching with cooperating teachers and gradually assume full responsibility in the classroom. Special seminars are scheduled regularly to enhance professional development of the candidate.

VI. Detailed Description of Conduct of Course:

Candidate placements are made in appropriate grade/subject areas. Opportunities are provided to practice teaching diverse learners under the supervision of approved cooperating teachers and university supervisors.  Candidates are embedded in elementary schools full-time throughout the semester; effective lesson planning, assessment, instructional delivery, and classroom management are key focus areas. The experience begins with observation and culminates in assumption of full responsibility. The student teaching experience will provide for a minimum of 300 clock hours with at least 150 hours spent supervised in direct teaching activities.

VII. Goals and Objectives of the Course:

Goals, objectives, and assignments address the Virginia Department of Education regulations for preparing early/primary and elementary educators and the Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (INTASC) and National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) standards.

Candidates successfully completing this course will demonstrate their knowledge, skills, and dispositions to:

  1. Use principles of backward design to support learners in achieving outcomes aligned to Virginia’s Foundation Blocks for Early Learning: Comprehensive Standards for Four-Year-Olds and the Virginia Standards of Learning in all major content areas (English, Math, Science, History and Social Sciences including computer and technology.) 
  2. Create integrated learning experiences which include objectives and instruction in content area subjects and art, music, drama, movement, movement, and technology.  
  3. Modify and manage learning environments and experiences to meet the individual needs of children, including children with disabilities, gifted children, children who learning English, and children with diverse cultural needs to, include: flexible groupings, differentiation by process and/or product, and, appropriate scaffolding, accommodations, and/or enrichment opportunities.
  4. Evaluate, select, adapt, and use a variety of teaching strategies/methods and instructional materials that promote curiosity and engagement, teach critical thinking, and develop problem solving skills for all students, including those who are culturally and linguistically diverse. 
  5. Evaluate, select, and adapt instruction and materials to match the rigor of learning goals, to ensure the accessibility of instruction (UDL), and to foster skills in metacognition (UDL) for all students, including those who are culturally and linguistically diverse, gifted, or who have disabilities.
  6. Design and/or implement formal and informal assessments, using multiple means of expression (UDL), to plan, evaluate and strengthen instruction to promote continuous intellectual, social, emotional, and physical development of all students. 
  7. Create supportive and flexible learning environments which foster healthy lifestyles, active engagement in learning, motivation, student self-discipline/self-regulation and positive social interactions using key concepts and methods in health and physical education, universal design for learning (engagement), social emotional learning, and behavior science. 
  8. Demonstrate proficiency in the use of educational technology for instruction, research, and communication. 
  9. Establish and maintain a positive, collaborative relationship with families, school colleagues, and agencies in the larger community to promote the intellectual, social, emotional, physical growth and well-being of children.
  10. Use methods of improving communication between schools and families, ways of increasing family involvement in student learning at home and in school and the Standards of Learning and Foundation Blocks for Early Learning 
  11. Demonstrate a commitment to professional growth and development through reflection, collaboration, and continuous professional development/learning. 
  12. Analyze, evaluate, and apply quantitative and qualitative research to instructional decisions in the classroom and to defend decisions when analyzing and reflecting on quality of instruction.
  13. Successfully complete 150 hours of direct teaching in a supervised clinical experience. 

VIII. Assessment Measures:

Assessment in student teaching is both formative and summative; it is performance-based in an authentic field setting, and completed collaboratively by the classroom teacher and university faculty. Evaluation is based upon the INTASC Standards for Beginning Teachers which are embedded in the Teacher Candidate Evaluation form.  Those competencies include content knowledge and pedagogy, effective and developmentally appropriate instruction for diverse learners, instructional design (includes universal design for learning, differentiation, lesson planning and balanced assessment), professional reflection, and collaboration with colleagues and families.  Key assessments include:

  • CAEP Performance Assessment: Lesson Planning
  • CAEP Performance Assessment: Impact on Student Learning Project
  • CAEP Performance Assessment: Final Evaluation.  
  • CAEP Perfomance Assessment: Observation 
  • CAEP Performance Assessment: Professional
  • Characteristics and Disposition

Other assignments include:

  • Formative feedback notes and conferencing in the field (to include midterm progress check)
  • Participation in seminar (discussions and small-group activities; reflective writings as appropriate)
  • Completion of Child Abuse Certificate training
  • Performance Assessment: Lesson Planning (Healthy Body/Healthy Mind portfolio)
  • Performance Assessment: Building School, Family, and Community Connections project
  • Detailed log of field hours and activities
  • Annotated bibliography of literature to support CAEP Impact on Student Learning performance assessment.

Other Course Information

None

Review and Approval

March 01, 2021

Apply NowPlan a Visit