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Student Teaching

The Professional Semester

We offer student teaching both fall and spring semesters. All students seeking teacher certification spend one semester (at least 16 weeks) in a full-day student teaching assignment appropriate to their level and subject specialty. This experience is part of the Professional Semester, which includes:

• Student teaching placement
• Student Teaching Seminar (EDUC 456)
• Senior Seminar (unless taken in a previous semester)

You’ll work with at least one P–12 cooperating teacher who is experienced and highly qualified in his or her content area. You’ll also be assigned to and observed by a highly qualified, experienced college supervisor. The college supervisor will visit you regularly during the placement to track and support your development. This person is responsible for assigning your final grade. Major departments are also encouraged to observe secondary student teachers during the experience.

Student Teaching Placements

K–5 or K–8 Certification

Students seeking K–5 or K–8 certification are assigned to an elementary or middle school classroom.

Students seeking elementary certification with an endorsement in learning disabilities or emotional impairments complete one student teaching assignment in a general elementary education classroom and a second in the appropriate special education classroom.

• During the fall semester, students take a five-week, six-credit special education block followed by 11 weeks of student teaching
• During the spring semester, the special education majors follow the Professional Semester configuration and complete 15–16 weeks of student teaching

Secondary Certification

Students seeking 6–12 certification are assigned a secondary (middle or high school) assignment in their area(s) of endorsement.

Students also seeking K–12 endorsements in music, visual arts, physical education or dance are given an assignment in their area of endorsement which includes experiences at both the elementary and secondary levels.

Spanish education majors who are following the elementary track/K–12 endorsement are required to complete a student teaching placement in an elementary classroom as well as an assignment in Spanish at the secondary level.

Special education majors following the secondary certification track will student teach in a special education setting at the middle or high school level. Efforts will be made to provide a student teaching opportunity in the minor area of study as well.

Clinical Experiences and Student Teaching

Before you’re even officially admitted to the education program you’ll get real-world experience in an actual classroom. There’s no better way to determine if teaching is the career you want to pursue — and no better way to prepare. Our students are in the field for each course and end their time at Hope with one full semester of student teaching before receiving their certification. The following list is where many of our students have taught and been placed.

• The Philadelphia Center
• Liverpool, UK
• Interaction International
• Hope comes to Watts (Los Angeles, California)
• Rosebud Indian Reservation, South Dakota (as available)

The Student Teaching Seminar

During the student teaching experience, student teachers are required to register for and attend the weekly evening Student Teaching Seminar. Some of the sessions are general in nature (e.g., resume writing, certification, portfolio design, etc.). Others are grade level specific (elementary, secondary and special education). In the grade-level meetings topics such as classroom management, conferencing, and teaching and learning strategies are presented. Students also discuss and reflect on their current classroom teaching experiences.

The NASDTEC Interstate Agreement facilitates the mobility of educators among the states and other jurisdictions that are members of NASDTEC and have signed the Agreement. Although there may be conditions applicable to individual jurisdictions, the Agreement makes it possible for an educator who completed an approved program and/or who holds a certificate or license in one jurisdiction to earn a certificate or license in another state or jurisdiction. Receiving states may impose certain special requirements which must be met in a reasonable period of time. Visit the NASDTEC site  to review specific state-by-state requirements for teachers: