Teacher Candidates, also known as Aspiring Teachers, Pre-service Teachers, often view their field placement schools as the most formative part of their training. However, what they experience and learn in their schools and classrooms can sometimes be confusing or even contradict what they learn in their teacher education courses. On this website, teacher candidates can access resources designed to help them make the most of their field placement by recognizing, exploring, and creating learning opportunities—ultimately helping them become the best novice teachers they can be.
HOW TO: GETTING TO KNOW YOUR SCHOOL AND THE COMMUNITIES IT SERVES
At the beginning of your field placement, inquiring into your school and its surrounding neighborhoods from the perspective of a teacher will give you a head start.
HOW TO: GETTING TO KNOW STUDENTS AS INDIVIDUALS
Knowing your students as whole people means getting to know their interests, backgrounds, experiences, challenges, passions, and more. After all, the time they spend in your classroom is only a fraction of their daily life.
HOW TO: GETTING TO KNOW STUDENTS AS LEARNERS
This requires a targeted and systematic inquiry into your students’ ways of thinking, how they “do school” and how they understand the subjects you are teaching.
HOW TO: GETTING TO YOUR SCHOOL “ECOSYSTEM’
Connecting with teaching colleagues, staff and other school employees is a good way for you to find out more about the culture and workings of your school community, and about the families and neighborhoods it serves.