Pre-Student Teaching Field Experiences

Pre-student teaching field experiences, including the use of films (vicarious experiences) and school observation and participation, are required in some of the education courses taken prior to student teaching. The minimum number of pre-student teaching hours for Secondary Education and K-12 Education majors exceeds 100 clock hours. Secondary and K-12 Spanish Education students meet this requirement through EDUC 249, 376, 385 or 386, and 456. Physical Education students meet this requirement through EDUC 249, 385, 456, PHED 367 and 370. Music Education students do so in EDUC 249, 376, 456, MUED 460, and either MUED 350 or 351.

Elementary education majors must complete a minimum of 140 pre-student teaching clock-hours. Elementary Education majors complete field experiences in EDUC 249, 340, 342, 350, 367, 376, and 456.

Early Childhood Education majors must complete a minimum of 140 pre-student teaching hours in EDUC 210, 249, 320, 330, 359, 367, 376, and 456.

Students are to keep records of pre-student teaching clinical experiences, together with signatures of supervising personnel, on forms provided for this purpose by the School of Education. These records are kept in the student's folder in the School of Education office, and are considered in connection with admission to the teacher education program and in placement for student teaching.

Students enrolled in any education course that includes a field experience must successfully complete the field experience requirements of the course and turn in all required paperwork before credit can be given. If an equivalent course has been completed at another educational institution and the student wishes to transfer the field experience hours, the student must request the credit granting institution to send documented evidence of the field experience hours to Olivet. No credit will be given for field experience hours that are not equivalent (i.e., hours, assignments) to those outlined in the course syllabi or Teacher Education Handbook. This documentation will be kept in the student's file in the School of Education office. An unsatisfactory pre-student teaching experience evaluation will result in an incomplete for the course until the field experience is successfully completed and all the required paperwork is submitted for approval.