Student Teaching Requirements for Master of Arts in Teaching
Eligibility: Post-baccalaureate graduate candidates must apply for graduate student teaching one full year prior to expected placement. Candidates must be admitted to the Teacher Education Program before applying for student teaching. Eighty percent (80%) of a candidate's course work must be completed before a candidate may begin student teaching. Completed course work must include: EDU 510 Professional Dispositions, EDU 601 Foundations for Education; PSY 634 Exceptional Child; PSY 652 Advanced Educational Psychology; and EDU 500, 501 or 580 Curriculum and Methods. EDU 603 and 605 can be taken with student teaching. Please understand that you would take EDU 505, 588, 603, and 605 in the same semester. The practicum hours from EDU 605 would be in addition to student teaching hours and could be done in the same placement as student teaching. This only applies to candidates who plan on student teaching. Early childhood education majors must also complete MAT 523.
Candidates must have taken the appropriate PRAXIS II or the GACE Content Exam tests prior to beginning student teaching II. Additionally each student must have completed their required field experiences as outlined on their program of study sheet prior to student teaching placement.
The Berry College Charter School of Education and Human Sciences requires candidates to register for and successfully complete two semesters of student teaching before a candidate can be recommended for certification to the Professional Standards Commission. The Senior-Year Experience schedule is outlined as follows:
August - Full-day Field-Based Practicum Teaching - Two Weeks
September - December Field-Based Practicum Teaching Part-Time
January - February Full-day Student Teaching Lead Teaching - Four Weeks
March - April Student Teaching Part-Time
Actual hours for the student teaching semesters
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Fall
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Spring
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ECE
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200 hrs
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330 hrs
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MG
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120 hrs
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330 hrs
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Sec./P-12
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120 hrs
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330 hrs
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Concurrent Course Work
During the fall semester candidates enrolled in Student Teaching I must also register for and attend EDU 505 Instructional Management.
One 600 level course.
During the spring semester students enrolled in Student Teaching II must also register for and attend EDU 590 Senior Seminar.
Candidates enrolled in student teaching may take only one additional course (3 credit hours) per semester (not including EDU 588, EDU 589, EDU 599, EDU 505 or EDU 590).
Applications for student teaching are available online or the application may be obtained from the office of Graduate Studies (Cook 215). All candidates are required to pass the appropriate PRAXIS II subject exams prior to placement for student teaching II. Specific information regarding policies related to student teaching may be obtained from the student's advisor. A comprehensive student teaching handbook is available from the Office of Field Experiences (Cook 221). All candidates are expected to obtain, read and comprehend the contents of the Student Teaching Handbook. Located online under office is Field Experience and Student Teaching.
Placement: Placement of student teachers in specific locations (school district, building, and cooperating teacher) is the responsibility of the director of field experiences and student teaching, in consultation with school personnel. Guidelines used in placement include the following:
- All placements will be designed to encourage professional and personal growth as a prospective teacher.
- Candidates will not be placed in schools where they have attended within the last ten years or where they have close relatives employed or children in attendance.
- Candidates will be placed in approved schools within an approximate 30-mile radius from the Berry College campus.
- Candidate teacher supervisions will be conducted by Berry College faculty members or, in some instances, designated adjunct faculty members.
- Candidates may make specific requests for placements, which will be considered by the director, field experiences and student teaching.
- Candidates will be placed with cooperating teachers who have a minimum of three years in-field experience. Priority will be given to cooperating teachers who have the Teacher Support Services endorsement on their teaching certificate.
Placement decisions are made based on availability of qualified supervisory personnel, range of experiences needed by the candidate, and recommendations from college faculty, district personnel officers, principals, and candidates. Appeals to placement decisions must be presented in writing to director of field experiences and student teaching, for presentation to the Admissions and Certification Committee at a scheduled meeting.