Field Experiences
Professional field experiences, also known as internships, are a vital part of the teacher preparation process for our student teacher candidates. These diverse field experiences take place in public schools within rural, suburban or urban school settings.
Pre-Clinical Field Experience
Students are actively involved in the classroom beginning as early as sophomore year, completing a minimum of 60 hours of pre-clinical field experience.
Clinical Practice Field Experience
Also known as student teaching, this is a full-semester, full-time teaching experience in the classroom during the candidate's last semester of coursework prior to graduation. Previous field experiences will be considered when determining placement.
Elementary education students have the opportunity to participate in a yearlong, full-time teaching experience through the Excellence in Collaborative and Experiential Learning (ExCEL) program, a collaborative partnership between the College of Education and Human Sciences and Stillwater Public Schools.
Learn more about the ExCEL program
Placement Criteria
- OSU must have a contractual agreement with the participating school district.
- The principal and the cooperating teacher must be in agreement about the placement.
- The cooperating teacher must meet established criteria to work with a candidate.
- A qualified OSU supervisor must be available to travel to that site.
OSU Supervisors, Mentor Teachers and Principals Handbook
Mentor Teacher and Teacher Candidate Collaboration Tools
Policies and Procedures
Placement
Student teacher candidates will be placed in a location where professional experiences can develop. Candidates will not be placed in a school where their children attend, a relative is employed or they have developed a personal relationship with the cooperating teacher. Additionally, candidates will not be placed in the school system from which they graduated.
Out-of-area or out-of-state placements are rare and only granted in extreme cases. To request an out-of-area or out-of-state placement, refer to the policies listed below. Please note that candidates must appeal to the Field Experiences Committee for consideration and, if granted, the candidate bears all financial responsibility associated with travel to on-campus meetings, supervision and fees charged by a cooperating institution. Candidates should check directly with their program for international student teaching opportunities.
Out-of-Area or Out-of-State Policy
Out-of-Area or Out-of-State Request Form
Financial Worksheet for Out-of-Area or Out-of-State Placements
Early Release
In some cases, an administrator in the same district as a teacher candidate’s internship placement may request that the candidate be released from his/her placement prior to the conclusion of the placement as initially planned in order to fill an open position in the district. Candidates may ONLY apply for early release if the request is initiated by an administrator in his/her placement district.
Early release from internship form
Other Requirements
Stillwater Public Schools requires student teachers in their district to complete OSHA training. If you are accepted to student teach in Stillwater, you will be notified of an online training you must complete prior to beginning student teaching.
Candidates should also check directly with their program regarding any additional placement requirements for their certification area prior to completing the application.