STUDENT
TEACHING
PREPARATION
PACKET
~ A Guide for Preparing to Student Teach through BYU – Idaho ~
1/2014
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Welcome to Student Teaching
The student teaching is the capstone experience of your academic and professional training as a pre-service
teacher. The public school classroom is the laboratory where you as a teacher candidate apply what you have
learned about the principles and art of teaching.
Your professors, advisors and fellow students have worked with you, helping you learn your content and
pedagogy. The task of the Field Services Office (FSO) is to help fill in some of the gaps, informing you and
instructing you in other necessary requirements that are not covered in the classrooms on campus. In the
following pages, we have listed information and instructions that will aid you as you traverse the path from
your classroom education at BYU-Idaho to your final field experience, which is student teaching.
Partner Schools
Partner Schools are located in our Partner Districts. We have mutual commitments with them to provide the
best experience possible for our teacher candidates. These schools are known for their innovative approach to
education. Their teachers use best practices in their classrooms and desire to be teacher candidate mentors.
(For a list of our Partner Districts and Schools please see following page.)
One of the commitments BYU-I FSO makes to partner schools is to allow them to select teacher candidates
from among our student teachers. Thus, there is an interview process for future teacher candidates each year.
Partner School Interviews
Partner School Interviews are held on campus (1) January through mid-February for our spring student
teachers, and (2) in late April for our fall and winter student teachers. For students who are unable to attend in
person (because of extreme distance) interviews are also offered in Google Hangout.
Your placement as a teacher candidate will be determined by your interview. In preparation for Partner School
Interviews, you need to develop your personal biography (See Applicant Checklist on page 7). A resume is
also strongly recommended. It is the responsibility of each teacher candidate to provide copies of the personal
bio and resume to principals during each interview.
Student Teaching Placement Protocols
During and/or after the interview process, principals may take the opportunity to offer a placement to any
candidate. This process has been designed to enable our principals to select their roster of Teacher Candidates
before leaving Rexburg, should they desire. Teacher Candidates have the option of accepting, asking for time
to consider, or denying any request.
Students that are not offered a placement during initial interviews by a principal, or who cannot accept an
offered placement will continue to work with the FSO to obtain a placement. FSO will continue to work with
our Partner School principals to schedule interviews and make arrangements for additional placements.
Outside of partner schools, BYU-Idaho has little or no influence on the placement of students within the
school district. Students may request specific school districts within an area, and if possible that request will
be considered. However, students should never approach any school or district official and attempt to solicit
their own placement.
You will be notified by your Area Coordinator (AC) when specific assignments are made. Notification can
come as early as two to three months prior to student teaching and as late as the day before student
teaching begins. This is dependent upon each district.
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Student Teaching Locations by State
In order to provide all teacher candidates the optimal experience, we place students in school districts outside the
area of southeast Idaho. We do so to provide opportunities for more ethnic and economic diversity in the
classroom, different and better employment opportunities, and to aid you in building a resume that will include
student teaching in a diverse area. We realize that not all students can leave southeast Idaho because of personal
circumstances, but encourage all to consider the option of going distant if at all possible.
Arizona
Mesa School District (Mesa, Arizona) – Partner schools:
Zaharis Elementary School
Summitt Academy (K-8)
Mesa High School
Idaho
Nampa School District (Nampa, Idaho) – Partner schools:
Reagan Elementary School
New Horizon Elementary School
Sherman Elementary School
South Middle School
Skyview High School
Nevada
Clark County School District (Las Vegas, Nevada) - Partner Schools:
Hinman Elementary School
Louis Weiner Elementary School
Schofield Middle School
Silverado High School
Las Vegas High School
Utah
Jordan School District (Herriman, S Jordan, W Jordan, Riverton area) – Partner schools:
Silver Crest Elementary School
So. Jordan Middle School
Weber School District (East of Ogden, Utah) – Partner schools:
Pioneer Elementary School
W. Weber Elementary School
Wahlquist Jr. High
Fremont High School
Local area
Bonneville School District (Iona, Ammon area) – Partner schools
Summit Hills Elementary School
Discovery Elementary School
Ammon Elementary School
Rocky Mountain Middle School
Hillcrest High School
Bonneville High School
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Financial Aid
There is no dedicated student teaching financial aid. Any requests for aid must go through the
BYU-Idaho Student Financial Aid office within their deadlines. The student teaching class
(ED492) is only 10 credits, so if you need “full-time” status, you may take the 2-credit student
teaching online seminar (ED494).
To maintain a university sponsored scholarship, the student teaching semester is one time when
students are NOT REQUIRED to carry 12 or14 credits to receive financial aid. The Financial
Aid office, after being made aware of the fact that it is the student teaching semester, will adjust
the scholarship to cover student teaching for only 10 credits. PELL grants can also be adjusted
(or pro-rated) to cover only 10 credits. Address all questions regarding financial aid during
student teaching to the Financial Aid Office.
Transportation
All teacher candidates, regardless of placement location area, must provide their own
transportation during student teaching. Carpooling is helpful, but it is your responsibility to
arrange your own transportation. A list of others student teaching in your school or immediate
area will be distributed to assist in making carpool arrangements easier.
Program Costs
All teacher candidates will be assessed the normal tuition for 10 credits (plus tuition for the 2credit seminar if taken). A $90 class fee will be assessed to cover the costs for your background
clearances required for all teacher candidates, plus supplies and paper work. Some students will
be required to do two background clearances required due to student teaching in another state,
but will not be charged an additional fee. All students pay the same fee, and it is spread across
all expenses, for all students.
Housing
Housing costs are the responsibility of the student. For information concerning housing
availability in all areas, contact the Housing office on campus at www.byui.edu/housing.
Registration
All teacher candidates will be given authorization to add ED 492 and ED 494 during the
registration period for their assigned student teaching semester. ED 492 is the 10.0 credit student
teaching class; after being authorized by FSO, it is the student’s responsibility to register
themselves in order to get credit for student teaching.
ED 494 is an optional online 2.0 credit course. All teacher candidates are authorized to take the
course, but it is the teacher candidate’s choice to register for ED 494 or not.
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Student Teaching Duration
Student teaching assignment start dates vary depending on the district, school and semester. Student
teaching dates follow the district’s semester which is different than the BYU-Idaho semester duration,
because they (our Partner Districts) set the calendar for their schools. Student teaching experiences will
be anywhere from 16 to 20 weeks. The fall semester can start as early as August and continues through to
Christmas break in December. The winter semester can begin at the beginning of January and conclude
as late as mid-May. The spring semester’s duration can run from early April through July. Teacher
candidates are expected to participate in teacher in-service and work days, as well as parent teacher
conferences. District and school specific student teaching dates will be sent to all education students via
email during the semester prior to the start of your student teaching assignment.
Academic Discovery Centers
All departments on campus have an Academic Discovery Center (ADC) that services their
students in planning and sequencing coursework. Education students are no exception, except
they don’t all go to the same one. Each student accesses the ADC that services their content
area. View the following list of the ADC offices, their addresses and what education content
areas they cover.
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Agriculture and Life Sciences (Ag, Biology, Health) – Benson 240
Education and Human Development (El Ed, ECSE, Spec Ed Gen K – 12, and Family &
Consumer Sciences) – Hinckley 309
Language and Letters (English, all Foreign Languages, Geography, History,
Government, Social Studies) – Smith 269
Performing and Visual Arts (Art, Music, Theatre) – MC 376
Physical Sciences and Engineering (Math, Physics, Chemistry, Geology) – Austin 106
Main Academic Discovery Center is located in MC 129
Your ADC can also be of great help in preparing for Praxis exams, perfecting resumes,
practicing for student teaching interviews, career interviews, and looking for employment
following graduation.
The main ADC in MC 129 has wonderful resources to help with all items listed in paragraph
above, with the exception of the Praxis Exams.
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APPLICATION PROCESS
All students must go through an application process to be considered for student
teaching. We encourage students to submit an application 12 to 18 months in advance
of their targeted semester for student teaching. The remaining items on the list can
and should be done 6 – 9 months prior to their target semester. Exact time is
determined more closely by the semester in which they plan to student teach.
Instructions for Application Checklist
1. Student Teaching Application (this is the FIRST step only; continue steps 2 – 5)
 Located on web page: www.byui.edu/field-services
 Select Student Teaching Application, complete and submit.
2. Teacher Candidate Preparation Plan
 Receive email from Field Services with Prep Plan attached after submitting
application, or several weeks before scheduled Partnership Interviews
 Complete an approved Grad Plan (MyBYUI/Student Tab/Degree
Information/Graduation Planner)
 Receive (from FSO), print and take a copy of your Prep Plan and a copy of your
approved Grad plan to your Academic Discovery Center (ADC), in your content
area. Review your documents with your ADC and verify all required coursework
(either completed or to be completed)
 Return Prep Plan – with the degree audit and Grad Plan attached – to the Field
Services Office (FSO), in Hinckley 325 to be reviewed.
3. Photo
 The campus photography studio (MCK Library 356) will take your photo. There
is no appointment needed. This service is free to you unless you choose to
purchase more prints. They will forward your photo to us directly.
 This is a professional photo; you should wear professional attire:
 No t-shirts, hoodies, or sweatshirts, please.
 Men – shirt and tie.
 Women are asked to wear professional clothing as well
4. Personal Bio
 This is a brief, one-page essay which may include family background, interests,
skills that will be utilized in teaching, education, reasons for choosing teaching as
a profession, but should emphasize your philosophy of teaching.
 Edit your bio several times. Seek help from others to edit it. Be sure to ask
someone who will be honest and thorough in their editing. Use your resources:
 Family
 Friends
 BYU-I Writing Center (Cont. on next page)
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Mechanics of Bio: Bios must be received in the correct format or they will be
returned.
 Create the body of your bio in a Word document – single space, no tabs,
double space between paragraphs. Limit your bio to one page (approx.
450-500 words). The font you use will revert to the pre-formatted font in
the template.
 Drop your completed bio into the template provided on our web page at
www.byui.edu/field-services. You will be filling in the gray boxes.
Name: (use your full name)
o Degree:
o Choose the one that applies; ignore the rest
o Our office will remove the extra boxes
o Composite: (use the drop down box to select your
composite)
o Major: (use the drop down box to select major)
o Minor: (use the drop down box to select minor)
Body of bio: Copy and paste from your Word document.
 Save your document to your computer, then attach it to an email to the
Field Services Office at fieldservices@byui.edu.
Do’s and Don’ts for Personal Bio:
DO:
 Use one page and create a professional document (no mistakes)
introducing you as an individual
 Express your feelings and philosophy about education
 Explain why you want to be an educator
 Be positive
 BRIEFLY write about your family, hobbies/interests, past employment
 Use clear, concise sentences.
 Use correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
 Remember your audience (public school administration and faculty)
 Revise, revise, revise
DON’T:
 Write this hastily
 Brag or sound boastful
 List pet peeves, especially about the school system
 Write more than one page
 Bear your testimony – This is a professional document going to a public
school district. It is inappropriate to bring matters of religion into this
bio. Therefore, DO NOT bear your testimony. (Cont. on next page)
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5. Background Clearance for the State of Idaho (Fingerprinting)
 Fingerprinting for the State of Idaho must be done by the application deadline for
the semester in which you wish to student teach. This service is provided in the
Field Services Office. ALL BYU-I Education majors must be fingerprinted for
Idaho regardless of their intended destination for student teaching or career
teaching.
 You will be asked to complete a second set of fingerprints if you are student
teaching in any state other than Idaho. This will occur after you have applied and
have been assigned to another state.

Legal ID must be presented before you can be printed. Please bring one of
the following: a driver’s license, a state issued photo ID, or a military card
with photo included.
o BYU – Idaho ID card will NOT be accepted as proof of identification
STUDENT TEACHING PLACEMENTS WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED UNTIL ALL
APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS HAVE BEEN MET.
Due Dates for Completion of Application Requirements:
Due dates are set to allow Field Services time to prepare for Partnership Interviews:

Spring – December 15, the year before student teaching
 Fall – March 15, the year of student teaching
 Winter – March 15, the year before student teaching
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Field Services Offices Contact information
Field Services Office / Hinckley 325
Brigham Young University-Idaho
Rexburg, ID 83460-1945
(208) 496-4140 Office
(208) 496-5140 fax
fieldservices@byui.edu
https://www.facebook.com/byuifieldservices
FSO Personnel
Gary Larsen (School Liaison and Training Coordinator)
Stacey Jensen (FSO Coordinator)
Carol Frongner (FSO Coordinator & Certification Officer)
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