PRE-PRACTICUM
FIELDWORK
FOR AIC XCP
INITIAL TEACHER LICENSURE PROGRAMS
5/13
WHAT IS THE
PRE-PRACTICUM?
• The Massachusetts Dept. of
Elementary and Secondary Education
requires all candidates seeking initial
teacher licensure* to have a variety
of fieldwork experiences in
classrooms appropriate to their field.
At AIC, we require 75 hours
embedded in three courses (25 hours
each).
• * *except Reading
What courses have prepracticum requirements?
• EDC 400 Reflective Practitioner
• EDC 516 Teaching of Reading
• EDC 520 Reading & Communication on
the Middle/Secondary Level
• EDC 508 Teaching of Math
• EDC 504 Middle/Secondary Methods
• EDC 512 Teaching of Math:
Mid/Sec level
The following
nine slides pertain to the
traditional candidates*
completing 75 hours
Information on waiving hours for
experienced educators follows.
*’traditional’ candidates are those with little or no
experience in the classroom.
WHO MUST COMPLETE
THE PRE-PRACTICUM
HOURS?
All candidates enrolled in the initial
teacher licensure programs, whether
seeking the license or not, must
complete these hours in the three
courses.
HOW IS PLACEMENT
ARRANGED?
• Candidates are encouraged to make their
own arrangements for fieldwork placement
by calling building principals and requesting
permission
• AIC will assist in the placement if needed
• Three separate, diverse settings are
required, including one in an urban school
and one with English Language Learners.
What are “diverse
settings?”
• Students must log hours in three
different settings demonstrating
experiences in:
>Urban
>Low income
>Special Needs
>Suburban and/or Rural
>English Language Learners
>Grade Levels
[Urban and ELL experiences are required.]
HOW DO I GET
STARTED?
• Download your copy of the “PrePracticum Handbook for Education
Candidates” from the ‘Orientation
Handbook’ or from AIC First Class (in “XCP
Student Area” icon under Initial License - Teachers) and
the Supervising Practitioner’s Handbook
• Meet with the classroom teacher (called
supervising practitioner), present him/her
with the handbook; discuss
mutual expectations and schedule
Refer to the Pre-Practicum
Handbook for Education
Candidates
• Review the Observation Guidelines and
paperwork requirements
• Begin keeping a log of your hours and a
journal of your observations according to
the Guidelines
• After observing for a few hours, begin
assisting your supervising practitioner in
classroom instruction
Experience ‘full-role’
• Work with your supervising practitioner to
increase your teaching role. Full role is
defined as delivering a lesson you have
planned.
• During the last 25 hours, contact the
Office of Field Experience (esta.sobey@aic.edu or
joseph.ruscio@aic.edu) to arrange for a college
supervisor to observe you teaching either
a small group or the entire class for
approximately 30-45 minutes (Please give us
sufficient time to schedule this appointment.).
More on college
supervisor
• When the college supervisor
observes you, please present him/her
with a lesson plan of your lesson
written on the AIC template (found
on First Class or in the Orientation
Handbook). After the lesson, you and
the classroom teacher must meet
with him/her to critique your
progress.
Paperwork Due
• After each set of25 hours, email
your completed paperwork (log,
journal, reflection, and summary
form initialed by the classroom
teacher) to prepracticum@aic.edu.
• For the classroom teacher’s forms,
please see next slide.
Supervising practitioners
• AIC will need to receive documentation
from the classroom teachers (supervising
practitioner) that you have successfully
completed the pre-practicum
• Make sure he/she submits the evaluation
and PDP forms*:
AIC, Education Dept., 1000 State Street,
Box 16L, Springfield, MA 01109
*These forms are found in the
Supervising Practitioner handbook.
PRE-PRACTICUM
WAIVERS
• If the candidate has taught for a minimum
of one year, in a classroom appropriate to
one’s field of licensure, most of the prepracticum requirement may be waived. Para
or aide experience may be considered also.
• A waiver application, evaluation form and
letter of support from one’s principal or
director, are required. Please complete the
application materials found in the
handbook and email them to:
prepracticum@aic.edu.
WAIVERS continued
• Once the principal’s letter and evaluation
form are received, AIC will process the
waiver
• If AIC grants the waiver, the candidate
will still need to complete a minimum of 10
hours observing or assisting in a classroom
and maintain proper documentation (please
see Student Handbook). One experience
must be logged in a classroom with
ELLs.
SUMMARY
• Candidates make
their own prepracticum
arrangements, if
possible. AIC will
assist if needed.
• Three “diverse”
experiences are
required.
• Candidates must complete
the required paperwork
for each 25-hours or for
each 3-4 hours* (if
receiving a waiver) and
email the documentation to
prepracticum@aic.edu
• Supervising practitioners
must submit evaluations
for the 75-hour students
• College Supervisor must
observe one lesson for the
75-hour students.
* All candidates must
experience ELL students.
PLEASE NOTE:
STUDENTS WHO DO NOT
COMPLETE THE PRE-PRAC
REQUIREMENTS IN EACH
COURSE MUST RECEIVE AN
‘IP’ (In Progress) for that
course!
PLEASE SEE ADDITIONAL
MATERIALS ON ‘FIRST CLASS’ UNDER
THE XCP STUDENT REFERENCE AREA
Regarding CORIs:
Local school districts require
candidates undertaking prepracticum experiences to undergo a
criminal history offender information
(CORI) check and a district may
determine that a candidate is
ineligible for placement based on the
outcome of the CORI check.
CORI continued Any candidate who is refused a
placement by a district as a result of
his/her CORI check is solely
responsible for finding his or her own
placement which, in the sole
discretion of the College, meets the
academic requirements of the
program.
Please note:
Students must determine, in light of
other personal or professional
obligations, if they can meet the
expectations set forth above in
order to successfully complete the
fieldwork requirements and hence
the successful completion of the
program.
Questions?
• Please contact Amanda Boissonneault
with questions/issues about the
requirements or the dropbox for
submission of materials:
Amanda.Boissonneault@aic.edu