For Current Rattlers

Student Teaching Program

The student teaching program consists of a period of supervised teaching where the prospective teacher takes increasing responsibility for guiding the learning experiences of a given group of students, or a class, over a period of fourteen (14) consecutive weeks. The primary purpose of the student teaching program is centered on providing prospective teachers with an opportunity for further growth in an ongoing school situation. The cooperating school, in effect, constitutes a laboratory in which theory is merged with practice at four levels of experience: observation, participation, student teaching and participation in out-of-class activities. More  specifically, the student teaching program provides the prospective teacher with an opportunity to:

• Achieve realistic understandings of the individual child as a developing human being and to acquaint students with techniques and methods in achieving this goal;

• Understand the total organization and program of the modern school, including curricular and co-curricular offerings, staffing patterns and services;

• Gain insights into the relationship between the school and the community which it serves;

• Gain experiences in planning learning activities and in the selection and employment of methods and materials of instruction appropriate to the varying age, ability, and interest levels of individuals or groups of individuals who are being taught;

• Develop professionally by becoming familiar with professional literature, courses of study, and visual aids; and by encouraging them to solve problems which arise during the course of their student teaching experiences;

• Analyze their personality patterns to the end that they will develop the characteristics which exemplary teachers should possess such as: breadth of interest, sound judgment, self-control, leadership, intellectual curiosity, adaptability, cooperativeness, friendliness, and personal neatness.

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Criteria for Admission to Student-Teaching

Students desiring to participate in the student teaching program must meet the following criteria:​​

• admitted to a teacher education program;

• completed all program requirements;

• completed all courses with a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.50 or higher on a 4.0 scale;

• achieved passing scores on the Florida Teacher Certification Examinations (FTCE). This includes General Knowledge, Professional Education, and the Subject Area Exam or Exams appropriate for each student major;

• cleared a security background investigation;

• Taskstream; and

• filed a Student Teaching Application with the Office of Field Clinical Placement.

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The procedures for making application to participate in the student teaching program are as follows:​

• Student should complete a Student Teaching Clearance Application, at least one semester prior to the semester in which he/she plans to participate in the student teaching program, to the Center for Academic Success.

• The application will be evaluated by the Center for Academic Success staff to determine if the applicant meets the unit’s requirements to participate in the student teaching program.

• Approved Student Teaching Clearance Applications are forwarded to the Office of Student Teaching which is responsible for advising students in receiving their Student Teaching Application.

• Students receiving Instructions to obtain a Student Teaching Application are expected to complete and submit packets at predetermined deadlines. These deadlines are posted on appropriately situated bulletin boards.

• Completed Student Teaching Applications are returned to the Office of Field Clinical Placement who then forwards them to the appropriate departments for approval or disapproval.

• All packets are returned to the Office of Student Teaching by the departments for appropriate action for student notification.

Students who do not qualify to participate in the student teaching program are notified of the deficiencies and are advised of how they can overcome the deficiencies.