Clinical teaching is a full-day, full-time, school-based practicum supervised by an experienced certified teacher and a university supervisor or university faculty. Clinical teaching is the culminating experience during the professional development of teacher candidates. It gives them the opportunity to acquire and demonstrate instructional competence as beginning professional educators. The practical experiences and reflection gained during clinical teaching prepares candidates to become effective educators. The overarching goal of the clinical teaching program is to immerse teacher candidates in classroom experiences as they transition into the role of a professional teacher by developing high levels of competence through supervised teaching experience. The clinical teaching program is aligned to state and national teaching preparation standards, ensuring clinical teachers are prepared to be effective teachers in the classroom pathway must be requested by formal application during the semester before the teacher candidate plans to teach. Applications to the Yearlong Clinical Teaching Residency and STEP UP Program pathway must be completed during the second semester of the teacher education program.
Overview
Clinical teaching is an integral part of our teacher preparation program; it is a major requirement for initial teaching certification in the state of Texas. The clinical teaching assignment is the final demonstration by teacher candidates of their ability to perform successfully as beginning teachers. It is the time teacher candidates apply what they have learned in their teacher preparation courses to actual classrooms.
Clinical Teaching Pathways
We offer three pathways for completing clinical teaching: STEP UP, the Traditional Clinical Teaching semester, and the Yearlong Clinical Teaching Residency.
- The Student Teacher Educator Preparation: University Partnership (STEP UP) program is an exciting year-long internship that provides a variety of opportunities for candidates to experience what takes place on a campus over an entire year. STEP UP takes place during candidates’ final year of teacher preparation. Candidates attend one full day a week in their first semester in the STEP UP program, and then stay with the same cooperating teacher and classroom as they complete their 15 weeks student teaching semester.
- The Yearlong Clinical Teaching Residency is a dynamic rigorous paid year-long teacher residency program, if district funds are available, that provides teacher candidates the opportunity to co-teach alongside a mentor teacher in a P-6 classroom while completing teaching methods courses. Under the mentorship of experienced teachers and university faculty, teacher residents engage in-deep clinical training which allows for multiple guided opportunities to practice their teaching skills while receiving financial compensation, in most cases. Teacher residents must be admitted into the clinical teaching pathway.
- The Traditional Clinical Teaching semester is a full-time commitment. It is 15 weeks, full-day, full-time, school-based assignment. The clinical teacher must follow the school schedule of his or her cooperating teacher; therefore, any other missing course work within the teacher candidate’s degree plan (i.e. not professional or educational coursework) must be taken after 4:30 pm or online asynchronous. Professional and educational coursework is required to be complete prior to clinical teaching.
Admission
Admission to the Traditional Clinical Teaching pathway must be requested by formal application during the semester before the teacher candidate plans to teach. Applications to the Yearlong Clinical Teaching Residency and STEP UP Program pathway must be completed during the second semester of the teacher preparation program.
Candidates applying for clinical teaching must be formally admitted into the teacher education program and must meet all clinical teaching program requirements.
Criminal History Background Check
Pursuant to the Texas Education Code (TEC), §22.083, candidates must undergo a criminal history background check prior to employment as an educator; and pursuant to the TEC, §22.0835, candidates must undergo a criminal history background check prior to clinical teaching and field experience. A candidate may be ineligible for issuance of a certificate on completion of the EPP if an individual has been convicted of an offense that is considered inappropriate for an educator.
Texas Education Agency (TEA) was notified by MorphoTrust, the Texas Department of Public Safety fingerprinting vendor, that effective August 1, 2015, a social security number will be required to complete the fingerprinting process, which is mandatory for the background check necessary for teacher certification in Texas. Visit Social Security Administration and UTRGV International Student Services websites.
Notice
Teacher candidates may not reach out to districts directly as the Office of Field Experiences maintain an internal process to ensure accurate and successful placements.