Requirements

Per Texas Administrative Code (TAC rule 228.35), for initial certification, teacher candidates are required to complete field experiences in school prior to clinical teaching. 

Students must be formally admitted into the Teacher Education Program prior to field course enrollment. 

• For teacher candidates who are long-term substitutes, up to 12 hours of field-based experience may be satisfied by serving as a long-term substitute. A long-term substitute is an individual who has been hired by a school or district to work at least 30 consecutive days in an assignment as a classroom teacher. 
   
• For teacher candidates who are educational aids, field-based hours may be satisfied at their assigned campus as long as the hours are NOT completed while performing the job of an aide and the instructional or educational activities include:
  • Authentic school setting in a public or private school accredited or approved by the TEA; 
  • Instruction by content certified teachers; 
  • Actual students in classrooms/instructional settings; 
  • Content or grade-level specific classrooms/instructional settings.
    
• For teacher candidates not employed by any district, a minimum of 50 hours is required to be completed in a classroom setting. Students may exceed 50 hours based on semester, instructor, dates and times at the district and within the given field course at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV).