Text 1.B Types of Clinical Experiences

Clinical experiences can be classified as field experiences or student teaching (the state of Minnesota no longer refers to a field experience as a "practicum"; See the section on student teaching and practicum for information on this). All clinical experiences are designed to provide teacher candidates with opportunities to get feedback and develop their skills. Expectations of teacher candidates are developmental--as the candidate grows, the expectations become higher as well.

A. The Tutor Aide Experience

The Tutor Aide experience takes place before candidates apply to their teacher education program. Candidates spend 30 hours in a classroom under the direction of a cooperating teacher. Many candidates will spend the bulk of their time observing. The cooperating teacher should engage the candidate in more activities (working one on one with students, leading activities, etc.) as they see the candidate's readiness increase.

B. Elementary Education

Candidates in the Elementary Education program complete several clinical experiences prior to student teaching.

Field Experience	When It Occurs	Duration
Field Experience in a K-6 Elementary Classroom	First semester of a candidate's program (Fall)	60 hours
Literacy Lab (K-3)	Second semester of a candidate's program (Spring)	40 hours
Middle Level or Preprimary Field Experience	Second semester of a candidate's program (Spring). Candidates seeking endorsement have the appropriate field experience (middle level or preprimary).	40 hours
Beginning Student Teaching	At the beginning of Fall semester of the candidate's senior year	Approximately 3 weeks (pre-school workshops and first 2-3 weeks of instruction)
Cross-Cultural Experience	Usually at the end of October or beginning of November during the candidate's senior year	One week full time

C. Secondary Education

Secondary candidates complete a major in their content area; therefore, their teacher preparation program is shorter in duration and there is only one field experience (beyond Tutor Aide) prior to student teaching.

Secondary Field Experience

Fall semester (first semester of the candidate's teacher preparation program)

Encompasses pre-school workshops as the candidate is able to attend, 7 weeks of participation in schools for 2 full contract days per week, and then 2 weeks of full time work in the classroom (10 full days).

D. Student Teaching and Practicum

Elementary and Secondary candidates typically complete their student teaching in the spring semester. On rare occasions a candidate might student teach out of sequence in the fall.

Experience	Duration	Additional Information
Student Teaching (Elementary and Secondary)	12 weeks, with a minimum of 2 weeks of full time teaching	During student teaching, candidates should progress quickly into being able to teach lessons and develop curriculum as they have experienced many hours of prior field experience. Cooperating teachers have more evaluation responsibilities than in previous clinical experiences. See Part IV on Observing and Evaluating Your Candidate.
Endorsement Student Teaching	4 weeks, with 1 week of full time teaching	Candidates pursuing a middle level endorsement, 5-8 General Science license, or preprimary endorsement must complete an additional student teaching experience.
Practicum	2-7 weeks	The Practicum is additional student teaching experience that is required for candidates adding an additional license area, completing a needed requirement (e.g., racially diverse placement), or requiring additional practice in their skills.