Practicums for Level-Based Teacher Certification
Practicums are a required part of the curriculum for all students pursuing level-based teacher certification as well as other education majors such as Children & Families. These are typically 1 credit hour and must be taken concurrently with a methods course. Other field experiences may be shorter and built into the 3 credits of a lecture course. The following are 45-hour practicum experiences required of all majors/minors; also check out the Clinical Experience Handbook for a complete list:
Elementary 1-Cr Hour Practicums Include:
- EDC 240: Psychology of Child Development
- EDD 406/410: Strategies in Early Childhood (Early Childhood majors only)
- EDD 467/471: Reading Instruction: Models and Methods
- EDD 491/495: Social Studies in Elementary Grades
Secondary 1-Cr Hour Practicums Include:
- EDC 302/304: Adolescent Development and Classroom Management
- EDD 4xx/4xx: Methods Course in Content Area (course number depends on major and/or minor)
In order to be prepared for these practicums, students must have the proper clearances on file including the Criminal Background Check form, Bloodborne Pathogens training, and the Video Recording Consent form. More information on these clearances and can be found below.
Clearances
Video Recording Consent Form
Students in education clinical experiences may be required to record themselves in the classroom. These recordings will be used to provide feedback and help students develop as educators. Please select and complete the Video Recording Consent form using the link above.
Criminal Background Check Consent Form
In order for a background check to be conducted by the Field Placement Office, students must select and complete the criminal background check consent form using the link above. Although Livescan fingerprints are not needed to meet University requirements, fingerprinting may be required by the specific site where your field experience is scheduled. Your site supervisor or other site personnel will inform you of such a requirement.
Bloodborne Pathogens Certificate Upload
Please review the Bloodborne Pathogens Training Video and complete the quiz using the links below:
Bloodborne Pathogens Training Video
Bloodborne Pathogens Quiz
Once complete, you will receive a confirmation document with your score, which should be submitted through the Bloodborne Pathogens Upload link for review. You must receive a score of at least 16/20 to pass.
Please Note: The confirmation may take up to 1 hour to receive after quiz completion.
The Early Childhood Education Center (ECEC) requires additional clearances and paperwork before students are eligible to begin their clinical experiences on site. Students must complete the ECEC Field Placement Packet and submit it to the ECEC at 18501 Rotunda Drive, Dearborn.
Additionally, practicum hours are scheduled directly through the ECEC. Students registered in courses with ECEC clinical experiences must complete this practicum student information form.
For further information, contact the ECEC Office, 313-593-5424
For Our Education Partners
Cooperating teachers are professional educators who choose to mentor teacher candidates. Cooperating teachers support and evaluate teacher candidates in planning and preparation, classroom management, implementation of pedagogical content knowledge, and professional development and dispositions. As professional educators, they provide feedback and engage in reflective conversations with teacher candidates to support professional growth. They fulfill an irreplaceable role in the teacher candidates’ career trajectory.
Clinical Experiences include the following per the Michigan Department of Education’s Clinical Experiences Requirements:
- Intentional observation of masterful teaching with accompanying reflection and debriefing of how the activities connect to the teacher preparation curriculum
- Co-planning and co-teaching with a masterful mentor teacher
- Co-assessing and analyzing resultant student work
- Participating in guided and supervised teaching of individual students as well as small groups and whole classrooms
- Collaboration with education professionals
- If you have at least two to three years of experience teaching effectively, as indicated on your teaching evaluations, and you are interested in mentoring, we invite you to email us at [email protected]