Field Experience Placements
Placements will be in P-12 schools or programs that are recognized and certified by the state of Illinois. When possible, students will be placed within the following guidelines: a.) a teacher licensed and qualified to teach in the subject, b.) a teacher with a minimum of 3 years of teaching experience, and c.) a teacher with proficient or above performance ratings on his or her most recent evaluation. Input from all involved, including the candidate, the instructor, and the host school, will be considered. Depending on the campus location or the candidate’s residence, travel will be no more than 60 miles.
Candidates may request placements in certain schools but cannot self-place for these experiences. Placements are made ONLY through the Office of Field Experience. Any changes made in an assigned placement must be communicated to the Director of Field Experience and Clinical Practice.
Prior to placement, candidates will complete a survey listing field experience classes in which they are currently enrolled. In addition, information will be obtained regarding access to transportation, extracurricular activities, work, etc. A three to four-hour uninterrupted block of time is suggested for the optimum experience.
When placement is made, candidates will be assigned a specific time and date range to visit the assigned school and Field Experience Teacher (FET). Candidates are responsible for making contact with the FET in order to discuss the first visit and any special arrangements.
Candidates traveling more than 25 miles are encouraged to carpool and share expenses or take turns driving.
An electronic log of visits to the Field Experience Site must be kept in Watermark Student Learning & Licensure. This log will include the date and length of time spent per visit. The FET will approve each visit electronically in Watermark Student Learning & Licensure. By submitting the electronic time log, the candidate is verifying its contents to be accurate and true. Any false or misleading information on the log sheet will be processed under Greenville University’s Plagiarism & Academic Honesty Policy.
As a representative of Greenville University, candidates must conduct themselves in a professional manner. The host teacher is a mentor that deserves attention and respect.
Candidates are encouraged to attend PTO, school board, teacher workshops, training sessions, etc. whenever possible. However, in order to receive credit for field experience, the teacher candidate must be under the supervision of a certified teacher in a classroom.
Because field experiences are related to the content of specific courses, past experiences are not allowed.