Education majors have many opportunities to work with students from diverse cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds, including a practicum at a local under-resourced school district. Student teaching placements are generally made in local suburban school districts.
Pre-Student Teaching Fieldwork Practicum
In the spring semester one year prior to student teaching, all teacher candidates complete a ten-week, half-day fieldwork practicum in a Waukegan (District 60) public school classroom. Before students begin their fieldwork, they must complete all necessary pre-requisite coursework and must successfully pass the Checkpoint I process. (Please consult your Education academic advisor for guidance).
Fieldwork in Waukegan comprises 150 hours of supervised classroom observation and teaching. Placements are arranged by the Education Department and supervised by faculty within the Education Department on a continuing basis.
- Elementary teacher candidates are placed in a first or second grade classroomwhere they focus on supporting students in all areas of the curriculum. Co-requisite coursework includes: EDUC 303/403, EDUC 304/404
- Secondary and PK-12 teacher candidates are placed in a middle school classroom where they focus on supporting students’ literacies, content knowledge, and content skills in the content are of the candidate’s licensure. Co-requisite coursework includes: EDUC 313/413, EDUC 315/415
- Aligned with our social justice/social reconstructionist framework, during their Waukegan fieldwork, all candidates also focus on developing their culturally responsive and sustaining teaching and their asset-based orientations to linguistically and culturally diverse, underserved, and marginalized communities such as Waukegan.
*Note that candidates are responsible for transportation to and from their Waukegan fieldwork placement.
Student teaching
In teacher candidates’ final semester (typically the spring one year following Waukegan fieldwork), all teacher candidates complete their 14-week, full-day student teaching in a classroom within the Chicagoland area. Before candidates begin their student teaching, they must complete all necessary pre-requisite coursework and must successfully pass Checkpoints II and III. (Please consult your Education academic advisor for guidance).
Student teaching comprises 14 weeks of supervised classroom teaching. Placements are arranged by the Education Department and supervised by faculty within the Education Department on a continuing basis.
- Elementary teacher candidates are placed in a 3rd-5th grade classroom where they focus on supporting students’ foundational literacy skills. Coursework includes: EDUC 418/518
- Secondary and PK-12 teacher candidates are placed in a high school classroom where they focus on supporting students’ content knowledge and content skills in the content are of the candidate’s licensure. Coursework includes: EDUC 421/521
*Note that candidates are responsible for transportation to and from their Waukegan fieldwork placement