Senior Practicum/Student Teaching

The senior practicum, or student teaching, is designed to be the culminating professional laboratory experience for students in the Teacher Education Program. This is a professional development experience during which the student or associate teacher reconstructs and tests theory, applies it, and further develops a personal teaching style. It provides an opportunity for the associate teacher to assume major responsibility for the full range of teaching in an approved school situation under the guidance of qualified personnel from Idaho State University and the cooperating elementary and secondary schools. Student teaching is scheduled for a full semester and includes enrollment in EDUC 498, Student Teaching Seminar; therefore, students should not plan to enroll in any additional coursework during the student teaching semester.

Admission Procedures

Application for student teaching must be filed and an interview completed with the Director of the Office of Student Academic Services between October 1 and November 15 for fall semester of the following year, and between February 1 and March 15 for spring semester of the following year. There is a $50 charge for late applications and interviews, a $25 charge for change of placement, and a $25 charge for re-application. Applications for all student teaching may be obtained from the Office of Student Academic Services in the Main Office complex of the College of Education.

The application includes a statement, signed by the advisory and/or the preparing department, indicating support of the application. Unsupported applications will not be processed.

Eligibility Criteria

No student will be permitted to enter student teaching courses (EDUC 492, 493, 494, 495, 496, H E 495, P E 495, LIBR 495, CESE 495, HEC 495) until the following are completed or achieved:

1. 2.5 grade point average in four areas: overall, professional education core, major and minor (secondary), components (elementary).
2. "C" grade or better in ENGL 201 (Critical Reading and Writing) or College of Education approved equivalent course.
3. Must be fully admitted to the Teacher Education Program.
4. Signature of support from advisor.
5. "C" grade or better in appropriate classroom instruction laboratory course(s).
6. Completion of at least 96 credits.
7. Completion of at least 8 credits of professional education core credits from Idaho State University.

No student is permitted to enroll in a correspondence course during the semester in which he/she is student teaching without written permission from the Dean of the College of Education.