Clinical and field experiences offer you real-world teaching experience in a classroom setting, providing you with the opportunity to:

• Observe a teacher’s techniques and strategies in practice. 
• Apply theories learned through your coursework. 
• Begin the process of becoming an inquiring, reflective professional.

Basic Information 

• The minimum number of hours students will spend in a field placement varies by program.  
• Students will have the opportunity to experience a variety of school and classroom settings throughout their program.  
• Field experiences must be unpaid and supervised by a fully licensed educator.  
• MU pre-service teachers are always expected to model professional behavior and dress in field settings. 

Field experiences build upon each other as pre-service teachers progress through the teacher preparation program.  

• Observe a teacher’s techniques and strategies in practice. 
• Apply theories learned through your coursework. 
• Begin the process of becoming an inquiring, reflective professional.

Early Level Experiences

• During the Early Classroom-Based Field Experiences semester, students will complete twenty hours in a classroom environment observing, tutoring, and working with PK-12 students individually or in small groups under the supervision of a certified host teacher.

• • Early Classroom-Based Field Experiences students are encouraged to review and reference Engagement Strategies during their field experiences. 
  • At the end of the Early Classroom-Based Field Experiences semester, host teachers will evaluate students using the Early Classroom-Based Field Experiences Professional Educator Dispositions Evaluation. 
• During the Early Community-Based Field Experiences semester, students will complete twenty hours serving in organizations to apply academic knowledge and critical thinking skills to address community needs.
  
  • If you have any questions about this experience, please contact MU’s Office of Service-Learning servicelearning@missouri.edu.

Mid-Level Experiences 

Students must apply for admission to the teacher preparation program by submitting the Mid-Level Application. Once admitted, students will continue connecting to classrooms and spend between 24 and 60 hours at a different host school each semester. Student responsibilities during Mid-Level Field Experiences include the following:  

• Assisting with individual students or small group activities 
• Observing your host teacher 
• Co-teaching with your host teacher 
• Teaching individual lessons

Resources for Mid-Level students 

Mid-Level Experiences Checklist

• Engagement Strategies
• Professional Educator Dispositions Evaluation
• For additional information on the PDE process, please refer to the CEHD Assessment page.   

Advanced Level Experiences 

Students continue in the teacher preparation program through their Advanced-Level Experiences in their culminating year. These experiences include the student teaching internship and the semester leading up to it. During the second semester of Advanced-Level Experiences, students will participate in a full-time, 16-week internship. This internship allows students to apply their knowledge in the practice of full-time teaching.

Student Teaching Internship  

Students are assigned a master teacher to be their mentor throughout the process. A detailed description of the internship’s requirements and expectations can be found in the Student Teacher Internship Handbook. 

Certification

The University of Missouri’s College of Education and Human Development assists students in achieving their state teaching certification through a combination of course work, clinical experiences, and support for state required testing. We currently offer the following certification paths: 

• Initial Teacher Certification 
• Initial School Administrator, School Counselor, or School Psychologist Certification
• Career Administrator Upgrade 

For more information, please visit the Certification page.

Career Services

The University of Missouri’s College of Education and Human Development Career Services assists candidates in preparing for their professional goals in education-related careers. We currently offer resources and services for the following topics: 

• Résumé
• Cover Letter
• Philosophy of Education Statement
• Interviewing
• Applying for Student Teaching Internship
• Applying for Education-Related Jobs
• Navigating the Job Search and Accepting Offers
• Professional Development Plans

For more information, please visit the Career Services page.

Columbia Public Schools Field Placements for Outside Institutions (Non-MU Students)

The University of Missouri’s College of Education & Human Development collaborates with Columbia Public Schools (CPS) to place pre-service teachers from two- and four-year institutions. Click here to find information about submitting a field placement request for a student from your institution. Once you have submitted the online application, you will be contacted by Ana Galicia to request additional information and provide updates on your field placement status.