The Field Experience Program

Definition of Field Experience

Students' Responsibilities for Field Experience

Student Attributes and Attitudes During Field Experience

The Five Types of Field Experience

Special Stipulations Regarding Field Experience

Suggested Block Plans for Field Experience

York County School District Listings for Field Experience

Field Experience Forms

The Field Experience Program

During the freshman year, YCP education majors begin one of the most rewarding phases of the teacher preparation program known as field experience. This segment of the teacher preparation program (150 hours) is designed to provide education majors with a host of exciting, stimulating, and practical experiences in the field. These experiences will form the cornerstone of the education major's classroom-training program. In short, students will have the opportunity to take the ideas and theories learned in their college classes and observed and/or apply them in an educational setting on a regular basis. Field experience should be entered into during a student's freshman year and is to be completed during the student's sophomore and junior years. It will be one of the most valuable experiences of an education major's four-year program and will provide them with the foundation skills needed for their culminating student teaching experience.

Definition of Field Experience

Field Experience is a mandatory requirement that provides Education Majors with opportunities to determine their readiness for Student Teaching and to help students determine the grade level of greatest interest to them. It allows students to explore the many responsibilities of a teacher in addition to providing the Department of Education with data on each Education Major’s capabilities. It is a "testing of the waters" in that it will provide Education Majors with some first-hand knowledge of classroom procedures, behaviors, and expectations. Above all, it will provide students with a realistic look into the nature of children and their instructional needs. This will be an opportunity for Education Majors to make observations and apply college classroom experiences in a real, live classroom setting.

Students' Responsibilities for Field Experience

Once the field experience has been arranged, it is the student's responsibility to:

Once the field experience has been arranged, it is the the students' responsibility to:

1. Contact the participating teacher or director of the community field experience program well BEFORE the official starting date for the experience

2. Participate in at least 30 hours of field experience

3. Attend regularly and punctually when scheduled

4. Call the placement site well BEFORE the scheduled time if unable to attend

5. Obtain transportation to and from the assignment site

Student Attributes and Attitudes During Field Experience

The Department of Education anticipates the best professional behavior from teacher candidates. Students will be expected to:

1. Act in a professional manner.

2. Maintain an enthusiastic, helpful attitude toward the staff and students

3. Be dependable in attendance and assignments

4. Remain flexible and cooperative

5. Demonstrate initiative

6. Be respectful of the staff, administration and parents

7. Demonstrate the ability to follow directions

8. Demonstrate the ability to accept criticism

9. Demonstrate the ability to attend to detail

10. Dress and speak appropriately

The Participating Teacher or Program Director will evaluate these attributes and attitudes of the student on the Attendance Evaluation Form. The form will become part of the student's permanent file. If the student fails to demonstrate these attributes and attitudes, the Field Experience will be terminated. The student will lose all Field Experience credit time for that experience AND will need to schedule another Field Experience to replace the lost credit experience.

The Five Types of Field Experience

Students are required to have a minimum of 150 hours (5 separate experiences, three of which must be in different school districts) of Field Experience prior to the beginning of their Student Teaching Experience.  These hours should be divided into blocks of 30 hours each.  Students may do more than 30 hours per experience, but they will receive credit for only 30 hours.   Additional hours above and beyond the minimum are encouraged, as they will provide students with valuable experience as well as future contacts and recommendations.

 The following is a list and description of the 5 types of Field Experience:

• Regular Public School Classroom Field Experience- experience that takes place in a rural or suburban public school classroom - one school district

• Regular Public School Classroom Field Experience- experience that takes place in a rural or suburban public school classroom - different school district

• Urban Public School Classroom Field Experience- experience that takes place in an urban public school classroom - third school district. Urban is defined as a public school having 25% minority enrollment or higher.

• Urban Community Field Experience- volunteer or work experience that takes place in any educational urban environment outside the public school classroom - (Many of these programs take place during after-school hours)

  • Examples may include (not a finite list): volunteering at the YMCA, martin Library, Crispus Attucks Association, Salvation Army After-School Program, etc.

• Community Field Experience- experience working with children that takes place in any educational environment outside the public school classroom. The experience may include a wide variety of settings.

  • Example may include (not a finite list): visiting a private, parochial, or military school, teaching Sunday School, being a summer camp counselor, being a Cub Scout Den helper, being a paid choir director, etc.

Special Stipulations Regarding Field Experience

• All Education Majors: All individuals are required to participate in the Field Experience program to vary their grade level experience by participating in a number of different grade levels.

• Three of the blocks must be public school Field Experiences in at least 3 different school districts. One of the school districts must be an urban school district. An "urban" school is defined as having a minimum enrollment of 25% or higher minority.

• Music

To be continued...