Field Experiences and Student Teaching
in Elementary Education - Undergraduate Program
College of Education

Roosevelt University is committed to diversity and to that end will place you in field experiences that enable you to have a wide range of experiences with different populations of children so that you are prepared for the classrooms you can expect to be in once you begin teaching.

Field Experiences

Candidates for initial certification elementary education will accumulate at least 100 hours of field experience prior to student teaching.  For undergraduate students, these are distributed among the following courses. As some are prerequisites for others, students should consult their advisor regarding an appropriate sequence.

• ELED 261 Field Experience and Seminar (40 clock hours)
• SPED 319 Exceptional Children and Youth (25 clock hours)
• ELED 321 Teaching Mathematics in the Elementary School (25 clock hours)
• ELED 361 Pre-Student Teaching Field Experience (40 clock hours)

ELED 261 and ELED 361 are arranged by the professor and the entire class goes to the same school.  Each student is assigned to a different classroom for observation from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. followed by a seminar from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.

ELED 321 is also arranged by the instructor; students spend one morning per week at the same school.

SPED 319 is arranged through the Office of Field Placements and Partnerships (OFPP). You will be given the name of a school and contact person and will arrange your own schedule with the cooperating teacher who has agreed to accept you.

Student Teaching

Student teaching is a 15-week, culminating activity in the elementary education program. Prior to student teacher, you must have completed all the general education requirements, academic concentration requirements (when applicable, and all of the courses in the professional sequence.

The Type 03 certificate qualifies the teacher to be responsible for all instruction in the major content areas; therefore, elementary education students must do their student teaching in a non-departmentalized or self-contained classroom.

For more information, see Office of Field Placements and Partnerships.