Field Experiences and Student Teaching
in Special Education
College of Education

The Type 10 certification program with the LBSI endorsement prepares candidates to teach special-needs students with a variety of disabilities and at a wide range of ages. Thus, our preparation program includes fieldwork in several special education settings.

Field Experiences

Students in all teacher preparation areas are required by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) to complete a minimum of 100 clock hours in classroom settings prior to student teaching. Fieldwork requirements for both undergraduate and graduate students are similar; however, undergraduate students take one course, listed below, along with elementary education majors. 

• SPED 261 Field Experience and Seminar (40 clock hours, arranged by course instructor)

Another course, special education students take along with students in other teacher preparation programs:

• SPED 3/419 Exceptional Child and Youth (25 clock hours, arranged through the Office of Field Placement and Student Resources)

All special education students also take several other courses that address curricula for students with various kinds of exceptional needs. For undergraduate students, these require 10 hours of observation in appropriate settings; for graduate students, they require 20 hours. For all of these courses, the Office of Field Placements and Partnerships will provide you with information about sites at which you can do these fieldwork hours.

• SPED 3/442 Characteristics and Methods of Teaching Students with Disabilities: Focus on Cognition       
• SPED 3/443 Characteristics and Methods of Teaching Students with Disabilities: Focus on Behavior Problems
• SPED 3/445 Characteristics and Methods of Teaching Students with Disabilities: Focus on Physical and Other Health-Related Impairments
• SPED 3/446 Characteristics and Methods of Teaching Students with Disabilities: Focus on Perception and Other Specific Learning Disabilities

Internship 

A Type 10 certificate qualifies the teacher to work with children from pre-kindergarten through age 21. Thus, special education students must have student teaching experiences at both the middle-school or secondary level and at the elementary level. The internship is a five-week experience similar to student teaching; it is followed by 10 weeks of student teaching.

Students planning to teach at the secondary level do their internship at the elementary level; students planning to teach in elementary schools do their internship at a middle or high school. Interns are observed by their supervisor and complete a project agreed to by their cooperating teacher.

Students are expected to have completed all general education requirements, the sequence of professional courses, and the LBS1 content-area test prior to beginning their internship.

Student Teaching

This is the culminating activity in the special education program and immediately follows the internship. Students continue with their university supervisor and seminar students, but they always go to another school.  This is a 10-week experience during which you will be expected to assume responsibility for an entire classroom of students.

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