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Home: Academics: Certification : Elementary

Professional and Pedagogical Preparation

Each semester the focus of the professional coursework changes and adds to your evolving base of knowledge and understanding. The undergraduate elementary teacher education program includes three semesters of practicum and one semester of student teaching. There is a different focus for practicum each semester based on the course of study and emerging themes for that term.

Fieldwork

As a student in a professional program, "clinical" or "field" experience--real-life experience in the real settings and circumstances of your chosen profession--is an essential part of your preparation. In each of the first three terms, you will, typically as part of a pair, spend about six hours per week in classrooms - observing the classroom in action, collecting data on student learning and teaching practice in conjunction with your coursework, and contributing to instruction by tutoring, co-teaching, and planning with cooperating teachers and your university partners.

The culminating field experience is the student teaching term, when you will follow the calendar and schedule of your placement classroom for a period of 14-15 weeks. During this experience, you will spend five days per week, for the full school day, immersed in the classroom environment. You will slowly and deliberately take on all aspects of instructional responsibility, building toward "lead teaching" when you will be responsible for most or all aspects of the school experience for your K-8 students. Lead teaching generally happens in the 8th -10th week of the student teaching experience and lasts 2-3 weeks.

School Partnerships

Substantial field experience in a diverse array of classrooms, urban to rural, is a key component of each semester of the program.   Students should expect at least one field placement in Ann Arbor, at least one placement in an outlying district (ex. Willow Run, Chelsea, Plymouth/Canton, Ypsilanti),  and they should expect to be assigned to grade levels spanning kindergarten through sixth grade.  Student teaching placements in Detroit and Southfield may also be available for those interested in learning more about urban education. 

Cohorts

One way that reflection and engagement is promoted throughout the program is with the use of cohorts. As a member of the same cohort of 20-25 students each semester you are in the program, you will have the opportunity to make sense of and interpret your experiences with others sharing in those experiences. At the same time, you will be developing a network of colleagues who illuminate the multiple perspectives different individuals bring to the field of education. University faculty and staff interact with you and your cohort on an ongoing basis to encourage and support this development.

Transportation

Because of the essential role fieldwork plays, students are responsible for getting to their assigned school sites. Some students arrange car pools during practicum, and public transportation is a possibility for a few placement sites. During student teaching, however, a significant majority of our students find that having individual transportation is essential.

Following are the courses and experiences that define each semester of your program:

Undergraduate Elementary Teacher Education Program Course Sequence

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