Directions for Completing the Student Teaching Application
1. The student teaching application is as important as an application for a teaching position. Principals and school administrators are not obligated to accept student teachers. Your application must show school officials that you are prepared for the professional responsibility of a student teaching placement. It is possible that you will also be interviewed by a principal or cooperating teacher before your student teaching placement is finalized.
2. Applications for student teaching are due in January prior to the academic year in which you plan to student teach. You may submit your application any time after the first Tuesday of the spring semester. Deadlines are the third Wednesday of January for students who will student teach in fall semester and the fourth Wednesday of January for students who will student teach in spring semester. You must have been admitted to Teacher Education, have a 2.75 overall GPA and a 2.75 GPA in all teaching majors and teaching minors, and have advisor approval before you can submit your paper application for student teaching. You cannot have an Incomplete or a grade lower than a C in any course required for your program. Late applications are not accepted.
3. Make an appointment with your academic advisor well before the due date of the application. Your advisor must review and approve your application before you submit it. After your advisor has reviewed and signed, print one copy of pages A and B, three copies of pages 1 and 2, and three copies of your one-page essay responses. Your application will be signed by the Director of Advanced Clinical Experience and Co-Teaching before it is sent to schools.
4. To submit your paper application, you must meet with Mrs. Nancy Martin between 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. You must see her in person. Allow 10-15 minutes for this meeting. Once your student teaching application has been accepted by Mrs. Martin, you will not be allowed to change your request for placement location.
5. Essay responses: Follow the directions for the prompts carefully. Emphasize your experiences that have shaped the kind of teacher you will become. Be sure your statements are positive and engaging. Do not share negative experiences you have had as a student or as an observer in schools. Your essays should communicate your personality and your philosophy about teaching.
6. On page 2, you must list abbreviated titles and course numbers for the courses that you have taken or will be taking. List the Core courses in the left column. List the courses in your major and minor areas in the right column. Be sure to complete the “Grade Earned or Term of Enrollment” box. Indicate any transfer courses by including a “T” next to the grade you earned in the course. ( example T-A) This would indicate the course credit was transferred to USI from another institution and you earned a grade of “A” for the course.
7. You must have a National Criminal Background Check and an Expanded Child Protection Index Check from Castle Branch (not more than 5 years old) before you can submit your paper application. You must also complete a Consent and Disclosure Form on Tk20 at the beginning of each academic year. More information about this is available in the Teacher Education office.
8. Additional considerations: Occasionally, students get near the end of their program and think they can “cram” in a lot of extra hours to get finished. This is not a good idea or a recommended practice. If your records show that you have an unusual number of courses in progress or pending, your placement may be put on hold until you have completed more hours toward your degree.
9. Students will not be placed for student teaching or be eligible to begin student teaching if these requirements are not met:
A 2.75 GPA overall and in all majors and minors
No Incompletes in a course required for the degree
No grade below a C in a course required for the degree