Pre-Student Teaching Clinical Experiences
Learning to Teach Through Practice
Before student teaching, teacher candidates complete a progression of clinical experiences across varied grade levels, school settings and community contexts appropriate to their licensure pathway. The Office of Clinical Experiences considers previous placements when arranging subsequent experiences to broaden candidates' exposure to different educators, learners, and school communities, including urban and rural settings. Across this sequence, candidates move from observation and guided participation toward greater responsibility for planning, teaching, assesment and reflection. Explore your plan of study below for clinical hours, placement settings and expectations at each level.
Cooperating teachers and university faculty guide candidates through experiences appropriate to their stage of preparation. Feedback helps candidates identify strengths, respond to challenges and prepare for the responsibility of student teaching.
Clinical Experience Progression
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Each clinical experience connects courswork with classroom practice. With guidance from experienced mentor teachers, candidates take on increasing responsibility as they prepare for student teaching.
Level 1
- Classroom Setting: UM LAB Preschool and Grades K-3
- Clinical Hours: 11 UM LAB Preschool hours and 40 classroom hours
- Candidate Role: Learn about students and classroom practices while actively supporting individual students and small groups. Facilitate at least two literacy-focused interactions and implement reading or math intervention lessons informed by assessment data. Use observations, conversations and existing assessment data to understand students' strengths, interests and learning needs.
- Level 1 Clinical Experience Handbook
Level 2
- Classroom Setting: UM LAB Preschool and Grades K-3
- Clinical Hours: 53 UM LAB Preschool hours and 30 classroom hours
- Candidate Role: Take a greater role in small-group and whole-class instruction, planning and teaching lessons with mentor support. Plan and teach one language arts lesson aligned with the classroom curriculum. Analyze student work to guide instruction and use inclusive practices to support diverse learners, including multilingual students.
- Level 2 Clinical Experience Handbook
Level 3
- Classroom Setting: UM LAB Preschool
- Clinical Hours: 135 hours
- Candidate Role: Candidates assume greater responsibility for planning and facilitating integrated learning units while co-teaching with a mentor teacher. They use child observation and assessment to inform curriculum planning, child guidance and varied teaching strategies. Ongoing written and verbal reflection supports continued growth in their teaching practice.
- Level 3 Clinical Experience Details
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Each clinical experience connects courswork with classroom practice. With guidance from experienced mentor teachers, candidates take on increasing responsibility as they prepare for student teaching.
Level 1
- Classroom Setting: UM LAB Preschool and Grades K-3
- Clinical Hours: 11 UM LAB Preschool hours and 40 classroom hours
- Candidate Role: Learn about students and classroom practices while actively supporting individual students and small groups. Facilitate at least two literacy-focused interactions and implement reading or math intervention lessons informed by assessment data. Use observations, conversations and existing assessment data to understand students' strengths, interests and learning needs.
- Level 1 Clinical Experience Handbook
Level 2
- Classroom Setting: Grades 3-5
- Clinical Hours: 60 classroom hours
- Candidate Role: Take a greater role in small-group and whole-class instruction, planning and teaching lessons with mentor support. Plan and teach one language arts lesson and one social studies lesson aligned with the classroom curriculum. Analyze student work to guide instruction and use inclusive practices to support diverse learners, including multilingual students.
- Level 2 Clinical Experience Handbook
Level 3
- Classroom Setting: Grades 5-8
- Clinical Hours: 80 classroom hours
- Candidate Role: Plan and teach connected lessons using student learning and mentor feedback to strengthen instruction. Plan and teach two sequential math lessons and one science lesson aligned with the classroom curriculum. Analyze student work and reflect with the mentor teacher on lesson effectiveness and next steps for instruction.
- Level 3 Clinical Experience Handbook
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Secondary clinical experiences connect coursework with classroom practice. With guidance from experienced mentor teachers, candidates progress from observing and supporting instruction to planning and teaching lessons in their content area.
Candidates pursuing 5-12 secondary certification complete one clinical placement at the middle school level and one at the high school level. Candidates pursuing K-12 certification complete one placement at the elementary level and one at either the middle school or high school level. Placement order may vary.
Clinical 1
- Classroom Setting: Varies dependent on certification
- Clinical Hours: 30 classroom hours
- Candidate Role: Observe classroom routines, relationships, engagement and management strategies in their content area. Through discussion with the cooperating teacher and guided participation, candidates connect classroom management principles with teaching practice.
- Secondary Clinical 1 Handbook
Clinical 2
- Classroom Setting: Varies dependent on certification
- Clinical Hours: 45 classroom hours
- Candidate Role: Candidates complete 8-10 hours of direct teaching, assuming greater responsibility for planning and delivering instruction, supporting learners and maintaining a productive learning environment. They use feedback and evidence from their teaching to reflect on instructional decisions and identify improvements.
- Secondary Clinical 2 Handbook