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Office of Clinical Placements and Partnerships

The Office of Clinical Placements and Partnerships connects aspiring educators with hands-on classroom experiences. From early field placements to student teaching and apprenticeships, our programs ensure teacher candidates develop the skills, confidence, and expertise needed to lead their own classrooms. Explore our pathways and discover how UWF prepares you for a successful teaching career!


Field Placements

All of our bachelor's-level teacher certification pathways involve multiple observation and field placement opportunities throughout your educational journey. For more information on our programs, navigate below.

A young teacher teaches students hand gestures for a song
Field Experience 1 & 2

The Elementary Education and Exceptional Student Education (ESE)/Elementary Education degrees include two hands-on field experiences in classrooms under the careful supervision of an experienced teacher prior to their capstone experience, Student Teaching. 

A teacher helps two students use a microscope
Apprenticeship Teaching

Apprenticeship teaching is the capstone experience for teacher candidates in the secondary UWF-Teach STEM degrees. During the semester-long experience, teacher candidates gradually assume full teaching responsibilities in a classroom with the guidance and support of an experienced teacher. They demonstrate that they can effectively provide middle and high school students with rigorous standards-based instruction, and are prepared for their first teaching position.

A UWF student reads books to young children
Student Teaching

Student teaching is the capstone experience for students in the Elementary Education and ESE/Elementary Education degrees. During the semester-long experience, teacher candidates gradually assume full teaching responsibilities in a classroom with the guidance and support of an experienced teacher. Teacher candidates demonstrate that they can effectively provide K-6 students with rigorous standards-based instruction and are prepared for their first teaching position.

Cooperating Teacher Information

A key element in preparing teacher candidates is the time they spend in the classrooms with professional teachers. We call these professional teacher-mentors cooperating teachers. Are you ready to get started? 

The Florida Department of Education and the University of West Florida require that all cooperating teachers meet the following criteria:

  • Be certified in the subject area they teach
  • Have received an effective or highly effective rating in their most recent year of service
  • Have a minimum of three years of teaching experience
  • Have completed the current Clinical Educator Training
  • Have taught in their current grade or subject area for at least one year
  • If hosting a Student Teacher, hold a reading certification or endorsement

Find out more about becoming a Cooperating Teacher