Teaching Clinical Experience
The TeacherReady online teacher certification program includes clinical experience assignments completed in PK-12 classrooms and aligned to the online curriculum. Clinical experiences provide opportunities for teacher candidates to apply the concepts, skills and actions learned in TeacherReady online lessons into real classrooms.
Clinical experiences include observations, interviews, tutoring, attending meetings and teaching lessons in your classroom or your cooperating teacher’s classroom. Each online lesson includes clinical assignments to be completed by the teacher candidate in either their own classroom or their cooperating teacher’s classroom.
The final teaching clinical experience is part of Lesson 8. During this lesson, teacher candidates will develop lesson plans for a five-day week and then teach/implement the 5-day lesson plan, under the direction of the cooperating teacher. This Lesson 8 clinical assignment will assess the overall mastery of the teacher candidate and determine readiness for teacher certification and a successful teaching career.
Clinical Experience Requirements
- Complete a minimum of 185 clinical hours
- Clinical Experience includes a one full week (35 hours) culminating clinical experience at the very end (Intensive Lesson 8)
- Some states require additional clinical hours. For example: Georgia requires 500 hours and Wyoming 8 weeks of student teaching
- Clinical Experience is under the supervision of a qualified cooperating teacher
How Do I Find A Cooperating Teacher?
During the admissions process you will submit a Field Placement Request form. This form provides information about schools in your area. Once you enroll in your first course, you will be introduced to your TeacherReady Program Advisor. Your program advisor will team up with you to find a classroom and a cooperating teacher in your subject area.
You can use your classrooms to complete your field experience assignments, as long as you meet the following requirements:
- You are currently teaching the subject area and grade range in which you want to be certified.
- You are currently teaching in a K-12 institution.
If you meet the requirements to complete your fieldwork in your own classroom, you will connect with your school administration to identify a cooperating teacher who will observe and evaluate you throughout the program. Then, you will provide us with information about your school and your cooperating teacher on the Field Experience Form for Current School Employees.
If you do not meet the above requirements, you can do one of the following:
- Earn your certification in the subject area that you are teaching, in addition to the subject area that you want to teach.
- Contact us for additional options.
Cooperating Teacher Requirements
Cooperating Teachers of the TeacherReady Online Teacher Certification Program must meet the following requirements:
- Have a current and valid teaching certification or a current and valid administrator license
- Have a minimum of 3 years of teaching experience
- Rated as effective or highly effective as indicated by annual evaluations
- Be willing to complete our free, online Clinical Educator Training Course or provide documentation of previous clinical educator training
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