Preparing Educational Leaders in a Community of Professional Partners

Purpose

A key component of a candidate's teacher education program is their work with a diversity of PK-12 students, teachers and schools in the field. The Office of Early Field Experience works with the teacher preparation programs throughout the College of Teacher Education Unit to coordinate field based experiences with PK-12 schools and students.

Early Field Experience is that period of the teacher education program, organized and directed by the university in cooperation with its community of professional partners, during which the student is placed in an accredited public or private school under the supervision of a fully certified classroom teacher and a university supervisor. The Office of Early Field Experience is responsible for coordinating and providing clearance for all candidates who intend to participate in Early Field Experiences. Early Field Experiences provide students with the opportunity to develop their professional competency in each of the Florida Educator Accomplished Practices at the Pre-Professional Level as well as demonstrate a positive impact on PK-12 student learning.

The Office of Early Field Experience works with FSU faculty and our PK-12 Partners to find the right placement for each Early Field Experience student. The Office of Early Field Experience and the teacher education programs seek diverse placements that are challenging, but manageable; nurturing but not smothering; enriched by supervising teachers eager to help renew the profession by sharing their expertise with others. The Office provides pre-interns with diversity of placements and supportive supervision in an experience that will challenge and help re-affirm their choice of profession.

The faculty and staff of the Office of Early Field Experiences, 236 Stone Building (STB) are here to help you through the clearance and placement process and to support you during this critical field-based experience.