16 Week Clinical Practice Experience Logistics
Review Items Included in this Module:
- 16 Week Guidelines
- What Does a Typical School Day Look Like During Clinical Practice
- Phases of Clinical Practice
- Co-Teaching
16 Week Guidelines:
Clinical practice hours at UNC Asheville take place across 16 full-time weeks. Hours completed during teacher work days (either designated or optional), school and university in-service and workshops, PTO meetings, and make-up school days count toward the requirement. Work at home and/or on the weekends; during closed, holiday, or annual leave school days; or during any university course (including EDUC 455 and EDUC 456) do not count toward the requirement.
Supervisors will work individually with candidates on fulfilling the state and UNC Asheville clinical practice requirements.
Snow days and holidays count toward your 16 weeks. You must attend “teacher work days,” “designated teacher work days,” or “optional teacher work days.” Any day a teacher is required to be at the school, you have to attend. If your host teacher takes a vacation day during an optional work day, you are still required to attend. At home planning does not count toward the 16 weeks.
You can work toward completing your 16 weeks up until the last day of classes but not after the last day of classes at UNC Asheville.
What Does a Typical School Day Look Like During Clinical Practice:
Teacher candidates will report to school on the supervising teacher’s schedule, starting with teacher workdays. The candidate must attend on the supervising teacher’s schedule in the manner the teacher is presenting instruction. If the supervising teacher is teaching virtually from the school, the candidate must also teach virtually from the school. If a supervising teacher is teaching in person classes, the candidate must teach in person classes.
The candidate must attend during the established school hours of the host school. Teacher candidates are not required to stay additional hours beyond what is required for all teachers even if their supervising teacher stays later.
Phases of Clinical Practice:
The 16 week Clinical Practice semester is divided into five phases. Since each placement in Clinical Practice is unique, individuals will differ in the times they spend in the various phases. The specific schedule for each candidate should be determined as a clinical practice team by the supervising teacher, the university supervisor, and the candidate. Supervisors should plan their 4 observation visits at regular intervals; weeks 4, 6, 8, and 10 are recommended though observation schedules may vary according to the needs of the candidate.
Phase I – Orientation and Transition into the School
(1-3 weeks as determined in consultation with Supervising Teacher and University Supervisor.) Candidates verify with the Supervising Teacher the first day to report to assigned school, since there is variation from district to district and even from school to school. Candidates should report on the first work day the Supervising Teacher.
Phase I: General Clinical Practice Activities
- Complete interest inventories with Clinical Interns as appropriate.
- Observe Clinical Educator and class.
- Learn Clinical Interns’ names and classroom rules.
- Obtain and review learning materials to be used in your Clinical Practice setting.
- Meet with Clinical Educator and develop long-range plans for the semester.
- Investigate technology resources useful for each class to be taught.
- Observe any diagnostic testing.
- Observe any grouping methods used for instruction.
- Become familiar with school handbook (policies and procedures, discipline code).
- Work on EDUC 456 assignments with the guidance of the course instructor and Clinical Educator.
Phase I: General EdTPA Activities:
EdTPA Planning – The supervising teacher and candidate should identify the central focus for the lessons to be taught for the edTPA videotaping session and portfolio completion for the clinical practice spring semester by November. Once the central focus is identified, do not change it. Choose a topic that can be taught on a flexible schedule. It is very important for this central focus to be identified early so that the candidate may begin writing the plans and extensive commentary.
EdTPA Portfolio Work – In Phase I of Clinical Practice, candidates revise their Context for Learning, and work on EdTPA tasks associated with Task 1. In addition, candidates establish when they will be teaching the 3-5 day learning segment. During this Clinical Practice phase, Task 1 should be completed. Task 1 includes the plans for instruction and assessment; the creation, development, or modification of instructional materials; and the Planning Commentary.
Phase II – Phasing Into Teaching
Phase II: General Clinical Practice Activities:
Clinical Interns continue to observe, engage in partner-teaching with the Clinical Educator when appropriate, and phase into teaching by adding a class or lesson at a time.
Phase II: General edTPA Activities:
In Phase II of Clinical Practice, candidates conduct their three to five days of teaching including videotaping instruction and assessing student learning associated with EdTPA lessons. Teaching and videotaping should be finished by the last week in February or first week in March to allow adequate time to analyze and write about both the teaching and student learning that occurred during the learning segment.
Phase III – Full Teaching Load 5 Consecutive Week Minimum
Phase III: General Clinical Practice Activities:
Clinical Interns take on a full load of teaching, planning the lessons, and conferring with their Clinical Educator and supervisor. EDUC 455 seminars and meetings of EDUC 456 at UNC ASHEVILLE continue. Mid-term evaluations and conferences should be completed by the mid-point of Phase III. The candidate will have full lead teacher responsibility during this phase. Co-teaching is accepted.
Phase III: General edTPA Activities:
During Phase III of Clinical Practice, candidates complete the write up of all EdTPA materials. This includes an analysis of the instruction that took place as well as both whole class and focus student work samples. There is an extensive written commentary required for both Task 2 (Instruction) and Task 3 (assessment). Everything must be finished by the end of March. Candidates are provided with the submission deadline at the beginning of the Clinical Practice semester.
Phase IV – Phasing Out of Full-Time Teaching
Phase IV: General Clinical Practice Activities:
Clinical Interns phase out of full time teaching by dropping off a class or subject at a time, though not necessarily in the same order they phased in. They continue to partner-teach with their supervising teacher.
Phase IV: Genera edTPA Activities:
Candidates submit their EdTPA portfolio to Pearson for national scoring.
Phase V – Concluding Assignments
Phase V: General Clinical Practice Activities:
In order to complete requirements for the Diversity Profile, Clinical Interns visit/observe other teachers, including special needs and ESL classrooms, IEP coordinators, and resource teachers. Clinical Interns also may visit area schools/classrooms to observe racial and ethnic diversity in school populations. *Please refer to 16 week Guidelines.
Phase V: General edTPA Activity:
If results from the Pearson scoring of the EdTPA portfolio do not meet the established standard, candidates will have an opportunity to resubmit portions of their portfolio to Pearson for rescoring. Fees associated with portfolio resubmission are the responsibility of candidates.
Co-Teaching:
At UNCA we encourage clinical practice teams (teacher candidate, supervising teacher, and university supervisor) to make decisions on the best way to support and facilitate growth of the teacher candidate along with the best way to meet the needs of the P-12 public school students in the classroom. The teacher candidate will be in the classroom for 16 weeks. During this time they will spend 5 weeks with full lead teacher responsibility. We want to make sure Teacher Candidates have opportunities to lead instruction and manage the classroom. Integrating creative approaches, like co-teaching, are accepted and encouraged.