This is a general overview of the Professional Year experience which includes Student Teaching. The professional year is a yearlong experiences (your final year in the program) culminating in 16 weeks of full time clinical practice internship (student teaching). Teacher Candidates (student teachers) will observe fall semester for at least 1 class period per week and begin student teaching spring semester on the host school’s schedule (the first teacher work day in January.) Fall semester, you will also spend extra time in your mentor teacher’s classroom during the first couple weeks to see the beginning of a school year.

Fall Semester: EDUC 430 & 43X

Teacher Candidates will be enrolled in EDUC 430 (Lesson Planning and Classroom Management) and EDUC 43X (EDUC: 431, 432, 433, 434, 435, 436, 437, 438, or 439) specific to the licensure area. Teacher Candidates may be taking other UNCA courses at this time.

During the fall 430 semester, Teacher Candidates will spend a minimum of 1 hour or 1 class period per week in the classroom of the Mentor Teacher as well as 16 hours of observation in the first couple weeks of school to see “the beginning of a school year.”

Candidates will plan and teach a 3 day unit to practice edTPA.

It is highly recommended that all candidates take the designated state licensure test prior to the beginning of the Clinical Practice semester. 

Spring Semester: Clinical Practice

Teacher Candidates will be enrolled in two courses related to clinical practice (student teaching) EDUC 455 (Student Teaching and Seminar) and EDUC 456 (The Teacher as a 21st Century Professional, K-12). They cannot be enrolled in other UNCA courses.

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.

Outside Work During Clinical Practice (Student Teaching)

Since clinical practice is a full-time job with many out-of-school responsibilities (e.g.: planning, grading papers, attending school functions), the faculty strongly discourages teacher candidates from working during the clinical practice semester. If outside work or participation in UNC Asheville extracurricular activities, including sports or clubs, interferes with clinical practice, the candidate may be asked to withdraw from clinical practice.

Phases of Student Teaching:

The 16 week Clinical Practice semester is divided into five phases. Candidates do not jump in and start student teaching full time on day one! They will pick up classroom and teaching responsibilities a subject or class period at a time until they have full lead teacher responsibility. Candidates will maintain lead teacher responsibility for 5 of those 16 weeks. At the end of the 5 weeks, Candidates will phase out by handing back responsibilities to the Mentor Teacher.

Phase I – Orientation and Transition into the School

1-3 weeks as determined in consultation with Supervising Teacher and University Supervisor.

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 II – Phasing Into Teaching

Phase II: General Clinical Practice Activities:

  • Continue to observe, engage in partner-teaching with the Clinical Educator when appropriate
  • Pick up teaching a class or subject at a time
  • *Elementary licensure students must pick up literacy first
  • Increase responsibility for other classroom activities
  • Three to five days of teaching including videotaping instruction and assessing student learning associated with EdTPA lessons. 

Phase III – Full Teaching Load 5 Consecutive Week Minimum

Phase III: General Clinical Practice Activities:

  • Take on a full load of teaching, planning the lessons, and conferring with their Clinical Educator and supervisor.
  • Maintain full lead teacher responsibility for all aspects of the school day for 5 consecutive weeks.
  • 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. 

Phase IV – Phasing Out of Full-Time Teaching

Phase IV: General Clinical Practice Activities:

  • 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. 
  • Phasing out is generally quicker than phasing in.
  • Submit EdTPA portfolio to Pearson for national scoring.

Phase V – Concluding Assignments

Phase V: General Clinical Practice Activities:

  • 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.
  • Conclude all course assignments and DPI licensure requirements and application.