Specific criteria for admission to student teaching will be implemented in fall 2001. This is the culminating experience and is fifteen weeks in duration. They reflect on each other's practice as they discuss what they are learning. The general learning outcomes and the organizing theme provide a structure for planning the field experiences. Therefore, the general learning outcomes that reflect national standards and the unit's multicultural goals are integral to the practices that candidates will experience in the P-12 classrooms.
Instructors determine the format for documenting field experiences for their courses.
Generally, students spend from six to sixteen hours per course in the field. In the past, graduate courses in the Post Baccalaureate programs have not consistently required equivalent field experiences because most candidates work full-time. The director of Teacher Education and Student Services works in collaboration with principals of the Metro Nashville-Davidson County public schools and administrators of surrounding counties to arrange field placements for teacher candidates. While the director may request certain cooperating teachers, the ultimate decision in placement of the student teachers within any given school rests with the school principal. In some schools, principals conduct an orientation session with student teachers and, upon request, will observe student teachers and write a letter of recommendation that becomes a part of the candidate's evaluation portfolio.