Combined Application for Field-Based Experiences
After declaring an education major or being accepted into a graduate-level program, the Teacher Candidate should schedule a meeting with their education advisor. During the meeting, they should identify when their anticipated pre-student teaching field experience course(s) and student teaching semester may occur.
Based on the advising plan, the Teacher Candidates will need to complete the application above at least 2 full semesters before entering the first field-based course. This application is only completed once for all field-based experiences, including student teaching.
New York City Placements: If planning on completing one or more placements in New York City with the NYC DOE, a separate application must be completed through the SUNY Urban Teacher Education Center (SUTEC).
The SUNY Potsdam student teaching experience is designed as the pedagogical capstone to the School of Education and Professional Studies’ pre-student teaching programs. The cooperating teacher, University Supervisor, and Teacher Candidate work together as a triad to create an environment in which the candidate has many opportunities to synthesize and apply previous learning, further develop analytical and problem-solving skills, and demonstrate the competence necessary to enter the profession. Each member of the triad reflects on and evaluates the Teacher Candidate’s progress and challenges throughout the student teaching experience.
The Cooperating Teacher and University Supervisor provide the Teacher Candidate with frequent, specific feedback on teaching behaviors, guiding the candidate to thoughtfully analyze the effectiveness of those behaviors based on contemporary theories of learning and human development. More specifically, the Cooperating Teacher provides mentoring, knowledge, support, encouragement, and feedback, while the University Supervisor serves primarily as liaison, colleague, resource, mentor, and instructor of record (Johnson and Napper-Owen 2011). The Teacher Candidate is expected to be an active member of the triad, e.g., by evaluating and weighing options, making reasoned choices, and assessing outcomes. The goal of all triad members is to maximize the Teacher Candidate’s development as a problem solver and autonomous professional.