At Walsh, Education majors begin logging pre-clinical field experience in local classrooms even before they begin their actual student teaching.
Field Experience
Candidates in the Division of Education are required to complete approximately 200 hours of pre-service hours in the field prior to student teaching. The Division has developed partnerships with the 15 public districts and 14 parochial schools in Stark County and beyond. All field experiences have one common denominator: candidates must be fully engaged in the classroom and are required to apply the knowledge and skills they have learned and will learn from school professionals. The candidates observe, assist, tutor, work with individual and small groups of students, and teach lessons. The Division has also developed field partnerships with non-school units such as Stark County DD, Mercy Medical Center, and Pegasus Farms. All field experience hours are logged and candidates are evaluated.
Clinical Experience
The Division of Education has a two-semester clinical approach that takes place during the senior year: pre and student teaching. The candidate is normally in the same placement for both semesters. Pre-student teaching involves 60 hours of field work which allows the candidate to get to know their cooperating teacher, students, and the school culture. The candidate must pass pre-student teaching with a B- or better to proceed to student teaching. The clinical experience (14 weeks) is progressive until the candidate is ready to assume all instructional responsibility and is closely monitored by the assigned cooperating teacher and university supervisor. All lessons taught by the candidate must follow the school district's curriculum, the Ohio Educator Standards, and the Common Core Standards to ensure that students are being taught accurate and appropriate content. Candidates receive a mid-term and final evaluation during student teaching and must earn a B- or better to successfully complete this capstone experience.