Going for the Gold in 3^rd Grade

The best way to become elite teachers, the best of the best, is to practice…so practice, practice, practice, practice teachers! 🙂 Our SMSU teacher candidates just successfully completed a 2-day clinical field experience which consisted of a complete 2-day takeover of a local elementary school. Yes, the classroom teachers leave, the paraprofessionals along with the principal stay (thank you!!), and our “practice teachers” become the real deal!

This 2-day take over is one of our main culminating events that allows our junior level teacher candidates to put into practice all they have learned in their methods classes. They select and write 14 or more age-appropriate lesson plans based on their chosen theme (which can be anything from Construction Workers to Olympics to Dr. Seuss to Detectives), craft a classroom management plan based on their theme, create a welcoming environment according to their theme, and do everything for two days that the “REAL” classroom teachers are expected to do.

Education professors become the supervisors…observing and evaluating each group of practice teachers. This magical two days becomes one of the finest field experiences for our teacher candidates, and it also is the most exhausting—for everyone involved!

Practice makes perfect (when practiced perfectly…otherwise, practice just makes permanent) and perfect gets gold! That’s where we “teacher educators” fit in. We believe our teacher candidates are golden, and we are so very proud of them! Check out a few pictures from our 2-day theme based clinical field experience, and you be the judge. We know you will like what you see! 🙂

Stay Calm & Lead On!
Profs Dr. C. & Dr. V.