At the start of each of Campbellsville University’s fall and spring semesters, 20 to 35 student teachers begin their sixteen-week practicum in schools throughout Kentucky’s 120 counties, as well as some out-of-state districts. For initial certification candidates in the School of Education, this experience marks the culmination of coursework and preparation for clinical hours.
And the results are impressive.
CU’s School of Education model has a stellar reputation for preparing future teachers well, and for placement in full-time teaching positions after graduation.
The coursework completed by these students focuses on educational foundations, assessment, classroom management, and content-specific pedagogy, along with discipline-specific coursework in support of their specific teacher preparation program. Both in-person and online educator preparation courses are led by School of Education faculty who have extensive experience as former P-12 teachers.
Dr. James Dantic, Student Teacher Coordinator for the School of Education, orchestrates the intricate details of such a successful model, and adds, “I believe that the high quality of instruction provided in friendly and supportive education classes at CU, results in our teacher prep students cultivating not only effective instructional skills and a clear understanding of the role of the teacher but also a better perception of who they are going to be a future educators.”
In addition to coursework, students complete 200 hours of clinical experiences in local classrooms, where they observe and assist teachers, practice teaching and participate in school-based activities and meetings. This provides them with the opportunity to gain authentic experiences before student teaching while connecting theory to real-world practice.
Later, when students begin their student teaching placements in P-12 classrooms, these candidates are supported by a university supervisor and a cooperating teacher as they develop their skills as future educators.
The CU teacher preparation program offers degree programs leading to teacher certification for both undergraduate (Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science) and graduate-level students (Master of Arts in Teaching and Master of Arts in Special Education).
Candidates can pursue certification in Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Education (IECE), special education or elementary education, as well as content-specific certification for teaching at the middle and/or high school levels.
Toward the end of each semester, all student teachers gather on campus for an exit event with the faculty who have supported them through their time as CU students. During this experience, student teachers teach a mini-lesson and are interviewed by CU faculty and local school district administrators. After the interview, the leaders provide the student teachers with immediate feedback. At the conclusion of the event, school districts are invited to host a career fair to recruit student teachers into their schools.
Dr. Robin Magruder, Dean of the School of Education, emphasizes the importance of the exit interview experience: “The exit event is a wonderful evening where we showcase the excellent work and preparation of our candidates. Local school districts are very impressed by the quality of our students, and they appreciate the opportunity to recruit them into their schools. One of the best parts of my job is walking down the halls of local schools and seeing our graduates. It makes me so proud to see the impact we have on local communities when we prepare the next generation of teachers in the state of Kentucky and beyond.”
Due to the high demand in the teaching profession as well as recent changes in regulations, student teachers may now complete their student teaching experiences while serving as paraeducators in IECE, special education, and elementary classrooms.
Additionally, CU student teachers may also serve as intermittent or long-term substitute teachers while student teaching, as long as those substitute positions are aligned with their specific certification program. Each semester, approximately one quarter of CU students complete their student teaching requirements while simultaneously serving as a substitute teacher or paraeducator during the final semester.
In summary, the CU School of Education Teacher Preparation Program provides a variety of certification pathways for candidates to pursue, coupled with the flexibility of both in-person and online class access. Class sizes range between 10 and 20 students, which allows for more direct interaction among classmates and with their instructors.