Field Experience Policies
Professional Development Days
During the Internship II/Practicum II experience, candidates may count 3 professional development days as part of the internship. Each program may designate the use of any or all of these days, such as a program seminar or meeting, interview day, conference attendance, assessment completion, etc.
In the P-9 program, Internship I candidates may count 2 professional development days as part of the internship.
In order to utilize a professional development day, candidates must provide a written request to both the mentor teacher and university supervisor 48 hours prior to the request date and this request must be approved by both parties. If an intern is scheduled to teach during a requested PD day, the candidate should prepare substitute plans similar to the requirement when their mentor is absent. Following the professional development experience, candidates must provide the mentor and supervisor with tangible evidence from the PD (agenda, handouts, conference program, registration ticket, interview invitation) in order to verify completion of the requested professional development day.
Any time in which an intern is absent from the classroom for personal reasons during the scheduled days for field experience are to be made up within the semester. Make-up days are completed after the conclusion of the scheduled field experience but may not be completed in lieu of scheduled class meetings or exam times. Interns should complete the Make Up Day Approval Form in this handbook in order to request necessary make up days after the final Internship date. The University Supervisor and the Clinical Coordinator in the Office of Clinical and Field Experience will address any issues with achieving the required number of days on an individual basis.
Candidates will follow the same school regulations and fulfill the same duties and responsibilities as teachers. Candidates must request mentor approval to use school materials and should follow all school procedures for duty assignments, copying, laminating, etc.
Candidates should plan to provide all consumable materials for their lessons.
Candidates are not to leave the school grounds during the teacher duty day, if students are in the building. If a candidate must leave early, due to illness or an unavoidable circumstance, candidates must have direct approval from the Mentor Teacher. Candidates must also provide notice to the university supervisor and the Office of Clinical and Field Experience, using the same contact procedures as in the case of absence or tardiness (see below).
Candidates will adhere to the same daily schedule and routine as their mentor teacher. Candidates should also plan to attend all meetings and on-site professional development opportunities at their school. All Assistants and Interns are guests in the schools and must follow the appropriate sign-in procedures each day. Falsifying a record is a major violation and can result in termination from the placement and possibly the program. Candidates should arrive and depart the assigned school at the same time that regular members of the teaching staff arrive and depart.
Candidates are strongly encouraged not to miss days during the field experiences.
If there are repeated absences, tardiness or early departures, candidates will meet with appropriate university coordinators and school representatives to resolve issues. A candidate may be removed from the internship if absence/tardiness procedures are not followed, for repeated tardiness or for unexcused absences.
In the event that a candidate becomes ill during the school day and must leave the placement prior to the end of the school day, the candidate must have Mentor Teacher consent prior to departure. The university supervisor should be informed at a later date. If substantial time is missed, the candidate must plan to make up a full day at the conclusion of the internship, using the make-up day procedures.
If a candidate is willing to do so, he/she may be used as a substitute teacher in a critical need situation. A critical need situation is defined as a time when all other available options in the school have been considered. In a critical need situation, a candidate covering as a substitute teacher will be paid for either a half-day or a full day. The candidate will not be paid by the hour. The candidate must have completed substitute training in the county for which they interning if they are to be paid. If the candidate is not willing to serve as a substitute teacher, he/she cannot be forced to do so. The candidate should not be scheduled as a substitute teacher. For example, if Mr. X. knows he will be out for the day, he should not schedule a candidate to substitute for him. A candidate covering as a substitute teacher will only be eligible to cover the classes that are part of his/her practicum. The cooperating professional will be the educator who has to cover for another teacher.
One of the critical aspects of success in the field is professional dispositions for teaching. Candidates should act in a professional manner at all times, in both the university classroom and in the school environment during the field experiences. Candidates must arrive and depart the assigned school on time, following the same schedule as the regular members of the teaching staff, and complete a full day of activities related to the instructional program. If not teaching a class, an intern should be observing the mentor teacher, assisting the mentor teacher as needed, working on development of the curriculum or learning environment, or collaborating with others on professional agendas. Candidates should display professionally acceptable verbal and non-verbal behaviors at all times. Candidates demonstrate a commitment to the internship experience through positive attitudes and respectful interactions with administrators, school staff and personnel, parents, his/her mentor teacher and students. If a candidate’s professional dispositions are deemed unacceptable by the principal, mentor or university representatives, the necessary procedures for improvement will be followed. If improvement is not shown, a candidate could be removed from the placement and would fail the field experience. The assistant/intern, mentor teacher and university supervisor will evaluate professional dispositions and responsibilities during each field experience. The forms and additional information regarding this evaluation are located in this handbook.
During all field experiences, candidates must dress professionally when present at school. Candidates are expected to adhere to district dress code and the program-established dress code, which may exceed the district expectations. Candidates should dress appropriately for their teaching situation, with attire that allows for easy movement, comfort and does not distract from the learning environment. Candidates should be well groomed, with no piercing beyond ears and tattoos covered. Each day is a job interview for an intern, so candidates are strongly encouraged to make a good impression with their appearance every day.
Candidates’ attire should reflect a seriousness and commitment to the business of education. Gentleman should wear a shirt/tie or collared shirt and slacks. Ladies’ attire could include a blouse and slacks, skirt or dress (knee length or longer). Flat or low-heeled shoes would be appropriate. Flip-flops are not allowed. In general, clothing should not be too casual, too loose/tight or revealing. Casual attire (sweatpants, yoga pants, leggings. etc) would not be appropriate for teaching.
Transportation to and from the field experience is the responsibility of each candidate. Field experience instructors and coordinators can assist students in locating other candidates who might be able to provide transportation. Candidates who have access to a car are encouraged to participate in carpools. Candidates who are being transported by peers should be courteous and respectful (timeliness, compensation for gas, etc). Placements close to campus may be requested by those candidates who do not have transportation, but the availability of these placements is not guaranteed.
Candidates must follow accepted practices for confidentiality of student information, of both a formal and informal nature. Under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), schools and teachers are required to protect the privacy rights of students. Candidates may not be allowed to view student records and should protect any information provided to them concerning a student’s educational record. Candidates are also obligated to hold information gained through their classroom and school interactions with students in confidence. They should not speak about school matters, including information about students, teachers or administrators, inside or outside of the school environment. Any discussion with parents about student performance and behavior should be confined to formal conference settings. Since sensitive information about students, faculty and staff is part of the school environment, candidates must act with discretion (exercising prudence and self-restraint in speech and behavior) and tact (skill or judgment in difficult or delicate situations).
As an educator working in classrooms with students, all assistants and interns are considered mandatory reporters for child abuse by the State of Maryland. In order to make a report, proof of abuse or neglect is not required. Incidents are to be reported to a mentor teacher and school administrators as soon as they are suspected. If a candidate suspects a case of child abuse or neglect, he or she should report the evidence to the mentor teacher and university supervisor. The next steps in the reporting process would follow school/district policies for mandatory reports. If a mandatory reporter knowingly fails to report suspected abuse of a child, this person may be subject to professional sanctions by licensing boards or in the case of an assistant/intern, difficulties in obtaining certification. Anyone that makes a “good faith” report is immune from civil liability and criminal penalty.
Candidates are encouraged to collect classroom artifacts of their teaching, through photos, videos and student work samples. These materials would be shared in course assignments, class presentations and candidate portfolio development and interviews. While schools and districts typically require parents to provide releases for student images, candidates will also be required during each field experience to gain parent permission to use these types of materials. Only first names of students are used and other identifying information deleted in order to maintain student confidentiality. For each field experience, candidates should send home a copy of the form with each student and must maintain a record of those students for whom a release was or was not provided. The release form is located in this handbook.
Candidates must be extremely cautious with social media use when completing field experiences. Classroom experiences should not be described, nor should pictures from classroom experiences be posted to a candidate’s social media accounts or shared with others through personal social media outlets. Candidates are strongly encouraged to set all social media accounts to “private” during their field experiences, even though individuals should be aware that nothing on the internet is completely private. Candidates should consider outside audiences, such as students, parents and prospective employers, when posting pictures, making comments and crafting status updates even with protected settings. During field experiences, candidates should not “friend” or communicate with students, mentors or parents on social media. Candidates must also follow the placement district’s policies on social media use.
Candidates should not use cell phones, tablets or other electronic communication devices during instructional time in the field, unless for a specific instructional purpose (photos, lesson videos, calculator, voice recording, remote, etc). No phone calls, texting or social media communication should occur during the instructional day. Candidates may provide the school’s phone number as a contact in case of an emergency. Issues with inappropriate electronic communication device use will be treated as a professional disposition concern.
In order to obtain the most benefit from the professional semester, the candidate should limit all outside activities, including participation in demanding extra-curricular activities. Ideally, candidates would minimize outside employment during the internship semester(s). Employment should not interfere with internship, coursework and other program responsibilities.
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