Fieldwork Requirements
Initial Childhood Certification Fieldwork Requirements
Initial certification students (Dual Stream A and B, BiSPED, Peace Corps Fellows, and if your first initial is not issued by NYSED) must complete a 100-hour field experience prior to enrolling in either of the two student teaching experiences (A&HB 4720 or C&T 4729) required. Students who are teaching could do most of the required fieldwork at their place of work. These 100 hours will be integrated with the following coursework.
- A&HB 4021 20 hours
- A&HB 4028 15 hours
- A&HB 4075 20 hours
- A&HB 4121 15 hours (for those not taking 4133 or 4134, it should be 30 hours)
- A&HB 4133 15 hours
- A&HB 4134 15 hours
Fieldwork Logs must be filed in the Office of the Program in Bilingual/Bicultural Education each semester with the Academic Secretary. Please first document your fieldwork on-line at https://goo.gl/VDcW5J and then submit a hardcopy. You are responsible for getting your logs signed by a teacher or supervisor in your school and the instructor of the course. Download the Field Work Log, visit the BBE office for a paper copy, or ask your instructor for a copy.
Some students may be scheduled to take one of the above courses concurrently with their student teaching. Therefore, please do not do the minimum number of hours unless you are sure you will complete at least 100 hours prior to student teaching.
Please note that you cannot be paid while doing your first 200 hours of student teaching to qualify for student teaching credit.
Student teaching and fieldwork observations follow the NYSED academic calendar found here, not the Teachers College academic calendar. It is up to the individual student to make sure that s/he is present at his/her assigned public school for student teaching and/or fieldwork during any Teachers College breaks or vacation times, especially for international students. Special cases will not be considered.
Middle Childhood Extension
Students pursuing middle childhood extension certification (grades 5-9) must have completed and logged an additional 50 hours of fieldwork in grades 7 and 8 throughout the course of their academic study in the Bilingual/Bicultural Education Program. Make sure to also submit those logs to the Academic Secretary. Please remember that you must also complete a course in Middle Childhood Education (C&T 4145). Your BBE Fall student teaching will be in a 5th or 6th grade classroom. Please inform the Student Teaching Coordinator by March of your first Fall semester if you intend on pursuing the Middle Childhood Extension.
Pedagogy of Social Imagination in Language Learning and Teaching (PSILLT) Project
The PSILLT project is a federally funded project aimed to support teacher candidates in gaining experience working with bilingual learners. It involves participating in planning meetings with a Professor to develop the curriculum for children in an after-school program and teaching primary grade students, mostly during the Spring of Year 1.
Stream A students will receive an invitation to participate in the project and the BBE faculty will choose a maximum of 10 Spanish/English bilingual students and 10 Chinese/English bilingual students to participate. While it is designed for Stream A students, those in other tracks can volunteer and participate.
For more information: psillt.pressible.org/about-psillt