Student Teaching

Student teaching will allow you to integrate and apply knowledge, skills and dispositions acquired through your program and enable you to:

• Create effective learning environments and experiences
• Demonstrate content knowledge and the ability to convey this knowledge
• Build expertise in curriculum planning and development
• Implement curriculum and instructional practices appropriate for diverse learners
• Differentiate instruction to meet the differing needs and diversity of students
• Assess learners using multiple means or methods that align with learning objectives and accommodate varying levels of knowledge
• Use a variety of culturally relevant materials, resources, and technologies to support learning and instruction
• Develop a repertoire of classroom management strategies and techniques
• Develop strong oral and written communication skills
• Reflect upon and analyze your own teaching
• Collaborate with your cooperating teacher, other teachers, and your students
• Develop strong, supportive relationships with students and their families
• Demonstrate professionalism and dependability

Qualifications to apply for student teaching

• Overall GPA of 2.5 or higher.
• Passing scores on the Florida Teacher Certification Examinations (FTCE) General Knowledge (GK) Test.
• Admission to your degree program.
• Be on track to complete all program coursework and college requirements prior to the student teaching semester.
• Obtain required school district security verification.

Submit application and supporting documents:

Fall Student Teaching
January 15 through March 1

Spring Student Teaching
May 15 through July 1

1. Complete and submit the student teaching online application and supporting documents.
2. Submit the Florida Teacher Certification Examinations (FTCE) passing score report for all 4 parts of the General Knowledge (GK) Test. Unofficial scores are accepted.
3. Submit a copy of the school district security clearance card (M-DCPS) or badge (BCPS).
4. Attend mandatory meeting to discuss your application, evaluation and student teaching agreement. The meeting for fall internships is scheduled in March. The meeting for spring internships is scheduled in July.
5. Submit the passing score report for the Professional Educator Exam and all sections of the appropriate Subject Area Exam (SAE) prior to the beginning of the student teaching semester.

To comply with the Jessica Lunsford Act, all students completing field and clinical experiences in Florida must be fingerprinted and complete a background check. All requests for placements in Miami-Dade and Broward counties must be accompanied by the district’s required security clearance verification. As part of your student teaching application, you will be required to submit a picture of your valid security clearance card (M-DCPS) or badge (BCPS). Students will not be allowed entry to a school without the district’s required security verification.

For information on how to obtain a security clearance card (M-DCPS) or badge (BCPS), please visit the Office of Clinical Experiences in ZEB 130 or call 305-348-2082.

FIU has resources available to assist students preparing for FTCE exams.

• Submission of the official Florida Teacher Certification Exams (FTCE) score report, showing passing scores on ALL exams, including SAE and Professional Education Exam.
• Completion of all course work in your program. Any exceptions to this must be approved by the Director of Secondary Education.
• Approval of your student teaching application.

1. Register in your assigned student teaching course section.
2. Plan to attend three full days of mandatory orientation at the beginning of the semester.
3. Once you receive your placement information, familiarize yourself with your assigned school.
4. Contactand introduce yourself to your cooperating teacher.

Apply for student teaching at the Office of Clinical Experiences site.

The Office of Clinical Experiences processes and evaluates your application for the semester for which you have applied. Once your application is approved, we contact local schools in or near the zip code area provided on your application and request a cooperating teacher in your discipline.

Cooperating teachers volunteer to host a student intern in their classroom for a given semester. Once you are matched with a cooperating teacher, the Office of Clinical Experiences generates an internship agreement and sends it out to the school for the appropriate signatures. Once the agreement form is returned, signed by the cooperating teacher and principal, we notify you of your placement via email and provide you with your cooperating teacher’s contact information.

Students in their final semester will have the full-time requirement waived for certain types of aid.  To qualify you must (1) be in your final term of enrollment, (2) be enrolled at least half-time, and (3) be eligible to graduate at the end of the current semester based on your current enrollment. The grant(s) will be prorated based on your actual enrollment after the add/drop period. Please contact OneStop for questions about scholarships that require full-time enrollment.