Field Experiences and Student Teaching

The location of Messiah College affords great opportunity for students to observe and teach in a wide variety of school settings. Within easy drive of the College are numerous suburban, rural, and urban school districts. The Teacher Education Program regularly places students in as many as twenty different school districts each year and enjoys positive, collaborative relationships with these districts.

Each teacher education student has three or more placements in public school settings during the four-year program. An attempt is made to have placements in varied settings. Every effort is made to provide the teacher education candidate with opportunities to work with students at various grade levels within the certification range of the program.

Assignments

All arrangements for placements in school settings are initiated and secured through the Office of Field Placements.  Students and faculty should refrain from attempting to negotiate placements on their own. Official placements are the responsibility of the Office of Field Placements and the designated school district representatives. Students with special requests/suggestions regarding their placement should convey those to the Director of Field Placments in writing. Even though such a request will be considered, there is no guarantee that students will be placed in the exact setting requested. Placement for student teaching will not be made in the district from which a student graduated or a site of an earlier field experience to complete student teaching.

Transportation

Students are responsible for their own transportation to and from field experience and student teaching sites. No College transportation will be available to students who are enrolled in field-based courses or student teaching. In early courses, students are placed with car pooling possibilities in mind. During student teaching, most students find it beneficial to have their own means of transportation, even if car pooling may be possible. Note the link on the left under Quick Links for directions to field experience sites.

Health Requirements

State law requires that all school personnel be tested for tuberculosis, either by a Mantoux PPD or a chest X-ray. TB screening can be conducted at the College Health Center for a small fee, or you may have it completed by your physician. Evidence of a negative test result must be turned in to Health Services in order for you to be permitted to visit in schools. You should expect to renew this TB screening on a yearly basis while you are involved with field based courses (usually sophomore, junior, and senior years).

Suggested Immunizations:
It is highly recommended that students who plan to become teachers be immunized against Hepatitis B.

Student Responsibility

Any time you leave campus in the role of a teacher education student, you are a representative of Messiah College and the Teacher Education Program.  It is expected that you will always use common sense, courtesy, and good judgement in any professional setting.  Any behavior or act that might be perceived by the college and/or the school district as unprofessional, inappropriate, or otherwise questionable may be cause for your removal from the experience and/or the Teacher Education Program.  As a guest in the school setting, you are expected to represent yourself and the college well by:

1. Remembering that you are a visitor in the school and should behave at your personal/professional best.
2. Being punctual, reliable, and responsible when you are expected to be somewhere or do something. Attendance is required when you are scheduled to be in the school setting. If you are too ill to attend, you must notify your school and your instructor/supervisor in advance of absence.
3. Demonstrating interest, courtesy, and appreciation for the expertise and opportunities made available to you through your host school; you must be awake, alert, attentive, and congenial.
4. Presenting yourself in appropriate professional attire (good personal hygeine, clean, wrinkle-free and appropriate, modest clothing and accessories suitable to the role of teacher - no jeans, shorts, t-shirts, sweatshirts, spandex/lycra form-fitting clothing, or tennis shoes).
5. Indicating your professional manners in all situations including sending a written note of thanks to a school professional following your period of visits.
6. Be prepared, with original documents, to verify all required clearances (PA Child Abuse, PA Criminal Record Check, FBI Background Check) and current TB screening results as required by the assigned school district.

Restrictions

Students will not be eligible for enrollment in any EDU or major-specific field-based course beyond EDUC 210 unless they are admitted to the Teacher Education Program (APC-1994).  Students will not be eligible for enrollment in any Teacher Education Program course with a field-based component if they are in violation of the Good Moral Character standards.

No students will be eligible for enrollment in any Professional Semester course unless first admitted to the Professional Semester and approved for student teaching.