Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) in Special Education (K – Age 21) Field Experience and Demonstration Teaching Handbook:

Section 3. Field Experiences

Each teacher candidate actively engages in four different types of field experiences: Virtual Field ExperiencesTM (also referred to as VFE®), Early Field Experiences (EFE), Intensive Field Experiences (IFE), and Demonstration Teaching. The three types of field experiences are discussed in this section of the handbook. Demonstration Teaching is discussed in the section that follows. 

These experiences take place across three different levels: primary (Kindergarten through grade 4), middle level (grades 5 – 8), and secondary (grades 9 – 12, including transition programs) to cover the scope of the license. Each candidate will have experience working in mild to moderate settings with students in the following disability categories: autism spectrum disorders, specific learning disabilities, emotional or behavioral disorders, other health disorders, and developmental cognitive disorders. Except for the field experience associated with EDUC 6627 - Foundations of Literacy, each classroom in which a candidate is placed must include at least one student who has special needs.

Virtual Field Experience (VFETM)

VFE® is an organized, purposeful, and thought-provoking experience that allows Walden teacher candidates to see authentic practices demonstrated by teachers across the United States in a variety of real classrooms at multiple levels of learning and with a rich diversity of K–12 students. The VFE® play an important role in the program by offering candidates a guided, focused, and shared experience. The assignments related to the VFE® require candidates to view, discuss, apply, and reflect upon experiences in diverse classrooms in terms of race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, home language, and learning exceptionalities. For each VFE®, there is a standards-based viewing sheet with accompanying guiding questions that help focus candidate attention on crucial aspects of the VFE®. The total time commitment on the part of the candidate for viewing and completing related assignments is between 3 and 6 hours per course.

Early Field Experiences

EFE is a multiweek, part-time classroom-based field experience that takes place during the second and third semesters of the program. The OFE makes all placements for candidates, ensuring that candidates are placed with qualified host teachers. Classroom observations provide the teacher candidate with the opportunity to observe the host teacher working with students across multiple disability classifications. Candidates also implement learning activities that align with their coursework under the guidance of the host teacher. Candidates will be submitting written papers regarding these activities for grading by their course instructor. Candidates complete a minimum of 60 hours of EFE: 15 hours per course. 

Intensive Field Experiences

Intensive Field Experiences take place in the final semester before Demonstration Teaching. The types of experiences candidates will have during their IFEs will be more complex than the experiences they had during their EFEs and will prepare them for Demonstration Teaching during the subsequent semester. During the semester, candidates will complete a minimum of 45 hours of IFEs and will be expected to successfully complete two major assessments: the Individual Behavior Management Project and the Lesson Planning Project. In addition to the two major assessments, candidates will be implementing a series of literacy activities that align with their coursework. These activities and the major assessments will be submitted to the course instructor for grading.

Overview of Field Experience and Demonstration Teaching 

Note: Most courses with classroom-based field experiences are not offered during the summer semester.

The OFE must approve all placement sites. Candidates will be scheduled to complete field experiences in primary (kindergarten through grade 4), middle (grades 5 – 8) and secondary (grades 9 – 12, including transition programs) sites.

Candidates Who Work in an Educational Setting

Candidates who work in an educational setting as a teacher of record or paraprofessional may complete a portion of the classroom-based field experience requirements (early field experiences or intensive field experiences) in classrooms that meet the scope and content area of the program at their place of employment—provided all placement requirements are met and approvals are granted. Candidates in this situation will be assigned a qualified host teacher.

If approved by the OFE and school site, candidates who are the teacher of record can complete up to 45 hours in their own classroom. Candidates in this situation must then work with their assigned host teacher and the academic coordinator or designee to meet the following guidelines: 

• The host teacher will observe the candidate one time per week. These observations should cover a variety of instructional situations and content areas and may be arranged at the convenience of the host teacher. Feedback regarding the lesson observed should be provided to the candidate.
• The candidate will meet with the host teacher at least two times per week for joint reflection and mentoring.
• The host teacher will complete a host teacher evaluation and timesheet for the candidate at the end of the experience.

If approved by the OFE and school site, candidate who are a paraprofessional can complete up to 45 hours in the classroom where they work provided the teacher of the classroom meets the host teacher qualifications. The teacher of the classroom where the candidate is a paraprofessional must be willing to allow the candidate to help plan and teach lessons in order to complete the field experience assignments for the applicable course(s).

Candidates who are approved to complete up to 45 hours in the classroom where they work as either a teacher of record or paraprofessional must complete the remaining field experience hours in a different setting approved by the OFE.

Walden University recommends that all candidates who work in an educational setting contact their district human resources office to discuss the district’s policies regarding employees completing field experience hours. Many districts do not allow candidates to complete field experience hours without using accrued paid time off.

Diversity

Diversity in field experiences is highly valued. Candidates will be placed in sites that meet a range of exceptionalities and meet the program’s diversity criteria in race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, home language, and learning exceptionalities. The OFE will research schools and place candidates in at least one site classified as diverse. In addition, candidates are exposed to a wide range of diverse classroom settings through the VFE® in each course.

Placement Levels

Because candidates will have extensive field experiences with all levels across the scope of the license (primary, middle, and secondary), Demonstration Teaching may take place at any of the three levels. The level at which a candidate completes Demonstration Teaching must differ from the levels at which the candidate completed EFEs and IFEs.

Host Teacher

Host teachers are full-time, licensed special education teachers with at least two years of experience who are responsible for supervising the candidates assigned to them during classroom-based field experiences, both Early Field Experiences (EFEs) and Intensive Field Experiences (IFEs). They provide opportunities for candidates to observe their classroom, complete early teaching experiences, and fulfill their course-based application assignments. Host teachers will be asked to complete an evaluation on candidates’ knowledge, skills, and professional dispositions. They also verify the number of hours candidates spend in the field. Candidates are responsible for submitting an evaluation and time sheet for verification in their ePortfolio.

Placement for field experience refers to the process of locating and securing a site or school, classroom, and a host teacher that meet the requirements for classroom-based field experiences. The OFE at Walden University is responsible for finding and approving all field experience placement sites and host teachers for candidates. To fulfill this responsibility, the OFE collaborates with districts across the United States. 

To be placed in the EFE and IFE placement sites, each candidate must complete a Preferred Placement Form during EDUC 6605 - Teacher as Lifelong Learner and Professional Educator, the first course of the program. The Preferred Placement Form is located in the ePortfolio. Candidates are responsible for researching and identifying their preferred school districts or organizations in their geographical region and listing their preferred school districts or organizations. 

Note: Failure to complete the Preferred Placement Form by the deadline will result in a hold on candidates’ records, preventing them from registering for the subsequent semester, and will delay the candidates’ field experience placement. Once candidates submit the form and a placement is secured, the hold will be removed, and they will be registered for the next semester of courses.

The OFE will attempt to place each candidate in a school district or organization listed on the candidate’s Preferred Placement Form for the EFEs and IFEs, provided the site meets program and field experience requirements. Once candidates are placed, the OFE will email them regarding the placement. All email communication between the OFE and candidates will take place via the Walden email server, per university policy.

Placement notifications from the OFE will include information about any documents the placement site may require, such as a criminal history, sexual offender background checks, proof of immunizations, or TB clearance. Candidates must fulfill these requirements immediately to ensure placement. Failure to fulfill the placement site’s requirements before the experience is scheduled to begin will result in a delayed placement and may require candidates to postpone registration in the accompanying course(s) until the next semester. 

Important notes: Walden University does not guarantee candidates will be placed in a district or organization they have listed as preferred on the Preferred Placement Form. Candidates must accept the placement confirmed by the OFE, or they can choose to defer the field experience courses to a later term. In addition, the OFE reserves the right to change the candidate’s placement site and/or host teacher as needed. 

Walden is committed to providing candidates with resources and support in preparation of field experiences. To help ease anxiety in the field experience process, Walden offers a 0-credit Field Experience Preparation course, a structured experience that guides candidates through the application process and currently available readiness resources. The course is designed to complement other pre-requisite courses needed in preparation for field experiences. There may be reasons why a field experience course needs to be postponed, or the readiness course may not be needed if a field experience opportunity has already been secured. In this instance, students may opt-out of the preparation course. 

Candidates who wish to update their preferred placement to a different location must contact the OFE to do so at least one term before the field placement is scheduled to begin. If the request is not made by the start of the term preceding the placement start date, the candidate may need to drop the associated field experience course(s) for the upcoming term.

Note: If a candidate relocates to another state, the relocation may impact the candidate’s ability to complete field experiences and/or to obtain professional licensure, certification, or other credential in that state. Candidates are advised to carefully review, evaluate, and understand the requirements of the applicable licensure board in the state in which they intend to relocate.

• Candidates are expected to report to their placement site each week. 
• Candidates are expected to create a schedule with their host teacher and notify their host teacher and Walden faculty member if a conflict arises and prevents them from meeting at a scheduled time. 
• While conducting field experiences, Walden’s teacher candidates are considered professional invitees at their approved placement site, and time spent at the site must be focused on completing the field experience and program requirements. Therefore, teacher candidates are not allowed to bring their dependent child (children) or other family members to their placement site during field experiences or DT unless the dependent is an enrolled student at the placement site. If the dependent is an enrolled student at the placement site, the teacher candidate must complete all requirements in a classroom other than the one in which their dependent child is enrolled or in which another family member is present.
• Candidates are required to present themselves in accordance with the Code of Ethics for Minnesota Teachers (Rule 8710.2100) and the Code of Ethics for the state where they complete field experiences during each visit to and in correspondence with a placement site. Review the Code of Ethics in Section 2 of this handbook.
• Professional dispositions, or attitudes, are very important elements in determining a person’s fitness to teach. Host teachers will evaluate a candidate’s professional dispositions toward children and teaching at the end of each field experience. In addition, anyone who interacts with the candidate at any point may file a Professional Disposition Concern Form, should conduct be egregious enough to warrant it.Candidates should review the professional dispositions in Section 2 of this document. Candidates are assessed on these dispositions. The assessment of professional dispositions is further explained in the Candidate Guidebook, as well as on the Professional Disposition Concern Form. 
• If candidates are unable to complete their courses as scheduled and therefore are unable to fulfill the field experience hours for the term, they are responsible for notifying their host teacher, the Walden University Student Success Advising Team, and the OFE.
• Candidates are required to complete the assignments aligned to the field placement.

Major Assessments and Assignments During Intensive Field Experience