College of Education & Human Sciences Teacher Preparation Field Experience:

Demonstration Teaching

This page provides an overview of your Demonstration Teaching experience and includes the actions you must complete in order to successfully apply for and complete the experience. You can use this page as a resource and checklist as you progress through this portion of your teacher preparation program.

Demonstration Teaching (DT) is typically the last course you will take in your teacher preparation program. The course requires a face-to-face experience that consists of 12 weeks of full-time teaching in a classroom that is aligned to the scope and content of the licensure area you are seeking. During this experience, you will work with a qualified cooperating teacher who will mentor you on a daily basis and will conduct four formal observations of you. You will also work with a university supervisor who will formally observe you four times, along with your cooperating teacher. Together, they will provide actionable feedback to you throughout the experience.

Note: Candidates who intend to teach in certain states may be required to complete more than 12 weeks of demonstration teaching.

You must submit an Application for Demonstration Teaching approximately 7 months before you will be scheduled to begin the experience. The application is located in Meditrek.

To help ease your anxiety in the field experience process, Walden offers a 0-credit Field Experience Preparation course and a 0-credit Demonstration Teaching Preparation course. These courses are structured experiences that guide you through the application processes and currently available readiness resources. The courses are designed to complement other pre-requisite courses you need in preparation for field experiences. There may be reasons why you need to postpone a field experience course, or the readiness course may not be necessary if you have already secured a field experience opportunity. In these instances, you may opt out of the course.

You are required to submit an Application for Demonstration Teaching approximately 7 months before you will begin the experience. The application deadline is listed in your Field Experience and Demonstration Teaching Handbook. The OFE will verify the information you submit.

The application is submitted in Meditrek and includes multiple forms to complete and documents to upload. 

Important Notice: If you began your teacher preparation program in Spring 2025 or earlier, you will complete your Early Field Experience Application in TaskStream instead of Meditrek.

Watch this Tutorial Video on Submitting the entire application in Meditrek

If you prefer to watch videos on how to submit each component of the application, click on the appropriate video(s) below.

Video: Candidate Information

Video: Demonstration Teaching Preferred Placement Form

Video: Candidate Agreement

Video: Professional Liability Insurance

The OFE will begin coordinating your Demonstration Teaching placement after you submit your application. While you wait to receive your placement confirmation(s) you should; 

• Monitor your Walden email and Meditrek account for updates. 
• Promptly provide any additional information required by the OFE or potential placement site. 
• Communicate with the OFE if there are any changes that may impact your upcoming Demonstration Teaching experience.

During this time, we also encourage you to engage with some professional preparation resources that may be required of your Demonstration Teaching site. You may be required to submit a resume and/or interview with a teacher or administrator before they will consider approving you to complete Demonstration Teaching at their school. Now is the time to prepare: review talking points, apply interviewing strategies and best practices, and refine your resume to highlight applicable skills.

The following resources can guide you in these areas:

• Professional Preparation for Field Experience course
• Example Resume: Elementary Education
• Example Resume: Special Education
• Example Cover Letter

You will receive an email when your Demonstration Teaching placement has been confirmed. Once you receive your placement:

• Contact your assigned Cooperating Teacher to introduce yourself and set up a schedule.

• Contact your University Supervisor.
• Communicate with the OFE if anything changes or if you are unable to complete your Demonstration Teaching placement with your Cooperating Teacher, as assigned.
• Your Academic Coordinator will be in communication with you as the experience approaches and will invite you to a required orientation.

• Be open in communication with both your Cooperating Teacher and University Supervisor.
• Take advantage of the opportunity to learn from your Cooperating Teacher and attend the same hours each day as them.
• Log the hours you complete each week on the Demonstration Teaching Timesheet in Meditrek.
  • Watch this quick video on how to do this in Meditrek
• Advise your Cooperating Teacher to log into Meditrek to sign off on your timesheet weekly.
• Reach out right away if you have any questions.