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College of Education & Human Sciences Teacher Preparation Field Experience:
Early Field Experiences

Overview of Early Field Experiences

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

Your teacher preparation program contains four Early Field Experiences courses. Each Early Field Experience course requires a minimum of 25 hours of observation and/or teaching activities in schools near you. Walden University’s Office of Field Experiences (OFE) coordinates your Early Field Experience placements for you; you must complete your Early Field Experience hours with the host teacher(s) and classroom(s) assigned by the OFE.

You must submit an Application for your Early Field Experience courses in your first professional core course. The application is located in Meditrek.

Field Experience Preparation Course

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.

Getting Started with Meditrek, your ePortfolio system

Meditrek, a product of HSoft Corporation, is the user-friendly ePortfolio tool that you will use to apply for and track your field experiences.

Meditrek Tips & Tricks

Try these top tips & tricks to login into Meditrek!

  • Make sure you are using the correct link: https://edu.meditrek.com/
    • Don’t forget to include the ‘edu.’ before typing meditrek.com or the login will not be successful.
    • Please note that there is no ‘www.’ in the link; if you include ‘www.’, the link will not work.
    • Do not use www.meditrek.com.
    • Do not do an internet search or “google” to find Meditrek as it may bring you to the incorrect site.
    • After logging in successfully, please bookmark the site for future use.
  • Remember the password is case sensitive. Don’t forget to capitalize when needed!
  • Try a different browser!
    • Meditrek is compatible with the following browsers:
    • If you utilize Internet Explorer, there may be issues with the local security system. If you use Microsoft Internet Explorer or Edge, you may have to click “Use Another Account” or “More Choices” at the bottom of the sign-in frame, to force it to provide you with an edit box for your Meditrek username.
  • Using a work computer? There may be a firewall or another security mechanism preventing you from logging on. Try your personal computer.
  • Please note that mobile devices and tablets may not be compatible with the Meditrek system.
  • Try restarting your browser; close all tabs and windows and start the login process from scratch.
  • Disable any pop-up blockers on your browser.
  • Make sure there are no spaces or punctuation in your username or password textboxes.
  • If you have tried to copy and paste the username and password in the textboxes, try typing the username and password directly into the textboxes manually.

Submitting an Early Field Experiences Application

You are required to submit an Early Field Experiences application during your first professional core course, EDUC 2405/6405 The Professional Educator. The OFE will review the information you submit. If you do not submit the Early Field Experiences application a hold will be placed on your record. The hold will prevent you from being registered for the next term of courses and will delay your program.

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: Early Field Experience Preferred Placement Form

Video: Candidate Agreement

Video: Plan of Study

Video: Professional Liability Insurance

Waiting for Your Early Field Experiences Placement Confirmation

The OFE will begin coordinating your Early Field Experience placements 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 Early Field Experiences. 

Upon receiving your Early Field Experiences Placement Confirmation

Depending on your program and start date, you will be assigned to at least two different classrooms for your Early Field Experiences. You will be notified of each Early Field Experience placement.

  • Once you receive your first Early Field Experience placement, contact your assigned host teacher to introduce yourself and set up a schedule. 
  • Communicate with the OFE if anything changes or if you are unable to complete your Early Field Experience hours with your host teacher, as assigned.
  • Wait for confirmation of subsequent Early Field Experience placements. 

Previewing the Activities you will complete in your Early Field Experience courses

Click on the links below to review the Summary of Weekly Activities you will complete in each of your Early Field Experience courses. Share the applicable documents with your assigned host teacher(s).

Elementary Education Courses

EDUC 3062/6062

EDUC 4070/6070

EDUC 4071/6071

EDUC 3066/6066

 

Special Education Courses

EDUC 3062/6062

EDUC 4083/6083

EDUC 3084/6084

EDUC 4085/6085

Being Successful in your Early Field Experiences

  • Regularly communicate with your host teacher and inform them if you are not able to visit their classroom on a day you had previously arranged to attend.
  • Start completing your hours at your approved field experience placement site and with your assigned host teacher. 
  • Log the hours you complete each week on the appropriate timesheet in Meditrek.   
    • Watch this quick video on how to do this in Meditrek
  • Advise your host teacher to log into Meditrek to sign off on your timesheet and host teacher evaluation for each Early Field Experience course.
  • Communicate with the OFE if anything changes or if you are unable to complete your Early Field Experience hours with your host teacher, as assigned.