Field Experiences
After the first week of classes on campus, MIT students are placed in a two-week observation in a classroom in the Puget Sound region. Following the two-week observation, students return to campus for reflection and discussion about their experience. Following this experience, MIT students are placed in pairs in partnership schools for a peer coaching field experience in which they observe and teach three separate weeks throughout the quarter.
During the second quarter of the program, MIT students begin to participate in their student teaching setting while attending classes on campus. Integrating the teaching internship with on-campus classes allows the prospective teacher to integrate theory and practice. MIT students are placed in teaching internships located within a 30-mile radius of campus. Prior to being assigned to a classroom, students are interviewed by the cooperating teacher. The teaching internship continues into the third quarter of the program. Additionally, MIT students participate in service learning at school sites and in a focused field experience in a middle school setting. Approximately 50% of the MIT program occurs in field settings.
TEED 510: The Teacher as a Reflective Decision Maker
MIT students are assigned to observe and participate in an elementary, middle, or high school for seven or eight days. Observations are guided by a set of questions designed to lead the MIT student in reflection on instructional decisions based on the nature of the school, the community, the individual classroom, and the students in the classroom.
TEED 523: Middle School Field Experience/Seminar
This field placement provides the opportunity for a range of experiences in a middle school. Students observe and participate in middle school classrooms for two full days. An MIT graduate at each school coordinates field experiences, orients MIT students to the middle school and conducts a seminar. Reflection in the field is guided by research and information on best practices provided in an on-campus seminar.
TEED 513: Peer Coaching Field Experience
Pairs of MIT students are assigned to a cooperating teacher and have opportunities for participation in instruction supported by peer coaching. Three separate weeks of full-time field experience are supported by classroom preparation and reflection in the elements of instruction in week one, classroom management in week two, and teaching diverse learners in the final week. MIT students teach lessons during each week and receive both formal and informal feedback from the cooperating teacher.
TEED 528/529: Teaching Internship
The teaching internship extends across two blocks of the MIT program. During Block II, MIT students are in the classroom with the cooperating teacher one day a week for focused observations. During Block III, MIT students are in the classroom full time for twelve to fourteen weeks and gradually assume full-time teaching responsibilities. The cooperating teacher and university supervisor formally observe teacher interns using the “Performance Based Pedagogy Assessment of Teacher Candidates.” Students are expected to successfully meet the demands of the classroom and the competencies required by the program and for certification by the State of Washington.