Field Experiences

At Rockhurst University, you will engage in field experiences early and often throughout your academic career. As a pre-service teacher in the School of Education, you will log approximately 20 hours per semester in a variety of urban and suburban schools with diverse populations. Conducted during the day to match school site hours, these experiences will help you develop strategies for communication and curriculum and assessment, as well as classroom management, in preparation for your profession as a teacher.

Field observations are a vital and mandatory component of your pre-service teacher program. These observations offer you direct contact with schools and students throughout your coursework so you are aware of the demands and responsibilities of a classroom teacher, as well as the differences in schools and students, prior to student teaching. Field experiences are designed to give you a broad perspective of socioeconomic classes, diverse student populations, varying instructional strategies, and developmental differences in grade levels.

Student Teaching

After completing a variety of field experiences, students culminate their experience through a 12 credit hour professional student teaching semester. Students are placed in accredited Missouri and Kansas metropolitan area schools. Graduate students who are already under contract with an accredited school may complete their professional semester of student teaching while under contract, providing they are teaching in their certification area and grade level.

The duration and design of the field experiences depend on the student's certification area. Our Office of Field Experiences is available to work with students individually to help make the most out of these teaching opportunities.

For more information about field experiences or student teaching, contact Janet Spallo Mitchelson, director of field experiences, at 816-501-4352 or janet.spallo@rockhurst.edu.