Student Teaching, Internships

Grounded in theory, research, and best practices, this innovative, field-based teacher preparation program integrates pedagogical coursework with content-specific courses into a full one-semester student teaching experience. Field-based experiences are based on the Scholar-Practitioner Curriculum Model developed by public school and university faculty. During your academic program you will have opportunities to demonstrate professional knowledge, skills, and dispositions in authentic settings with guidance and support from an instructional team.

Description of Student Teaching

Filling out blue cards early 2013Student teaching consists of a semester-long internship at a Northwest Arkansas public school in a secondary (grades 7-12) setting. During this semester, the student is enrolled in CATE 406v Teaching Internship (12 credit hours) and CATE 4051 Lab Management and CATE 4041 Seminar.

Students begin their preparation for the student-teaching semester (always the spring semester) when they enroll in CATE 4013 Teaching Strategies. To fulfill requirements of CATE 4013, students must practice-teach four lessons under the supervision of the public school teacher with whom they will be placed for student teaching.

The student-teaching semester provides opportunities for students to observe, plan, and present lessons in a secondary-school setting and receive feedback from university supervisors and experienced master teachers.

The Student-teaching Handbook (PDF) is designed to serve as a guide for the student-teaching experience and to provide information common to all areas of specialization. You will receive supplemental program-specific information as appropriate throughout the semester. Always feel free to contact me or a member of your instructional team whenever you have questions or need additional information.

Observation Hours, Requirements in CATE Courses

  • CATE 3103 — Professionalism. Observe 15 hours. Collect information for portfolio. (3 credit hours)
  • CATE 4013 and 5013 — Teaching Strategies. Teach 2 lessons in the fall; one in October and one in November. Planning for these lessons will require collaboration with the mentor teacher. Hours vary. (3 credit hours)
  • ​CATE 4023 — Classroom Management. 15 hours of field experience with mentor teacher required. (3 credit hours)
  • CATE 4033/5033 — Assessment. No documented field experience required. (3 credit hours)
  • CATE 4052 — Seminar. No internship hours are associated with this course. (2 credit hours)
  • CATE 406x — Teaching Internship. This is the student teaching section. 30-40 hours per week are required in the public school for the entire semester. (12 credit hours)
  • CATE 5016 — Teaching Internship. This is the graduate level student teaching section. 30-40 hours per week are required in the public school for the entire semester. (6 credit hours)

Student Teaching Fee — CATE 406V — Teaching Internship — $100

Evaluation Forms to be Completed by the Mentor Teacher and University Supervisor

Mentor Teacher — completes one observation Long or Short Form, one Summative Evaluation, one pre observation form, one post observation form, and one evaluation of the program (to be uploaded later).

University Supervisor — completes three Formative Observation Long or Short Forms, 3 pre-observation forms, 3 post-observation forms and one Summative Evaluation

Student Teacher — completes one Summative Evaluation as a self-assessment and mentor teacher evaluation form (to be uploaded later)

Forms (PDFs)

Betsy Orr, Ed.D.
Associate Professor of Career and Technical Education
Career and Technical Education Program Coordinator
315 Peabody Hall
479-575-6430
borr@uark.edu