Clinical Practice
The Office of Teacher Education & Clinical Practice facilitates well-planned, quality experiences for College of Education, Music Education Division (of the Rudi E. Scheidt School of Music), Art Education, Physical Education Teacher Education and English as a Second Language teacher candidates. The staff is responsible for coordinating all field experiences, Clinical Teaching Semester placements, yearlong Residencies and other related Teacher Education events.
View the OTECP Clinical Handbook >
Undergraduate/Graduate Observation and Pre-Residency
Field experiences allow teacher candidates to enter a school setting for classroom observation and initial interactions with students as they practice novice instructional skills. Field experiences begin early in the candidate's curriculum prior to his or her Clinical Teaching Semester or Residency Year.
Residency
The year-long Residency is the culminating experience for undergraduate teacher candidates, as they apply their learning with the guidance of a mentor teacher (MT). MTs are selected in collaboration with partner schools and have demonstrated excellence by scoring a 3, 4 or 5 on the TEAM/TEM evaluations or acceptable performance on their school’s equivalent evaluations.
Clinical Teaching
The Clinical Teaching Semester is the culminating experience for graduate teacher candidates as they apply their learning with the guidance of a mentor teacher. The Clinical Teaching semester is a hands-on, participatory experience that brings theory to practice.
Mentor Teachers
Mentor teachers prepare our teacher candidates for the classroom by providing them with opportunities for observation and guided practice. The benefits of becoming a mentor teacher include:
- Coaching the next generation of teachers
- Professional Development Opportunities
- Stipend for mentoring Residency and Clinical Candidates
If you are interested in becoming a mentor teacher, please email tecp@memphis.edu for more information.