Student-Teacher Programs

Program Information

Student-teachers are a pipeline from which we hire our new teachers. Through the student teaching experience, we want these future educators to develop purpose, commitment, and a service-minded disposition for our school community. We need to ensure we give them not only an excellent placement with a highly qualified mentor teacher but a purposeful and meaningful student teaching experience as a whole. Instead of just student-teacher placement from the district office, SBCUSD has developed a student-teacher program, ensuring both student-teachers and Student-Teacher Mentors have access to training, workshops, information and resources throughout the placement to ensure an excellent and comprehensive fieldwork experience. Student-teachers are then offered a district interview immediately after the successful completion of their fieldwork experience. 

Types of Placements

Student Teaching Placements

(Placed by Employee Development)

A student teaching fieldwork placement consists of a student-teacher being placed in a Student Teacher Mentor’s classroom for 14-18 weeks (depending upon the university program). Student-teachers are enrolled in university credential programs and must do their fieldwork in a Student-Teacher Mentor's classroom. All student teaching placements must go through the Employee Development Department Student-Teacher Program.

Early Fieldwork Observations 

(NOT placed by Employee Development)

Some universities have a requirement for their student-teachers to complete observation hours. For instance, in the CSUSB teaching credential program, students are required to observe in a classroom for one semester (or 96 hours). A credential student can go to the school site with a letter from the university credential office, indicating they need to observe in a teacher’s classroom. The student-teacher should have all the paperwork ready to show the principal, such as a certificate of clearance, TB test, and fingerprints. The principal can assign the student to a teacher’s classroom to observe. This is not considered a student-teaching placement and should be handled through the school site. 

Undergraduate Student Observations 

(NOT placed by Employee Development)

Many times undergraduate students need to observe in classrooms. Should an undergraduate student need to observe in an SBCUSD classroom, the student should determine the school site where they would like to do the observations. The student would need to fill out the volunteer application form and send it to the school police department. The school police will do a ‘soft’ background check and then send an email to the principal, indicating that the student is cleared to do observations. (This student is not in a credential program, and would not have a certificate of clearance, fingerprints, or TB test; hence the need for the soft background check.) This is not considered a student teaching placement and should be handled through the school site. 

SBCUSD Student-Teacher Placement Process

• Student-Teacher Mentor Interest Survey goes out to all district teachers before the semester begins. 
• All eligible teachers have the opportunity to fill out the survey if they are interested in supporting a student-teacher for the next semester. To be eligible, teachers must have 3+ years in the district, meet or exceed on evaluations, a clear credential, and have administrator approval). 
• Interested teachers at sites where placement is needed are sent an email asking if they will accept a student-teacher in their classroom as per the survey.
• If they agree, administrators are sent an email to approve the placement (if the administrator does not approve the placement, the student-teacher is placed elsewhere). 
• When placement is approved by the administrator, an official email is sent to the mentor teacher with all information (admin is cc'd)
• Dates of placements are university-dependent.