COE Teacher Preparation Programs Field Policy* Fall 2023
*This COE policy is subject to change. Please be sure to keep abreast of updates to our UHM and COE policies.
UHM Campus Status: The University of Hawai’i at Mānoa (UHM) will deploy a COVID-19-aware approach to providing a safe, high-quality education for new and returning students, faculty and support staff. Please continue to follow the UHM COVID-19 Guidelines and Personal Safety Practices on masking and other health practices to protect yourself and others from illness. Current updates can also be accessed via COVID-19 Information & Resources.
College of Education
Until further notice the College of Education (COE) is not requiring candidates in field or clinical placements to provide evidence of COVID-19 vaccination or submit a request for medical/religious accommodation. COE candidates placed in some field or clinical settings may be asked by partner schools or organizations to provide evidence of COVID-19 vaccination or submit a request for medical/religious accommodation.
The COE requires candidates in field or clinical placements to follow all partner school COVID-19 policies, and the University of Hawai‘i COVID-19 Guidelines and Policies. Candidates and field supervisors should (a) find out about the specific guidelines at their school site and (b) follow those guidelines.
The COVID-19 Guidelines, effective March 26, 2022 included the following requirement:
- Full or Up-to-date vaccination for employees and students in specific UH programs or courses (i.e., medical, nursing, social work, dental hygiene, allied health, etc.) where they are embedded within partner institutions that require vaccination. Officers will determine which programs may require student, faculty, or patient vaccination status.
Further, partner institutions where field requirements are completed may have specific guidelines for UHM candidates and faculty providing field supervision at their site. Therefore, in order to participate with our partner institutions, individuals will need to adhere to the guidelines that they have specified.
Requirements for Candidates in All Field Courses
Each program Chair, in collaboration with the program faculty and schools, will decide upon requirements for candidates in field experience courses including student teaching or internship. Candidates in field courses may or may not be assigned to work with a mentor teacher and PK-12 students, depending upon the requirements of the program. All field candidates will be given a syllabus reflecting the requirements for their field course. If the program requires, candidates will be expected to complete field experience face-to-face in a Hawai‘i public, charter, or private school with their mentor teacher and PK-12 students. Candidates must follow all school guidelines and UHM safety procedures. These may include:
- Maintain social distancing from all students, staff, and faculty in the schools.
- Wear a face mask at all times when on school site and when interacting face to face.
- Wash hands frequently and/or use hand sanitizer.
- Sanitize your work space and materials frequently.
- Stay at home if you feel sick.
In-person observations of teaching performance will be conducted by University Supervisors; in-person observations may be supplemented by virtual observations at the discretion of the program Chair. In addition to supervisor observations of teaching, candidates may be required to provide videos of their teaching and/or participate in synchronous virtual demonstrations of their teaching. Candidates may be assigned to engage with technologies such as Zoom, Teaching Channel, Atlas, and/or GoReact as part of their field experience course or student teaching/internship requirement.
For candidates who are emergency hires or working in the schools, the requirements of that position may or may not fulfill the requirements of the field course. The UH supervisor will communicate with the candidate and the appropriate school personnel to discuss the requirements of the field course syllabus and clarify expectations for each candidate. School personnel are encouraged to contact their COE liaisons with questions and concerns.
Requirements for Candidates in Student Teaching/Internship Courses
For the fall 2023 semester and thereafter, all candidates shall complete supervised clinical experience in student teaching or internship in a Hawai‘i public, charter, or private school at the appropriate grade level(s) and in the subject(s) for which they are seeking licensure. Candidates in student teaching will be assigned a mentor teacher as appropriate in a PK-12 classroom setting with whom they will work, as is standard practice. The student teaching requirements and placement for each candidate will be approved by the program Chair in consultation with the program faculty. Candidates will be expected to fulfill requirements by working face-to-face (in-person) in schools with their mentor teachers and PK-12 students, following all Hawai‘i public, charter, or private school guidelines and UHM safety procedures.
Teacher candidates completing student teaching will follow the work expectations of their mentor teacher and the university supervisor, to include face-to-face instruction of PK-12 students. For those in an internship, emergency hire teaching position (on-the-job, OJT), the university supervisor and/or coordinator will be communicating with each OJT candidate and with the school principal in order to approve the placement as satisfying COE student teaching requirements. OJT candidates must be completing internship in a Hawai‘i public, charter, or private school at the appropriate grade level(s) and in the subject(s) for which they are seeking licensure. OJT candidates will be performing the expectations for their hired position, as determined by the school principal. For the purposes of the COE internship experience, each candidate will be provided with a syllabus to follow reflecting their internship requirements. The UH supervisor will communicate with the appropriate school personnel to discuss the requirements of the syllabus and clarify expectations for each candidate. School personnel are encouraged to contact their COE liaisons with questions and concerns.
Any exceptions to the above policy must be approved by the program Chair in consultation with the Interim Associate Dean.
