ELEF - Elementary Education Florida

This course introduces resident teacher candidates to the roles and responsibilities of classroom teaching before they enter their school site in a Teacher Residency program. The course orients resident teacher candidates to the education profession through the exploration of teaching identity and the study and the application of curriculum and instruction. Candidates gain an initial understanding of how the students, families and community impact the learning environments and explore relevant teaching and pedagogy.

Resident Teacher Practicum is a course of directed observation and participation in a residency setting aimed at providing a variety of in-depth experiences prior to student teaching. The course integrates field-based experiences with on-site seminars for teacher candidates who are working full-time as teachers or assistants in a classroom. The course advances candidates' engagement in the profession through study and application of instruction to support the learning of individuals and groups and their understanding of environments that encourage learners and collegial relationships in the school. The minimum number of field experience hours is forty (40) and will follow a progression from observing in classrooms to teaching a class. Candidates culminate their practicum by planning five sequential lessons and teaching 3-5 of these sequential lessons in at least one class.

This course concludes the pre-service professional development of resident teacher or alternative pathway candidates concerning the roles and responsibilities of teachers. It combines university seminars and field experiences. The focus of student teaching is to provide active engagement with a cooperating teacher and his/her students. The course increases the candidates' involvement in the profession through study and application to support the education of individuals and groups of learners. Candidates advance their understanding of environments that encourage a community of learners and collegial relationships in the school. Field experiences related to Florida Reading Endorsement Competency 5.