Clinical Practice
What to Expect for Your Clinical Practice Experience
Logistics of Clinical Practice at Cal Poly
Yearlong clinical practice
Divided into two terms: Clinical Practice I (CPI) and Clinical Practice II (CPII)
- Teacher candidates are enrolled in coursework in addition to clinical practice (~3-4 courses for CPI and ~2-4 courses for CPII)
Coteaching During Clinical Practice
Both cooperating teacher (CT) & teacher candidate (TC) are engaged in student learning through coplanning, coinstructing, & coassessing
Reflective dialogue & collaboration leads to the professional development of BOTH teachers
You can explore our coteaching videos and tools for more information, but we will send out newsletters specific to each stage of the coteaching model throughout clinical practice
Focused Observation Protocol
The School of Education follows a prioritized skills approach:
A university supervisor observes on 6 occasions per term
Each observation focuses on specific skills & becomes more comprehensive from term to term
Please see the Focused Observation Protocol for more detailed information
Observations are guided by an observation form & rubric & include a post-observation conference for the teacher candidate to self-reflect on strengths & areas of growth
To learn more, check-out the observation forms and resources, including these three screencasts: Overview of Focused Observations, Clinical Practice I, and Clinical Practice II
Clinical Practice & Coursework
Teacher candidates will apply key learnings from their courses in clinical practice. Occasionally, candidates will be required to video record their teaching in clinical practice – both for edTPA and also for course assignments (e.g., for the Literacy Instruction Portfolio).
Specifically, to meet the new Teaching Performance Expectation, TPE 7: Effective Literacy Instruction for All Students, teacher candidates will practice and receive feedback on specific components of literacy instruction.
- For example, all teacher candidates must be able to employ evidence-based means of teaching foundational reading skills to all students, including tiered supports for students with reading difficulties, emergent bilinguals, and students with exceptional needs.
