School of Education Internships

The School of Education is committed to the ideal that schools are the best place to learn about teaching.

Clayton State University has existing partnerships with eight local county school systems in the Atlanta metropolitan area in order to provide unique and diverse experiences for Clayton State University students. The county school systems are Clayton, Dekalb, Fayette, Fulton, Henry, Rockdale, and Spalding. The Unit also has partnerships with several charter schools including Kendezi, Utopian, and Hapeville Charter. The Director of Field Experiences and Clinical Partnerships oversees all candidate placements, field experiences, and internships in p12 schools.

Upon completion of degree certification programs, our candidates will have spent more than 700 hours in internships and field experiences in schools applying their knowledge and skills, and they will have demonstrated proficiency in pedagogy and content knowledge.

The most comprehensive field experience courses will be the practicum and internship courses completed during the senior year. During senior year, candidates will engage in more complex interactions that start with observations and students assistance to leading mini lessons and culminating in the full-time teaching experience in the spring of senior year. A matrix has been uploaded that details some of the activities candidates will engage in with these classes and how candidate performance will be evaluated.

Candidates are required to complete experiences with diverse student populations spanning p12 classrooms, and including ESL, special needs, and gifted/talented students. These experiences include interactions with students of diverse characteristics including a range of socio-economic, cultural, and racial backgrounds from across the metro-Atlanta area.

Faculty /Mentor Qualifications

Candidate Support Team

The Candidate Support Team will help the candidate identify appropriate placements and include that in their plan. Candidates will use the Field Experience Log in LiveText to track their field experiences and make sure they are getting a variety of experiences at the appropriate levels according to plan. The Director of Educational Field Experiences will examine the results of the log to ensure candidates stay on track with their placements selections.