Field Placement FAQ

All students will participate in three different types of field placement:

• Pre-Practicum
• Practicum
• Student Teaching/Internship

The number of fieldwork courses that you take and when you take them is dependent on the program that you are in. To check which courses fit your program, check your academic plan created with your Academic Advisor or follow this link: Field Placement – College of Education (mercer.edu)

Apply for fieldwork here: Field Placement – College of Education (mercer.edu)

You must apply during the application windows. If you miss the application window, you may not be able to get a placement.

• Applying for Summer and/or Fall Fieldwork: February 1^st – 28^th/29^th
• Applying for Spring Fieldwork: September 1^st – 30^th

If the application is not working (during the open window), try the following:

1. Ensure you are logged in through your Mercer account Click Here
2. Clear your internet cache
3. Use Google Chrome
4. Reach out to tifttechsupport@mercer.edu

The Office of Field Placement will request a placement confirmation from the school/district listed on your application. Please reach out to the Office of Field Placement with any questions or concerns regarding your placement, not the school districts. You will receive your confirmed placement by:

• All summer placements are virtual and do not require confirmations.
• Fall placements are sent to you between July and early August.
• Spring placements are sent to you between November and early January.

Field work expectations are to apply for the fieldwork course aligned with your program plan, communicate clearly with your Cooperating Teacher/University Supervisor, show up to your placement on time, be in your placement for the correct number of hours, dress and behave professionally, and keep up with emails from the Office of Field Placement. Students are also expected to have Tort Liability Insurance, a GaPSC Certification, and an Anthology account (if applicable) by the start of classes.

More detailed expectations will be shared at the start of your field placement course by your University Supervisor.

Some Pre-Practicum courses are offered virtually:

• ELAD285: This course is offered as an 8-week summer course with online modules. Your Academic Advisor will let you know if you can participate in this version of the course.
• EDUC399: This course is offered as an 8-week fall/spring course with online modules. This course is offered virtually for RAC students only.
• EMAT601: This course is offered as an 8-week summer course with online modules. This course is for students currently employed in a school (paraprofessional or teacher) or students with substantial classroom experience. Your Academic Advisor will let you know if you can participate in this version of the course.

Yes, you can still complete fieldwork courses if you are employed as a parapro, long-term substitute teacher, or lead teacher in a school, as long as you are in a classroom that matches your certification area and you have the ability to teach lessons to the whole class of students. For example, a Middle Grades Science major can work in a 6^th grade science classroom. You may need to seek different employment or adjust your program in the following circumstances:

• Daycares/Childcare Centers: Only students who are enrolled in the Early Learning and Development Undergraduate program can be employed in a daycare or childcare center for their placements. Any Elementary Education student employed in a Pre-K classroom needs to ensure that the Pre-K is part of an elementary school/school district.
• Special Education Classrooms: There are no programs currently offered at Mercer that support student field experiences in Special Education classrooms. Interrelated, adapted curriculum, or MID classrooms are generally not accepted for field placement.
• Non-Accredited Schools: We work with many public and private schools throughout the state. In order for a private school to be used for a field placement, they have to meet certain accreditation requirements.
• Classroom Setting Differs from Certification: If you are not in a classroom that matches your certification area, you may either need to seek different employment or change majors. For example, a Secondary Biology major cannot log field placement hours in an 11^th grade Physics classroom.

If you are unsure that your employment meets the requirements for field placement, please reach out to tiftfieldplacement@mercer.edu with your name, major, employment location, job title, subject, and grade!  If you are offered employment in a school and want to verify that the job will satisfy our field placement requirements before you accept the job, please feel free to contact us with similar details and we can make that determination for you.

If your classroom setting is appropriate, you will log all of your fieldwork hours within your own classroom(s). You will be assigned a Cooperating Teacher (CT) from your school who can come observe your teaching 2-3 times per semester, sign off on your hours, and act as a mentor to you. Your CT will be assigned by your school administration/district.

Tort Liability Insurance is mandatory insurance that would provide you legal representation should legal actions ever be brought against you in an education setting while you, as a student, are completing a Mercer University field placement course. This is not health insurance. The Office of Field Placement does require proof of tort liability insurance before allowing you to participate in field placement.

You can obtain  tort liability insurance simply by becoming a member of the Georgia Association of Educators (GAE) or the Professional Association of Georgia Educators (PAGE). You are only required to apply for “Aspiring Educators/Student” insurance, but are welcome to join professionally for a cost if you are employed in a school.

Anthology is a cloud-based, online e-portfolio system for students, Cooperating Teachers, and University Supervisors to track hours, lessons, and observations during field placements. You are required to have an active Anthology account before the start of classes for the following courses:

Undergraduate

• MUS215/216
• EDUC298/398
• EDUC399 (Face to Face version ONLY)
• EDUC313A/B
• EDUC480
• EDUC485/488
• EDUC492/498
• EDUC496
• ELAD285 (Face to Face version ONLY)
• ELAD487
• ELAD489/490

Graduate

• EMAT601 (Face to Face version ONLY)
• EMAT608/609
• EMAT611/612

If you are unsure which field placement course you are participating in, please check your program plan, check with your Academic Advisor, or reach out to tiftfieldplacement@mercer.edu

For further directions on purchasing, renewing, or setting up Anthology, follow this link: Anthology (formerly Chalk & Wire) – College of Education (mercer.edu)

Prior to starting your first field experience, teacher candidates seeking initial teacher certification must apply and receive approval for a pre-service certificate from the Georgia Professional Standards Commission GaPSC office.

If you are employed in a school and already have a provisional or waiver certificate, this will be sufficient in place of a Pre-Service Certificate. Your provisional/waiver certificate is required to be up to date.

A Paraprofessional Certificate, Clearance Certificate, and/or certificate that does not match your program of study will not be acceptable and a Pre-Service Certificate will be required.

For instructions, follow this link and scroll down to “Pre-Service Certification”: Field Placement – College of Education (mercer.edu). You may also reach out to Mrs. Carlene Sherman, Director of Candidate Program Progression, at sherman_cs@mercer.edu for further assistance.

University Supervisors and Cooperating Teachers are assigned to you by the Office of Field Placement to facilitate your field experience. The University Supervisor (US) is your professor for the course and will come observe you approximately 2-3 times during the semester, grade your lessons, and help guide you through the course. The Cooperating Teacher (CT) is a teacher or admin in your school who is highly qualified to observe your teaching, sign off on your lessons/hours, and act as a mentor to you. The CT is assigned by the principal of the school and approved by the district HR.