Practicum
Practicum is the culminating activity of the ESOL/bilingual endorsement licensure program. It provides an opportunity for candidates to demonstrate knowledge and skill in teaching with English learners as acquired through the program coursework. In order to request an ESOL practicum, you must be admitted to the program, have a full Tk20 account, and have completed all coursework prior to the term in which you want to do your practicum. Many of your questions about the course can be answered by looking at the practicum syllabus.
General practicum requirements
- Register for the 3-credit graduate ESOL practicum course no later than the beginning of the term in which you are completing practicum. No class meetings are held. All required classroom/school activities are completed at your practicum site.
- Hours and students. Spend at least 90 hours of teaching with 6 or more ELLs at the level of your current teaching license. This works out to an average of about 9-10 hours per week. The hours are completed over the 10-week PSU school term in which you are registered. You must keep a record to document your 90 hours (see forms and documents below). For practicum purposes, an English learner is a student actively qualified for and receiving ESOL Services, or a recently-exited student on Monitor Status.
- Where and how to meet hours/students requirements. Complete practicum in your own classroom or in a school/classroom where placement has been arranged for you by the Graduate School of Education’s Field Placement Office. It can take place in a general education classroom with sufficient ELL students, in an ESOL/ELD class setting, or some combination of multiple groups or class periods across your school day that will give you access to the required number of ELLs for the required number of hours. Your practicum supervisor will help to clarify and ensure you are meeting these requirements.
- Cooperating teacher (CT). Partner with a CT who is ESOL-endorsed. If a placement has been arranged for you, you will likely be doing your practicum in this teacher’s classroom. If you are in your own classroom the CT is most often a colleague in your building or district who serves as a mentor/guide for consultation and problem-solving. The CT should observe you informally a few times and provides input to your supervisor for the overall evaluation of your practicum.
- Practicum supervisor. A PSU-assigned supervisor will meet with you and observe you 2-3 times over the term. You will be provided with your supervisor’s name and contact information 2-3 weeks before the beginning of the practicum term. She or he will be in contact with you to arrange an initial meeting and required classroom observations. The supervisor will complete the official evaluation and grading of your practicum work based on a combination of classroom observations and required written assignments. Practicum is graded pass/no pass.
- Classroom work. You will prepare a detailed student profile to include information about each of the 6 English learners in your class. Please do not use the student names; choose a pseudonym or other code to keep the identities of the students private. You will also prepare a set of 3-5 lesson plans, which will include content and language objectives in each lesson. You must also evaluate whether and to what degree your students learned the intended content. Finally, you will write a reflection as you continued your continued opportunities to grow.
- Written assignments. See the syllabus for details and instructions. All written assignments must be submitted via Tk20. Your supervisor will provide guidance and let you know the deadline for submitting the following:
- Student profile (please see details in syllabus)
- 3-5 Lesson plans (please see details in syllabus)
- Reflection (please see details in syllabus)
- Tk20 requirement. An active Tk20 student account is required for submission of your ESOL practicum written assignments. If you do not have a current account, purchase will be required NO LATER THAN THE 5TH WEEK OF THE TERM. The Tk20 use fee is $135.
- Practicum evaluation. Practicum is graded pass/no pass. Your supervisor will base the evaluation on a combination of your observed classroom work and your written assignments. She or he will complete the evaluation within Tk20. Please see the syllabus for detailed information on the rubrics used to evaluate your work.
- Practicum forms and documents. (NOTE—forms are not fillable online)
- Syllabus
- Questions? Please contact your supervisor. She or he will be your guide through the practicum process.
Request a practicum by completing this form one term in advance of when you plan to do your practicum to allow time to arrange for a university supervisor, and for a placement, if needed.
Practicum deadlines
- May 15 for fall practicum beginning late September
- Oct 15 for winter practicum beginning early January
- Jan 15 for spring practicum beginning late March/early April
Teachers doing a practicum in their own classroom must also identify a "cooperating teacher" within their school or district who has held an Oregon ESOL endorsement for at least two years.