410 S. 3rd Street River Falls, WI 54022 Phone: (715) 425-3774 Fax: (715) 425-0622

Field Experience Frequently Asked Questions

1. Where do I find the forms my cooperating teacher must complete for my field experience placement?
   
   Many of the forms and other necessary information are linked to this web site. Forms that are not on this site can be obtained through your instructor.
   
   
2. May I make my own field experience placement?
   
   Undergraduates and some graduate students are not permitted to make their own placements. All placements are made through the Field Experience Office.
   
   
3. A teacher in my hometown has asked me to work with him/her. May I work with this teacher?
   
   We avoid placing students in their hometown. Not only do we want to avoid any potential conflicts of interest, we also want to make sure that every student has the opportunity to experience a variety of placements. (This is a state requirement.) Allowing students to return to their hometown does not provide for that variety. Students have the option of volunteering in any school, and with any teacher, but those hours are not recorded, nor counted, toward the field experience requirements.
   
   
4. I’ve received my placement, but have no idea where the school is located. How can I get directions to the school?
   
   This site has a link to “Map Quest.”[external link] Simply click on the link and provide the necessary information. “Map Quest”[external link] will provide you with directions.
   
   
5. I’ve called the school to arrange my schedule of visits, but the Principal (or teacher) never returns my call. What should I do?
   
   Although many principals and teachers welcome us into their schools, we are still guests at their discretion. It is not their responsibility to contact you to make arrangements for classroom visits, so do not expect them to return your call. They may not have even received your message. Simply call the school and ask the secretary about begriming and ending times for the school day, and when the individual teacher has a planning period or lunch. Once you have that information, be sure to call back at the appropriate time.
   
   
6. It is almost mid-term and I still haven’t been able to talk to the person I was told to contact. Now what do I do?
   
   If you have tried repeatedly to reach the teacher or administrator, please have your UWRF professor/instructor contact the Field Experience Office and we will attempt to make contact, or find another placement. If you haven’t bothered to try to make arrangements, we will cancel the placement and you can complete the experience during a subsequent semester. (This may mean an “I” for the course, and postponing your student teaching semester.)