Placement Information & Requirements
On-line Placement Arrangement form (coming soon)
Second Year Intermediate-Senior
Third Year Intermediate-Senior
Out of Province Experiences in Schools Placement
Requesting an Extension of Experiences in Schools Placement (PRAC)
District School Board Protocols
Police Check
Deadline: May 30, 2008
All teacher candidates enrolled in any Ontario Faculty of Education must have a police record check before they can enter into schools in Ontario for their Experiences in Schools placement. The Ontario Education Services Corporation (OESC) has been authorized by the four Ontario school board associations (public school boards, Catholic school boards, French school boards, and French Catholic school board) to conduct the required criminal background check. A Police Check from a local Police Department will not be accepted.
Candidates should apply to the web site below no later than 30 May 2008 to ensure that their criminal background check has been carried out in time to receive their *ID card prior to entering schools. Candidates will not be allowed to start their placement if they do not have their OESC ID card.
A Police Check is only valid for one year (September 1 - August 31) and must therefore be done each year.
*Candidates apply for the 'ID card' and not the 'written report' to work with children in schools for their Experiences in Schools placement.
Candidates must have their ID card by their first class in September. (Second Year Primary-Junior candidates are asked to bring their ID card to the Practicum Office in September for verification.)
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First Year
First year candidates must complete the equivalent of two full weeks of teaching in Ontario, spending half the time in a Primary/Junior (JK – 6) setting and the other half in an Intermediate (grade 7 or 8) setting.
By the end of first year, candidates must select either the Primary/Junior route or the Intermediate/Senior route (Candidates wishing to change from one division to the other after their first year may apply for permission to do so.)
Candidates in First Year must complete the PRAC 111, Experiences in Schools I in first year. Under no circumstances can a candidate defer PRAC 111 to the second year.
Board Protocol must be adhered to in arranging any practicum placement. Boards indicating EDU as their protocol, must be arranged through the Practicum Office. Once a placement has been confirmed, it is a commitment.
Requirements for Experiences in Schools I
- To assist the classroom teacher in one-on-one or small group situations. Teacher Candidates are not expected to teach formal lessons.
- Teacher Candidates will make observations of three students, one of whom is a student with special needs. These observations will then be given to the Host Teacher and discussed.
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Second Year
Second year candidates in Primary/Junior must spend the equivalent of three full weeks in a Primary/Junior (JK – 6) setting, including contact with a special needs student. The placement must be in the same school with the same Host Teacher.
Board Protocol must be adhered to in arranging any practicum placement. Boards indicating EDU as their protocol, must be arranged through the Practicum Office. Once a placement has been confirmed, it is a commitment.
Requirements for Experiences in Schools II Primary-Junior
- To assist and observe.
- To plan and teach three lessons on the same topic or be responsible for the setting up, introduction and monitoring of two learning work stations.
- To prepare a simplified IEP on a specified student.
- Teacher Candidates will make observations of three students, one of whom is a student with special needs and discuss with the Host Teacher.
- Three lesson plans will be discussed with the Host Teacher.
- The simplified IEP will be discussed with the Host Teacher.
Second year candidates in Intermediate/Senior must spend the equivalent of three full weeks in an Intermediate (grade 9/10), setting with at least one class at the applied/essential level. The placement must be in the same school with the same Host Teacher(s).
Board Protocol must be adhered to in arranging any practicum placement. Boards indicating EDU as their protocol, must be arranged through the Practicum Office. Once a placement has been confirmed, it is a commitment.
Requirements for Experiences in Schools II Intermediate-Senior
- To assist and observe.
- To plan and teach three lessons on the same topic or be responsible for the setting up, introduction and monitoring of two learning work stations.
- To prepare a simplified IEP on a specified student.
- Teacher Candidates will make observations of three students, one of whom is a student with special needs and discuss with the Host Teacher. Three lesson plans will be discussed with the Host Teacher.
- The simplified IEP will be discussed with the Host Teacher. Strategies will also be discussed to enable applied/essential students to succeed in a school setting.
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Third Year
Third year candidates in Primary/Junior must spend the equivalent of three full weeks in a Primary/Junior (JK – 6) setting. Normally a placement with special needs students is recommended. The placement must be in the same school with the same Host Teacher.
Board Protocol must be adhered to in arranging any practicum placement. Boards indicating EDU as their protocol, must be arranged through the Practicum Office. Once a placement has been confirmed, it is a commitment.
Requirements for Experiences in Schools III Primary-Junior
- To assist and observe.
- To plan and teach five lessons on the same topic or be responsible for the setting up, introduction and monitoring of three learning work stations.
- To prepare a simplified IEP on a specified special needs student.
- Teacher Candidates will make observations of five students, two of whom are students with special needs and discuss with the Host Teacher.
- Five lesson plans including accommodations and reflection will be discussed with the Host Teacher.
- The simplified IEP on a special needs student will be discussed with the Host Teacher.
Third year candidates in Intermediate/Senior must spend the equivalent of three full weeks in an Intermediate/Senior (grade 9 – 12) setting. Normally a placement with special needs students is recommended. The placement must be in the same school with the same Host Teacher(s).
Board Protocol must be adhered to in arranging any practicum placement. Boards indicating EDU as their protocol, must be arranged through the Practicum Office. Once a placement has been confirmed, it is a commitment.
Requirements for Experiences in Schools III Intermediate-Senior
- To assist and observe.
- To plan and teach five lessons on the same topic or be responsible for the setting up, introduction and monitoring of three learning work stations.
- To prepare a simplified IEP on a specified special needs student.
- Teacher Candidates will make observations of five students, two of whom are students with special needs and discuss with the Host Teacher.
- Five lesson plans including accommodations and reflection will be discussed with the Host Teacher.
- The simplified IEP on a special needs student will be discussed with the Host Teacher.
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District School Board Protocols
Candidates arranging an Experiences in Schools placement in an Ontario school (excluding private) must check and adhere to the Board Protocol for the board in which you want to complete a placement.
Out of Province Experiences in Schools Placements
Candidates can complete one of either the second or third year Experiences in Schools out of Ontario (including out of country). A Pre-Departure Orientation Workshop and the Off-Campus Activity Safety Policy (OCASP) form must be completed and approved prior to leaving the country for a placement.
Any placement days completed without OCASP approval and Pre-departure completion will not be counted toward the fulfillment of the "PRAC" course requirements.
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Pre-Departure Orientation Workshop
Candidates going out of the country (including the US) must take the Pre-Departure Orientation Workshop.
*It is the responsibility of the candidate to ensure they meet all entry requirements for the country in which they plan to complete the Experiences in Schools placement.
Candidates who arrange an Experiences in Schools placement out of Canada or in the far-north must take a Pre-Departure Orientation Workshop/Session.
Queen's
- Pre-Departure Orientation Workshop Queen's University International Centre (QUIC)
Trent
- Pre-Departure Orientation Session Trent International Program
Off-Campus Activity Safety Policy (OCASP)
Candidates who arrange an Experiences in Schools placement out of the country or in the far Canadian north must complete the on-line 'Off-Campus Activity Safety Policy' (OCASP) (form One). For liability purposes, you must indicate clearly on the OCASP form, the dates for your Experiences in Schools placement and, the dates you will be in the country for personal reasons.
- OCASP PowerPoint Presentation A PowerPoint presentation on how to complete the OCASP form is also available.
- Two examples of what a completed form might look like:
- OCASP Form - Example # One - (37.9 KB PDF)
- OCASP Form - Example # Two - (48.1 KB PDF)
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Extension of an Experiences in Schools Placement (PRAC)
Candidates in First Year cannot request an extension of the Experiences in Schools I placement (PRAC 111). Candidates in Second or Third Year have the option (only as a last resort) to request an extension of the Experiences in Schools Placement.
Request for an extension of any of the Experiences in Schools is not recommended. Candidates who are granted an extension of the Experiences in Schools placement (PRAC course) have one calendar year from the original completion date, in which to complete the placement. The original completion date of any Experiences in Schools course is April 30.
Candidates must be registered in an Experiences in Schools course (PRAC) in order to request an extension. Candidates should register for the Experiences in Schools course in the academic year in which they intend to complete it. Candidates who have registered for a second or third year (PRAC) course, then because of circumstances must request an extension must:
Send an email from your Queen's account to the Practicum Office, stating that
- you would like to request an extension of the PRAC course to to the next year
- provide all reasons for requesting the extension of this course and why you did not plan accordingly to complete the placement requirements in the current academic year
- contact Jamie Wright, the Concurrent Education Assistant, to understand how the extension of your PRAC course will affect your academic progress in the Concurrent Education Program.
Candidates who are granted an extension of the third year PRAC course must understand that this course is a final year requirement that must be completed by second Friday in May of the year in which you intend to enrol in final year Education. Specifically state how you plan to meet this deadline.
Your request will be reviewed and a decision will be made based on the explanation you provide in your email. The Practicum Office decision will be relayed to you as soon as possible. Once an extension has been granted, you must complete an 'Incomplete Grade Statement'. This form is available in the Practicum Office.
