Teacher Candidates

All undergraduate and graduate candidates completing majors in Elementary, Special, and Secondary Education can find all requirements, expectations and mandated evaluation forms here.

Applications For Clinical Placement
Evaluations
Time Logs
Handbook
Substitute Certification
Fingerprinting and Background Check
Teaching in New Jersey
Professional Standards and Accreditation
Teacher Candidate Forms and Links

Applications For Clinical Placement

*Before Applying, please ensure that you meet the proper requirements*

Requirements to Apply to Clinical Practice for Student Teaching (Undergrad)

Requirements to Apply to Clinical Practice for Student Teaching (Graduate)

An email with a link to the correct application will be sent prior to deadlines. However, teacher candidates can always access the applications here:

Teacher candidates must apply for clinical experience the semester prior to the semester for which the placement is being requested. A fall semester placement has an application deadline of March 1st of the prior spring semester. A spring semester placement has an application deadline of October 1 of the prior fall semester.

With the NJDOE two-semester clinical practice requirement, most teacher candidates will be on a Fall/Spring semester rotation. Applications for a fall clinical practice placement are due by February 15th of the prior Spring semester. For those few exceptions on a Spring/Fall clinical practice rotation, applications are due by September 15 of the prior Fall semester.

Evaluations

Clinical Experience and Clinical Practice candidates are evaluated using the Observation and Conference (O&C) Report.

Clinical Practice 2 candidates are evaluated by their clinical supervisors using both the Observation and Conference Report and the Clinical Competency Inventory (CCI).

Both evaluations are submitted using an online form. Click the links below to view a PDF version of each evaluation instrument (for reference only):

Time Logs

Every teacher candidate is required to log their time in the classroom to submit to the Office of Fieldwork & Certification. Cooperating teachers verify the logged time. The teacher candidate is responsible for entering all required hours on time so that they can be approved prior to the provided deadlines.

Candidates in Clinical Experience and Clinical Practice 1 placements log their hours using the Watermark (Student Learning & Licensure) application, which can be accessed via the Canvas course page under Assignments. Instructions are also provided in the Canvas Assignment.

Candidates in Clinical Practice 2 track their time using a PDF timesheet. Please download the PDF here and carefully review the instructions at the top of the page: Clinical Practice 2 Timesheet.

Handbook

The Clinical Placement Handbook has all of the forms, policies, and information you need for yourself, your cooperating teacher, or your clinical supervisor. We strongly recommend you read, print, and refer to the Handbook regularly:

Clinical Placement Handbook

Key Terminology pg.15

Substitute Certification

General Information and Steps

NJEdCert Substitute Certification Application Process Guide

Substitute Certification Packet – Information on Substitute certification from NJ Department of Ed.

Fingerprinting and Background Check

In order to get fingerprinted or have a criminal history check done, you need to go to the New Jersey Department of Education / Office of Student Protection site for fingerprinting and criminal history checks. Most of our partner districts require pre-clinical interns and clinical interns to pass the NJ criminal history check before beginning a placement in a district or school.

Learn more here and follow the directions carefully. The instructions are provided in two formats below: