Clinical Educator Resources
Overview
Clinical educators serve a critical role in the development of teacher candidates. Through your mentorship and care, your teacher candidate will see the theories and pedagogy central to teaching in your content and level come to life in your classroom. By committing to the development of a teacher candidate, you are providing a critical service to the field of education and shaping its future.
In addition to the important information shared on this webpage, the URI College of Education will offer a Clinical Educator Training every fall. At this training, clinical educators, university supervisors, and URI faculty will have the opportunity to engage in important conversations regarding mentoring and supporting teacher candidates. All clinical educators are required to attend this training.
While the information shared on this webpage is geared towards clinical educators who are mentoring residents, we hope that this information will be helpful to clinical educators who are hosting practicum and final internship students, too.
Please reach out to the Office of Clinical Practice and Partnerships (ote@etal.uri.edu) with any questions.
Terms
Clinical Educator: A clinical educator is a professional teacher who is a strong model of stellar teaching practices. The RI Statewide Partnership Document outlines the requirements for clinical educators. Formerly known as cooperating teachers.
Final internship: A final internship is a culminating clinical experience that likely requires a minimum number of hours in the classroom each week, as well as a set schedule for assignments, teaching observations, and evaluations. A limited number of programs offer the final internship.
Practicum: A practicum is a field experience with required weekly hours that range from 3-6+ hours per week during the academic year. Practicum courses are typically also connected to one or two methods courses for the purpose of putting theory into practice.
Residency: This is the culminating clinical experience, where theory meets practice. Residents gradually assume complete responsibility for their students and classrooms. The residency experience spans the full academic year and is 2-3 days a week in the fall and is a full time, 5 days/week placement for the spring semester. The residency experience is similar to the student teaching experience.
Resident: A resident is a URI student who has been fully admitted to the URI College of Education and is ready to complete the final clinical placement for their teacher preparation program. A resident has experience with writing and teaching whole group and small group lessons, collecting data to inform instruction, crafting assessments, and positive classroom management (might vary slightly by program).
Teacher candidate: A teacher candidate is a URI student who has been fully admitted to the URI College of Education and is taking courses in their teacher preparation program. They are likely completing practicum experiences in preparation for the residency.