Office of Teacher Education Services and Clinical Practice

You’ll spend 17 weeks in schools serving Native American youth on the Navajo Reservations of New Mexica, Arizona and Utah. You’ll be immersed in culture as you live in Bureau of Indian Affairs dormitories and contribute to after school “dorm life.”

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For more information contact Laura Stachowski.

After completing course and state licensure requirements in an approved placement in Indiana, choose to spend the remainder of the placement overseas in unique settings in England, Wales, Scotland, Republic of Ireland, India, Australia and so much more!

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For more information contact Laura Stachowski.

Have you ever thought about student teaching in a 21^st century school with the United States Department of Defense?  This is an incredible opportunity to work in a collaborative, diverse, and innovative learning environment!  Join us in this partnership for student teaching in Quantico, VA.

What advantages will you have while student teaching in Quantico?

1. Be in close proximity to  Washington D.C.; only 35 miles away!
2. Teach children who are dependents of U.S. military service members and international students.
3. Work with a diverse group of teachers and students on a U.S. Marine base (near FBI headquarters, as well).
4. Have experience working in U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Education Activity schools (PK-12), which may make you more marketable for DoD and other positions in the future. Several student teachers have been offered full-time positions in DoDEA schools across the US and world upon completion of their student teaching and additional teaching experiences.

International programs allow you the opportunity to explore other cultures and the student teaching option with U.S. Department of Defense Schools on the Ramstein, Germany Air Force base is a unique opportunity to explore culture in Europe while teaching American children whose parents are stationed on the base and other locations abroad.

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For more information contact Dr. Rachel Geesa.

A long-standing partnership with Aldine Independent School District allows our students to experience cross-cultural opportunities without leaving the U.S. This diverse school district outside of the Houston, Texas area provides students with unique opportunities to experience successful educational endeavors in challenging circumstances. Our long-standing partnership means that you’ll find plenty Ball State graduates in each building!

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For more information check out the Aldine ISD website.

Check out what is one of our newest partnerships- Spring Branch, Texas. Students heading to Spring Branch Independent School District can look forward to a great deal of support when they are completing their student teaching placement. With weekly meetings and mentoring already in place to support you, you will be free to learn and grow professionally as you work with veteran teachers in the field.

More Information

For more information check out the Spring Branch ISD website.

Ball State University processes background checks through Castle Branch, an accredited background check third party. Students must have a valid background check both in the Ball State System and on their person during each and every field experience. Background checks are valid for one school year and will expire each July. Learn More

Before students will be allowed to enter schools for a field experience, they are required to complete the EduRisk training, “Protecting Minors from Sexual Misconduct”. This training will be valid for all years a student is participating in field experiences and needs to only be completed once. Learn More

Becoming an effective teacher includes demonstrating professional dispositions, which include attitudes, habits of action, and commitments that foster student learning and assist in elevating the education profession, as well as in interacting with families, community members, and colleagues.

The Ball State Disposition Assessment System is a systematic, consistent approach to assessing and supporting teacher candidates’ disposition growth throughout their preparation. This system has two components: (1) a disposition rubric system, and (2) a disposition alert system, which provide opportunities for deliberate feedback and guidance regarding teacher candidates’ disposition development.

• Dispositions Alert System (PDF)
• Developing and Monitoring Teacher Candidates' Dispositions: An Implementation Guide (PDF)

Field experiences are an integral part of undergraduate education. These opportunities for students to engage in real world classroom experiences and work with students in schools are foundational to success in student teaching and beyond. Our office provides logistical support for faculty who assign these experiences as a part of coursework. We coordinate procedures that meet the safety standards of the university and our partnering organizations. Learn More

Student teaching supervisors can turn in your travel log to get reimbursed (at $0.415/mile) for travel done to visit student teachers in the classroom.  In order to get reimbursed for travel, download the attached Supervisor Travel Form and include your home address in line 5.  After date of travel, there will be 30 days to turn in any travel done for student teaching observations to Chloe Thompson. Anything turned in after 60 days cannot be submitted for travel and cannot be reimbursed.

Please reach out if you have any questions or concerns.

Contact: Chloe Thompson, Secretary

• Must have 3 years of teaching experience in their area.
• Must have a valid license in the area of mentorship.
• Must be recommended by their school administrator.
• Must have a mentoring mindset.

The compensation of classroom educators for the mentorship of our teacher candidates is very important to Ball State University. Mentor Teachers’ time and leadership are valued and appreciated in helping prepare every teacher candidate for the classroom. To show our appreciation for that work, we provide a monetary stipend and a Professional Growth Point (PGP) verification letter to Mentor Teachers.

To pay the stipend, Ball State University requires a submitted and signed W-9 tax form correctly by April 15 each year. Instructions are below to submit the W-9. (Burris teachers and/or Ball State Employee’s do NOT need to submit a W-9. Payment for these individuals will be made through the BSU payment system (EPAF).) 

We do our best to communicate the deadline with direct teacher emails, onsite verification with our student observations, communication with our faculty members, and correspondence with district offices, just in case email is blocked or sent to a SPAM folder. Ball State University operates on a fiscal year budget and can only use our funds for the stipend purposes within a defined window. Unfortunately, if the required documents are not submitted by the deadline, we are unable to release the stipend. Payment is typically sent out a few weeks after the semester comes to a close.

Below is information on how to submit your W-9 in order to receive payment for hosting a practicum student. If you have any questions, please reach out to Shelby Harris.

Instructions on how to submit a W-9

1. Complete the highlighted areas only on the W9 form.
2. Save the completed W9 to your computer with the following format:
   Your LAST NAME, FIRST NAME (ex. Doe, Jane)
3. Click this link.
4. Click “Select Files”
5. Find the W9 you completed from your computer and click “Choose for Upload”
6. Click “Upload”

We have a close working relationship with our current representative in the Ball State Career Center. We can help you make a connection to that representative by contacting our office. You can also create an account to post open positions in the Ball State Cardinal Career Link.