After completing required undergraduate and teaching content/method courses, candidates seeking teacher licensure through the Lincoln Memorial University Initial Teacher Licensure programs complete clinical experiences through student teaching and job-embedded pathways.
The candidate's clinical practice replicates the experience of being a teacher while the job-embedded teacher is a licensed college graduate earning licensure while working in the classroom setting. Each LMU student utilizes the support and feedback within their corresponding placement: cooperating teachers for student teachers, and mentors for our job-embedded teachers. These professionals fulfill the mentoring role as they give formative and summative feedback to our candidates so they can minimize and/or correct weaknesses. Candidates hone knowledge, skills, and dispositions in planning, developing, implementing, and evaluating lessons at the K-12 clinical experience sites.
In compliance with Tennessee Department of Education licensure requirements, all clinical experiences must take place in approved Tennessee schools under the supervision of appropriately licensed Tennessee teachers.
Clinical experiences are incorporated into the curriculum using cohorts to provide a way for practitioners to share tips and best practices, ask questions of their colleagues, and provide support for each other. It is through the process of sharing information and experiences with the group that the members learn from each other and have opportunities to develop themselves personally and professionally in their workplace.
