Clinical Teaching

Background Checks

COEHD courses that involve field experience require that a criminal history check be conducted before students are allowed to participate in or obtain class credit for field-based assignments.

If you have ever been arrested, it is very likely that the arrest(s) will appear when your background check is run. Unless you have had an arrest expunged from your record, it is still visible even if you were a minor at the time of arrest, the charges were dropped or you were never convicted. Therefore, it is very important that if you have ever been arrested that you review the links below for more information about:

• How arrests can impact your ability to become a certified teacher
• Background Check Addendum
• Criminal History Pre-Screening Link

Make sure you check your UTSA student email constantly. Important information will be sent via email with regard to your background forms and field placements. It is your responsibility to continuously monitor your student email!

Contact

Dr. Youmna Dbouk
Director of Clinical Professional Experiences
Office of Professional Preparation & Partnerships
youmna.dbouk@utsa.edu

Clinical Teaching Policy

Clinical teaching is the capstone experience of the Educator Preparation Program. It is a semester-long Traditional Clinical Teaching (TCT), Yearlong Professional Experience (YLPE), or a Residency Year Long Clinical Teaching (YLCT) opportunity to enact teaching knowledge and skills under the supervision of a clinical/mentor teacher and a university supervisor. We also offer the Signature Residency Yearlong Clinical Teaching, where we partner with a number of school district on strategic staffing.

TCT candidates are placed in a classroom for a full semester, five days a week. YLCT candidates are placed in a classroom for two consecutive semesters, for three days per week, where they gradually assume the duties and responsibilities of a classroom teacher. YLPE candidates complete 1 semester with their mentor teacher(s) as a Preclinical field experience student, and 1 semester with the same teacher as a Clinical teacher candidate. Candidates who are part of a Signature Residency also fulfill additional responsibilities according to district expectations (e.g., substitute, release time, etc.).

The TCT or YLCT experience is a unique opportunity to develop and strengthen teaching knowledge, skills, and dispositions to become familiar with all facets of the teaching profession. See the Educator Preparation Program Clinical Teaching Pathways Table 7 on page 48, for a breakdown of the pathways.

It is expected that the clinical teaching component of the certification program will be completed through UTSA.

Criteria for Acceptance into Clinical Teaching

Teacher candidates must meet the following requirements to enter clinical teaching:

• Admission to the Teacher Certification program
• Completion of all prerequisite courses, including completion of the Professional Education coursework
• A 2.75 cumulative grade point average on all college work applied to the degree plan
• Attempt TExES content test; students are highly encouraged to pass the real exam before clinical teaching.

Clinical teaching applicants should consult their assigned advisor or certification specialist and their catalog for specific details regarding their eligibility.

Applying for the Clinical Teaching Semester

A required meeting is held early in the semester prior to beginning clinical teaching to explain the application process and procedures. Clinical teaching application information is provided, and questions are addressed to facilitate the submission of the clinical teaching application. The meeting dates, times, and location are announced on the Clinical Teaching Website,the preclinical field experience Canvas page, and an email from the program.

Application Deadlines

If an applicant does not meet the criteria for acceptance to the clinical teaching program, they will receive an email denying the application. Denial emails will be sent after the semester's close before the clinical teaching semester. The email will explain the reason why an applicant has been denied clinical teaching. Teacher candidates may contact their academic advisor with any questions regarding their denial notification.

Placing Candidates

UTSA works with the Human Resources Departments of partner school districts in the San Antonio area to secure clinical teaching placements. Placements are not available in private schools, parochial schools, or charter schools. At the Clinical Teaching Information Session, clinical teacher applicants will have access to the online application, which contains a list of available school districts and will be asked to indicate their school district preferences.

Clinical teachers will meet with the Director of Professional Clinical Experiences prior to beginning the clinical teaching experience. At that mandatory meeting, clinical teaching placement information, including the name of the assigned school and cooperating teacher, will be provided. The time and place of the meeting will be shared by email.

To complete clinical teaching, candidate criminal background checks are conducted by the school districts. Candidates who experience rejection by the school districts due to their criminal history may not be able to complete the program. The decision to attempt to place the candidate in more than one district is at the discretion of the Director of Professional Clinical Experiences.

Requirements for Clinical Teaching

The traditional (TCT) and yearlong clinical teaching semester(s) (YLCT) are a full-time commitment. Clinical teachers who commit themselves only to clinical teaching have a more successful semester than those who are obligated to jobs and other classes. Clinical teachers are expected to be available during daytime hours, which correspond to those of public schools, approximately 7:00 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday beginning with the first day of class. Clinical teachers are also expected to attend evening events like PTA meetings and school-sponsored weekend activities like fairs and athletic/music events.

Please note that Fall field experience candidates scheduled to complete clinical teaching in the Spring (see TAC §§228.35(e)(4)) are required to complete 5 hours—Start of School Experience during the first two weeks of classes. For example, if the school district’s academic year begins August 10, you will have to complete and document these 5 hours within the first two weeks of the school which it may occur before the official start day at UTSA.

Clinical teachers are strongly discouraged from working and/or taking additional classes during the clinical teaching semester(s), except for YLCT. Under no circumstances will Traditional Clinical Teachers be permitted to enroll in additional coursework during the one-semester clinical teaching that exceeds six semester credit hours or in classes that meet during the regular instruction day. Students doing YLCT should only enroll in up to 13 hours in Semester 1 or Semester 2. Students wishing to take more hours in a semester should get appeals form from their advisor, then complete the COEHD appeals process. Under no circumstances will clinical teachers be allowed to take more than 16 hours in the clinical teaching Semester 1 or 2.

Clinical teachers will also be expected to attend weekly seminars. These will be scheduled weekly in a hybrid classroom/online format to include asynchronous content and synchronous meetings.

Conditions for Completion of Clinical Teaching

Successful completion of clinical teaching is a condition for meeting teacher certification requirements. Teacher candidates may attempt clinical teaching a maximum of two times. If the teacher candidate does not successfully complete the second clinical teaching experience, the candidate will not be eligible to enroll in clinical teaching a third time and will be referred to the Fitness to Teach Council. The teacher candidate may appeal to the Fitness to Teach Council to be reinstated only in the case of documented extenuating circumstances.

Source: UTSA Teacher Preparation Program Handbook

Clinical Teaching Dress Code Policy

Dress and grooming of any UTSA student doing any type of observation in a local school campus shall be clean, neat, and in a manner appropriate for their assignments.

Students are guests at a school and should dress in accordance with being a representative of the University of Texas at San Antonio. As university students, the dress code will exceed that of the students at the school where you are placed and can be described as "dress business casual."  

Remember: Every day in your clinical teaching placement is a job interview!

Appropriate dress for men:

• Slacks, dress pants and/or khakis. No sagging or baggy pants. No jeans/denim or shorts.
• Polo shirts, button down and dress shirts. No T-shirts.
• Shoes: loafers or dress shoes. No sandals or flip-flops.

Appropriate dress for women:

• Slacks, dress pants, and/or khakis. No jeans/denim or shorts.
• Dresses and skirts must fall at or just above the knee.
• Polo shirts, button-down and dress shirts. No T-shirts, exposed midriffs, strapless, low cut tops, tank tops, halter tops or see-through clothing.
• Shoes: loafers, dress shoes, heels, or dressy sandals. No flip flops.

Further Detailed Dress Code Items:

• Clothing with inappropriate advertising or statements that are offensive or inflammatory (alcoholic beverage, sex, tobacco, drugs, gang, satanic, promoting violence, etc.) are prohibited.
• Pants shall be worn securely at the waist. Excessively worn and/or frayed jeans or other pants are prohibited.
• Body piercing ornaments and other simulated ornaments will be worn on the lower ear lobe only.
• Displaying tattoos and similar body painting(s) that promote violence, reflect gang activity, and that are considered to be offensive and inflammatory are prohibited.
• Hats, caps, or other head apparel are prohibited.
• Hair must be neat and clean. Unconventional colored, multi-colored, spiked or Mohawk hairstyles are not permitted.
• Body piercing jewelry is prohibited except for rings, studs or other traditional jewelry worn in the ear. Tongue rings and tongue studs are not permitted.

As future educators, you should dress for success every day. Clinical teaching students should always consult with the principal or their mentor teacher regarding the established dress code for their particular assigned school. Dress codes vary by district and it is the responsibility of the student to ensure their dress falls within the guidelines established by their assigned school.

School Partnerships

UTSA has a successful field-based teacher preparation program for undergraduates seeking teacher certification. The success of our program rests largely on mutual collaborations established among the university and the surrounding school districts. UTSA is currently partnering with the local school districts and other organizations.

School Districts

• Boerne ISD
• Comal ISD
• East Central ISD
• Edgewood ISD
• Harlandale ISD
• Judson ISD
• Medina Valley ISD
• North East ISD
• Northside ISD
• San Antonio ISD
• Southwest ISD

Office of Financial Aid Clinical Teaching Information

• Download Powerpoint

The State of Texas Says:

• UTSA may only allow 6 hours of credit for clinical teaching
• 6 hours = Half-time status

FAFSA Requirements

• Enrollment on the FAFSA must be at half-time status
• If the FAFSA was submitted with a different enrollment status, come by Enrollment Services to fill out an Enrollment Change Form
• FAFSA is available at https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa
• The Enrollment Change form is located under the Forms section on the Student Financial Aid and Enrollment Services website

Grants

• Half-time enrollment will result in the loss of the Texas Excellence Grant Students are required to be enrolled in 12 hours and 9 hours, respectively, to continue receiving these two grants
• Other Grants will be pro-rated and payout at half the total amount

Loans

• Loans must be pro-rated at 25% of the yearly award
• 6 hours ÷ 24 hours = 25% (24 hours = Full-time Academic Load based on annual Cost of Attendance)
• Stafford loans are only prorated during the Fall term and they are prorated based on 24 hours
• More information on Stafford loans.

Financial Aid - Clinical Teaching Educational Loan Forgiveness Program

The Clinical Teaching Educational Loan Forgiveness Program was established to help clinical teachers with expenses during the extremely important semester(s) of clinical teaching. All clinical teachers are eligible to apply. Priority will be based on financial need and critical shortage field status. Critical shortage fields are deemed by the state to be Bilingual Education, English as a Second Language (ESL), Languages other than English, Mathematics, Science, and Special Education.

A completed application must be uploaded to the Clinical Professional Experiences rolling Blackboard, by the appropriate deadline:

Spring Semester- March 15 ^th

Fall Semester- October 15 ^th

Download Application Here: Clinical Teaching Educational Loan Forgiveness Program Application

For further information, check the UTSA One Stop website:
https://onestop.utsa.edu/financialaid/types/loans/

Scholarships

• Most donors are understanding about part-time status
• Letter from Academic Advisor detailing clinical teaching requirements
• Letters are turned into the awarding source: (General Scholarships Office of Student Financial Aid; College or Department; Outside Donors)
• Donors may payout in full or pro-rate the award

Loss of Income

• If you decide not to work while clinical teaching, fill out the Loss of Income Form
• Financial Aid will compare income from last year with the current year
• Loss of Income Forms are located under the Forms section on the Student Financial Aid and Enrollment Services website

Education Loan Forgiveness Program

• Read the Education Loan Forgiveness Program fact sheet distributed by the Office of Clinical Teaching
• Submit application ASAP to Dr. Youmna Dbouk at youmna.dbouk@utsa.edu

Contact Information:

The University of Texas at San Antonio
Office of Student Financial Aid and Enrollment Services
One UTSA Circle
San Antonio, TX 78249
(210) 458-8000
1-800-669-0919
financialaid@utsa.edu