In Texas, participating in field-based experiences is required for teacher candidates enrolled in preparation programs before they are recommended for their intern certificate.
Field-based experiences help aspiring teachers gain practical classroom experience by applying their theoretical knowledge in teaching practice. You gain insights as you assume teaching responsibilities—helping you assess your aptitude for teaching.
In this article, we’ll look at how field-based experiences work in Texas and share tips on getting the most out of your field experience.
What Is Field-Based Experience for Teachers in Texas
Field-based experiences (FBEs) in Texas are introductory classroom experiences (practical, hands-on learning opportunities) for aspiring teachers. To become a certified teacher in Texas, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) requires you to complete field-based experiences. Given new TEA regulations, the number of hours required is based on your enrollment date.
Field-based experiences are designed to help you develop your teaching skills. They include various activities such as:
- Observations– Watching how experienced teachers conduct their daily activities such as classroom management and student engagement.
- Co-teaching– Assisting the classroom teacher with activities such as working with small groups or one-on-one tutoring and supporting group work.
With field-based experiences, aspiring teachers in Texas get to develop practical skills. They become confident in their classroom management skills and learn how to apply pedagogical theories in real-world settings.
Requirements for Field-Based Experience
What Is Field-Based Experience for Teachers in Texas
Field-based experiences (FBEs) in Texas are introductory classroom experiences (practical, hands-on learning opportunities) for aspiring teachers. To become a certified teacher in Texas, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) requires you to complete *30 hours of field-based experiences. Given new TEA regulations, the number of hours required is based on your enrollment date.
| 2017 Rule Set | 2024 Rule Set |
|---|---|
| FBEs | FBEs |
| 30 total clock hours | 50 total clock hours |
| No more than 15 clock hours may be virtual observations and reflections | No more than 25 clock hours may be virtual observations and reflections |
| At least 15 clock hours must be in person and include instructional interactions with students | At least 25 clock hours must be in person and include significant instructional interactions with students |
| Experience as a Long-Term Substitute may receive 15 clock hours of credit for the in-person experience if the service meets qualifying criterion | Field-experiences are structured and aligned to coursework |
| With appropriate documentation, candidates serving as the Teacher of Record, Educational Aide, or Substitute may receive 25 clock hours of virtual observation credit | |
| Experience as a Long-Term Substitute may receive 15 clock hours of credit for the in-person experience if the service meets qualifying criterion |
In addition to the highlights above, here are some additional requirements currently in place for FBEs in Texas:
- The in-person experience must be done under the supervision of a certified teacher and at a public school accredited by the TEA or other approved schools. FBEs must be completed after initial enrollment into an EPP.
- Experience as a Long-Term Substitute may receive 15 clock hours of credit for the in-person experience if the service meets qualifying criterion, including verification of serving as a Long-Term Substitute for at least 30 consecutive days no early than 2 years prior to admission to the program.
- Candidates must complete their experiences in a variety of classrooms with a variety of educators. This exposure helps aspiring teachers learn how to teach students from different backgrounds, abilities, and grade levels.
- Hours must be completed in an authentic school setting and must take place during the school day and the school year and including summer school. Candidates may NOT accumulate hours for professional development, extracurricular activities, workdays when students are not present, and before- or after-school childcare or tutoring.
You must complete your FBEs and other pre-service requirements in order to receive your statement of eligibility which allows you to gain employment and begin your internship.
As an aspiring teacher, field-based experiences present great opportunities for reflection and feedback.
*Texas FBE requirements recently changed based on recent regulation updates as of 9/1/24. All candidates enrolled on or before 8/31/2024 are subject to the current regulations as outlined in §228.43.
How Field-Based Experiences Work at Texas Teachers of Tomorrow
As we’ve seen, FBEs help you engage in hands-on learning. At Texas Teachers of Tomorrow, we help you set your FBE learning objectives and evaluate your performance to ensure you’re ready for your teaching career.
Here are the steps you can take to navigate your in-person FBE hours:
1. Select a school.
Use the list of TEA-accredited schools to select a school and ensure your observations are conducted at an approved campus.
2. Contact the school
Let the school know you are enrolled in an educator preparation program and must complete classroom observation hours as part of the requirements to earn your certification. Ensure you give them the FBE letter in your Intern Portal under the Field-Based Experiences section to confirm your enrollment in Teachers of Tomorrow.
3. Schedule your FBEs.
Before conducting your FBEs, please ensure you will be observing a fully certified teacher in a classroom on a TEA-accredited campus. FBEs must be conducted in a variety of classrooms, grades, subjects, or schools with no more than 6 hours per day and no more than 12 hours total with a single teacher.
4. Conduct your FBEs.
When conducting your FBEs, ensure you are actively engaged in classroom activities. The activities can involve facilitating small instruction time, reading aloud, tutoring one-on-one presenting whole class instruction, practicing classroom management skills; supporting lead teacher instruction, and co-teaching.
Be sure to get the name, phone number, and email address of the educator you observe because you will need to fill in their details when submitting your experiences.
5. Submit your FBEs.
After completing your FBEs, log into the Intern Portal and submit written reflections based on your experiences using the form provided. When submitting your FBEs, keep each written reflection unique, with no copied text from previous reflections. Copied reflections will disqualify your field-based experience and you will be asked to complete another FBE.
6. Follow up on your FBEs.
Once your FBEs are submitted, Teachers of Tomorrow will review your reflection and contact the teacher you observed to verify your time in their classroom. We recommend you let the supervising teachers know we will reach out to them for attendance verification. This will help ensure they are on the lookout for our communication and can respond promptly.
Questions to Answer when Submitting Field-Based Experiences with Texas Teachers of Tomorrow
The following questions must be answered for each FBE you submit with Texas Teachers of Tomorrow. We recommend that you have these questions handy while conducting your FBEs so that you can take notes on each. When it’s time to submit your FBEs in the Intern Portal, each response to the questions below must have a minimum of 700 characters.
- Learning Environment: In the paragraph below, discuss the specific procedures and routines you observed, and how they contributed to the learning environment. Your response should include a description of the physical layout of the classroom, if issues were addressed appropriately, and if the classroom is conducive to learning. Additionally, if you have observed this teacher before, how did they manage the learning environment differently than the first time you observed. Discuss the differences in both teacher and student behavior in the classroom.
- Instructional Strategies: Discuss the strategies the teacher used to meet the lesson objectives for the day you observed. Be specific about what the lesson objectives were and how they were communicated to the students. Please include what specific strategies you observed, how the strategies motivated students, and in what ways you think the teacher met their objectives. If you observed multiple lessons during the day, what unique strategies did the teachers employ to ensure each lesson was effective?
- Assessment and Feedback: Describe both formal and informal assessments you observed today. Make sure to describe the specific feedback you observed including what type of feedback the teacher gave, how timely the feedback was, and how the teacher determined if students mastered the stated objectives of the day.
- Interactive Experiences: Describe the activities in the classroom in which you actively engaged with students in instructional activities. Active engagement includes activities such as working with small groups, working one-on-one with students, reading aloud to the class, leading exercises, etc. Please be as specific as possible. If you observed this class before, how did your participation differ from previous observations?
- Reflection: What is your main takeaway from today’s lesson or lessons? In your answer, include what you observed that you plan to use in your future classroom and what you would do differently.
Using Educational Aide, Paraprofessional, or Long-Term Substitute Experience for FBEs
You may be able to leverage Paraprofessional or Long-Term Substitute experience to fulfill some of your FBE hours.
Educational Aides/Paraprofessionals
- Educational Aides and Paraprofessionals can use their experience ONLY if their experience is assisting teachers and actively engaged with students AND meets current requirements for field-based experiences as outlined above. Each FBE must have an accompanying reflection and may be no more than 6 hours each day.
Long-term Substitute Experience
- Long-term substitute experience can be completed up to 2 years prior to admission and can count for 15-hours of FBE credits. You must have been a long-term sub for 30 consecutive school days in the same assignment and have already completed your 30 consecutive school days prior to submitting your hours. To submit Long-term substitute hours with Teachers of Tomorrow, you can locate a Long-term Substitute Verification Form and instructions in your Intern Portal.
Tips on Having the Best Field-Based Experiences
Field-based experiences give you invaluable opportunities to apply your theoretical knowledge in real-world settings. You get firsthand insights into diverse student populations, teaching methodologies, and classroom management techniques.
When you understand how to prepare for your FBEs, you make your field-based experience exceptional. Here’s how you can have the best field-based experiences:
- Research and understand the context– Research helps you know about the demographics, economic backgrounds, and even cultural aspects of the school community you’ll be conducting the field experience. With this context, you can tailor your observation methods to meet your school’s specific needs effectively.
- Set clear objectives– As we’ve seen, FBEs progressively equip you with different skills. Clearly defining your goals gives you a roadmap for your professional development journey. Objectives help you remain focused, motivated, and accountable making your FBEs impactful.
- Build relationships– Positive relations give you a supportive learning environment where you’ll feel valued and respected. Try and establish good relationships with students, teachers, and administrators.
- Be open to learning– Field experiences are designed to help teacher candidates reinforce different teaching skills and concepts. When you’re open to learning, you’ll have a growth mindset and learn from your successes and challenges, such as feedback from your mentors, peers, and supervisors.
- Reflect regularly– By reflecting, you identify areas where you need to adjust or improve to become a more effective teacher. You need to reflect on your teaching practices, interactions, and student outcomes often.
- Network- FBEs are a great avenue to build lasting professional connections with fellow teachers, mentors, and other stakeholders in education. Be open to making new connections which can become future collaborations in your teaching careers.
- Stay informed about state policies– You need to be aware of and comply with the state of Texas’s latest education policies, curriculum standards, and assessment requirements. This way, your teaching practices will be aligned with the state’s expectations.
Approach Your Field-Based Experiences (FBEs) In Texas More Confidently
Field-based experiences play a crucial role in preparing aspiring teachers to tackle the dynamic challenges of the classroom effectively. You get practical, hands-on learning opportunities by observing, assisting other teachers, and doing solo activities.
The Texas Education Agency has set FBE requirements that ensure teacher preparation takes a progressive approach to comprehensiveness.
As you begin your field-based experience, take time to plan, focus on active engagement, and have a reflective practice to gauge your performance.
We hope this guide helps you make the most of your field-based experiences. Remember, these experiences are your opportunity to shine, experiment, and discover your true potential as an educator.
If you have questions, please reach out to our advisors at teach@texasteachers.org.
