Field Blocks
Block Descriptions
You should meet with an academic advisor to identify the blocks required in your degree program.
Early Childhood Education (ECE) Block
The early childhood block of courses is designed to give preservice teachers the opportunity to explore early childhood teachers, students, families, and society in the United States and Texas. The goal is to assist EC-6 teacher candidates by providing tools for thinking about the teaching profession critically, holistically, philosophically, and creatively.
In this block early childhood teaching is approached on two levels: Practice and Theory.
Two courses work tightly together so that preservice teachers can understand the ways in which our profession is situated in society; philosophically, politically, culturally and socially, and to explore meaningful ways to design learning environments that capitalize on students' culturally-learned skills, problem-solving abilities and their natural ability to play with ideas, the materials of the physical world and with one another.
English as a Second Language (ESL) Block
The ESL Block addresses the rationale, history, and philosophy of ESL education and examines how cognition, culture, language, motivation, and self-concept mediate the learning process for individuals learning English as a second language. The block includes content, methods, and materials of elementary ESL classroom instruction. The block focuses on teaching the curriculum and providing strategies and materials for meeting the needs of English Language Learners.
(EC-6) Elementary Level Education Field Experience (Block)
The nine-hour EC-6 field-block is an integrated holistic experience that will better prepare teacher candidates for the complex task of educating children. The block integrates instruction in three teacher preparation courses through the following themes: effective teaching strategies, reflective teaching, lesson planning, assessment, effective classroom management, and meeting diverse student needs. RDG 3320 must be taken alongside the Elementary block.
(EC-6) Bilingual Level Education Field Experience (Block) I and II
Both 12-hour blocks provide practical classroom experiences that prepare future bilingual teachers for the complex task of educating emergent bilingual learners. Each block is intended to be one phase in the teacher candidate's career-long path of professional growth and development. In addition to spending time in the Texas State classroom, students are also assigned to a bilingual classroom at a designated elementary school during each block. Students in this program are required to speak, read, and write academic Spanish.
(4-8) Middle Level Education Field Experience (Block)
The purpose of 4-8 Field Based Block is to give teacher candidates an integrated experience that introduces them to all that occurs in a school. The block integrates instruction across content areas. Teacher candidates begin learning how to teach, assess and manage middle school students. The candidates also learn about other supports and activities that occur in a school setting outside the classroom. The primary goal is to assist teacher candidates in becoming self-directed learners, reflective teachers, and a community of learners.
(8-12) Secondary and Fine Arts Secondary Level Education Field Experience (Block)
The purpose of the field-based block is to give teacher candidates a global experience that introduces them to all that occurs in a school. The teacher candidates begin learning how to teach, assess, and manage high school students. The teacher candidates also learn about other supports and activities that occur in a school outside the classroom.