Residency I & II

About Residency

Residency is the time when teacher candidates have opportunity to display and strengthen their commitment to the personal and professional qualities included in the Conceptual Framework of Clemmer College. Teacher candidates are guests in the school systems where they are working; however, they have much to offer and can contribute greatly to the learning community.

Each mentor and building principal, in accepting a candidate for placement, should become familiar with these guidelines. Residency is a highly regulated professional year and failure to follow guidelines could jeopardize documentation required for a teacher candidate’s application for a teaching license. The Residency experience is guided by principles and strategies prescribed by current research and theory in pre-service teacher education. This important experience is supervised by qualified university faculty members and Mentor Teachers, referred to as mentors. The roles and responsibilities of the teacher candidate, mentor, and supervisor are described in the Handbook. The Handbook also outlines procedures and policies for East Tennessee State University candidates and the personnel supporting them. Careful review of the Handbook before the beginning of Residency II will help create a positive, professional experience.

It is critical to view the Residency experience as a professional growth process. It is one more step on the life-long journey of becoming a professional educator. Like all learners, teachers will enter this experience at various developmental stages, but all teacher candidates will have completed content specific curriculum and methods courses related to their endorsement area. Additionally, some will have had experience working with children in a school setting, while others’ experience will have been limited to the required pre-Residency field hours.

Candidates are assigned to one or two mentors in accredited PreK-12 schools. Mentors are master teachers and important components of this culminating education experience. They provide models of effective practice, caring professionalism, and critical thinking. They also provide resources, and support and evaluate the teacher candidate.

Pre-Residency

Pre-Residency teacher candidates meet and work with their mentor teachers in partner school systems prior to Residency I. Pre-Residency includes a 50-hour field component and additional coursework. The start date for Pre-Residency varies by school system and is designed to put teacher candidates into classrooms before the beginning of school in late July/early August.
Residency I

Residency I candidates meet and work with their mentor teachers in partner school systems during the fall semester prior to Residency II. Residency I includes a 135-hour field component and additional coursework. Residency I candidates learn school and classroom demographics and policies while getting to know students and their academic curriculum needs. Candidates can also provide individual attention and tutoring to students as needed. Candidates will have the opportunity in Residency I to practice the skills and knowledge connected with their coursework. Coursework will include classroom management, co-teaching and other instructional strategies. During Residency I, candidates will complete field hours as well as classroom courses at ETSU.
Residency II

The Residency II semester must be a minimum of 15 full weeks of observation, teaching, and co-teaching. This semester must include a placement in at least two different settings. The amount of time spent in each setting will vary with the candidate’s area of concentration. When not directly teaching, teacher candidates should be assisting and observing in classes, with one period per day being reserved for preparation time and time to collaborate with the mentor teacher. State regulations prohibit taking additional course work during Residency II (student teaching). Under extreme circumstances, students may be allowed to take one course with approval from the Dean. Additionally, any employment that conflicts with the 15 weeks of Residency II is prohibited. Students may not receive payment for any service rendered during their Residency assignment. Teacher candidates may not serve as substitute teachers during Residency II, unless participating in specific partnership programs.

See the video below for more information about the Clemmer College Educator Preparation Program!

Residency Seminar  Seminar is a class that meets one evening per week during Residency I and Residency II. During seminar, the components of the edTPA will be reviewed, completed, and submitted for grading. The edTPA is a nationally normed, performance-based assessment for pre-service teachers (See page 29 in the Handbook for additional details on the edTPA).