Teaching English Language Learners
Through our leading ELL program, we train linguistically responsive teachers and policymakers who understand the needs of learners in increasingly multicultural and multilingual classrooms.
Student Teaching
The Lynch School partners with a range of urban and suburban public, private, parochial, and charter schools in Greater Boston—empowering students to apply their skills in dynamic classroom settings. In the process, they gain teaching experience and learn how to thrive in an increasingly diverse education environment.
Student teaching opportunities include:
- Field placements for pre-service candidates
- Action research projects
- Urban immersion site-based courses
- Professional development opportunities for in-service teachers, administrators, and other professionals in schools and community based organizations
Boston College supports these partnerships through competitive national grants, including recent awards from the Carnegie Corporation of New York and the National Science Foundation and through Title III funding from the U.S. Department of Education.
Pre-Practicum Experience
- Undergraduates complete three pre-practicum experiences, each in a different setting and consisting of one school day per week for 10 weeks.
- Students frequently collaborate on-site with their Program Supervisor.
- In addition to in-class time supervised by graduate teaching assistants, undergraduate teacher candidates participate in one Special Issues in Teaching seminar per pre-practicum.
Full Practicum Experience
- The undergraduate capstone experience includes one semester-long full practicum, usually during senior year.
- During the full practicum, teacher candidates work on-site five days a week under the supervision of a practitioner and clinical faculty member.
Pre-Practicum Experience
Graduate students complete one pre-practicum experience. Although only one school day per week for 10 weeks is required, we recommend graduate students spend two school days per week on-site during their pre-practicum.
Practicum Experience
The Lynch School requires graduate students to complete one 14-week, full practicum experience, conducted under the joint supervision of the Program Supervisor and the Supervising Practitioner.
Hands-on experience
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Student Teaching
The work graduate student Mark Soo has done alongside cooperating teacher Chris Carucci at Dedham High School has been a critical in his development as a classroom teacher. He calls the practicum a critical part of his training through the Teacher Education, Special Education, and Curriculum and Instruction Department.
Student Teaching Experiences
“Student teaching is one of the most memorable and educative experiences of a teacher’s professional career. Within the 14-week full practicum experience, teacher candidates have the unique opportunity to apply the theory, research, and prior classroom experiences of their university coursework within a real world classroom environment. By the end of the experience, successful teacher candidates have the confidence and knowledge to lead their own classrooms and make a positive impact on their own students. ”
