Fieldwork, Student Teaching and On-the-Job Practicum – Special Education

For program-specific details, review the HC Graduate Catalogue or our Department Fieldwork Handbook, or contact your program advisor(s). Updated 2-15-09.

Childhood Special Education: Learning Disabilities

Timothy Lackaye   tlackaye@hunter.cuny.edu         
David Connor    dconnor@hunter.cuny.edu       
Sara Hines   shine@hunter.cuny.edu       

Childhood Special Education: Behavior Disorders

Tom McIntyre   tmcintyr@hunter.cuny.edu       

Early Childhood Special Education

Donia Fahim   dfahim@hunter.cuny.edu       
Angela Mouzakitis    amouzak@hunter.cuny.edu       
Jamie Bleiweiss   jbleiwei@hunter.cuny.edu       
Shirley Cohen   cohenshirley@hunter.cuny.edu   

Blind/VI, as well as Childhood Special Education: Severe/Multiple Disabilities

Rosanne Silberman   rsilberm@hunter.cuny.edu       
Ellen Trief   etrief@hunter.cuny.edu       

Rehabilitation Teaching and Orientation and Mobility: Blind/VI

Rosanne Silberman   rsilberm@hunter.cuny.edu       
Grace Ambrose   gambrose@hunter.cuny.edu   

Deaf/HH

Elaine Gale   egale@hunter.cuny.edu       

Gifted and Talented

Razel Solow    rsolow@hunter.cuny.edu       

BCBA

John Brown    john.brown@hunter.cuny.edu   

Overview

All teacher candidates in special education must complete a specified minimum number of fieldwork hours, as well as a specified number of supervised student teaching/on-the job-practicum days at appropriate age-levels.  Since these vary by special education program, be sure that you understand the requirements relating to your chosen program – i.e., Childhood LD, BD, Severe/Multiple, ECSE, Deaf/HH, Blind/VI, or Gifted –  as well as the requirements relating to your particular track within that program – e.g., Program 1, 2, 1a, etc.

Fieldwork Hours as Components of Courses

Many courses include field hours, tied to the content of courses.  These require you to spend time in schools or other educational settings and complete related assignments.  Field hours vary by course and are listed as part of the course description (see course description section of the HC Graduate Catalogue -- online and in print).

Pre-Student Teaching General Education Fieldwork

For teacher candidates in dual certificate programs (general and special education), pre-student teaching fieldwork in general education is required prior to enrolling in special education student teaching or on-the-job practicum.  Applications for this fieldwork are due in the prior semester and are submitted to: Ileana M. Infante, Room HW 1001, Ileana.infante@hunter.cuny.edu (Due March 1 for summer; Oct 1 for January semester).

Student Teaching & On-the-Job Supervised Practicum

You must apply to take student teaching or practicum, which represent your program’s culminating fieldwork experiences.  For your application to be approved, you need to have completed a specified number of courses, including particular program-specified courses, and to have passed the following NYS tests -- LAST and the ATS-W, and CST-Multi-Subjects (and, for some programs, the CST related to your program).  Note: Students working under an Internship Certificate must enroll in “practicum” during each semester that they hold the Internship Certificate.

Teacher candidates must apply for student teaching and practicum and be approved, prior to being allowed to enroll in these courses.  Complete the formal application, attaching all requested information. 

Completed applications due:
…on or before March 1 for subsequent SUMMER and FALL semesters
    …on or before Nov 1 for subsequent SPRING semester
Note: Deaf/HH candiddates apply only in fall (Nov 1) for the spring, since this is the only semester the Deaf/HH student-teaching/practicum is offered.