Submitting Requests
All placements must be arranged and documented through the Office of Clinical Experiences. Candidates should not contact schools or district offices directly unless directed to do so by the Office of Clinical Experiences.
Please submit all requests immediately following registration. After you have registered for a field experience course, with 24-48 hours you can click on the link below to request your placement. You will also receive email reminders from placements@odu.edu to request a placement.
Students must be admitted to an approved teacher education program to receive a practicum placement. Observations (TLED 301, TLED 608, SEPS 297, HPE 230, MonarchTEACH) are exempt from this requirement.
Candidates in approved professional educational programs are required to provide a clearance background check when registering for a course that requires a field experience, observation or practicum.
It is strongly recommended that all students have completed the background check process by DROP / ADD each semester due to the increased turn around time by the state departments involved. The process is currently taking 8-12 weeks.
School divisions require that all candidates present evidence of a negative TB screening or test prior to entering a school building for any reason. This test MUST have been completed within the past year, and students should be able to present the documentation when asked.
Faculty or candidates may request a particular school for placement. However, there is no guarantee of placement - and candidates MUST be prepared to accept any school within the system they request. If a school division cannot place a candidate, we will inform you and you may request another school division. Candidates may not be placed in schools with relatives, nor may candidates be placed at any high school they attended or graduated from. You should not request field experience placements in the same school for multiple courses, as you need diversity of placements.The duration of the experience must be specific. Dates and times may be arranged with the assigned clinical faculty.
Please understand that you may not report to your placements until you have received an official email from the Office of Clinical Experiences. Your placement email is sent once we receive approval from the school division and your background check has been posted to Leo Online. We will notify you by ¹ÏÉñÍø email. Candidates must contact principals or other designated contact persons within one week of receiving the assignment. This must be done prior to reporting to assigned schools.
An explanation of the objectives and requirements of the field experience will be provided by your Instructor. Upon receipt of your placement, please share a letter of introduction to your clinical faculty, along with the course expectations. There is also an evaluation from that can be sent to your mentor teacher through your placement portal. Appropriate professional dress (business casual) is required at all times when completing field experience hours. If professional dress is a concern, please contact OCE about the Monarch Professional Closet. At the conclusion of your experience, please provide your clinical faculty with a thank you note.
Due to high demand for placement, allow at least four to six weeks after the add/drop deadline for approval and information about your field experience. Late requests may not be processed by the school divisions.
¹ÏÉñÍø (¹ÏÉñÍø) teacher candidates may be allowed to complete their teacher candidate internship requirement and/or classroom practicum hours through an out-of-area regionally accredited institution and/or school division. Requests and/or inquires for out-of-state placements should be made as soon as possible to placements@odu.edu.
Note: Establishing partnerships out-of-state can take up to 6 months. We cannot guarantee any out-of-state placements.