By Zack Kime ’23, editor

As the fall semester comes into full swing, education majors and Lebanon Valley College students enrolled in education courses are being assigned to various classroom placements.

Gaining field experience is the most important aspect of the student teaching process.

LVC hits the ground running, requiring those enrolled in courses with a classroom placement to have the proper paperwork going into the first week of that course. These forms and certifications come at the cost of the student, although LVC works to make this process as convenient for them as they can.

Once students have the proper paperwork, as a class, they will meet with Jennifer Kuntz, Assistant Professor of Education and Director of Field Experiences here at LVC. This meeting outlines the proper attire, conduct, and other essential information a student must know prior to being assigned their placement.

From there, Kuntz works tirelessly to disperse students across a wide array of classrooms, throughout a dozen local districts.

Knowing where a student will help teach is half the battle, the other half being who they have the opportunity to teach with.

Students will be assigned individual teachers to work alongside for the semester, being given assignments like observing classroom norms, creating lesson plans, and, overall, getting to know their students and how to effectively educate them. 

Regardless of if students are education majors or not, they are eligible to enroll in some of the 100 and 200 level education courses. The process of shadowing a teacher for a full semester and gaining field experience can be applicable to all majors offered at LVC.

If a student is interested in experiencing what it’s like to help lead a classroom, or if they just have a gap in their upcoming schedule, a course with field experience could be just the right solution!