Placement Information & Requirements

• On-line Placement Arrangement form (For Queen's Concurrent Only)
• Police Check  
• First Year
• Second Year Primary-Junior
• Second Year Intermediate-Senior
• Third Year Primary-Junior
• Third Year Intermediate-Senior
• Out of Province Experiences in Schools Placement
  • Pre-Departure Orientation Workshop - Queen's Concurrent
  • Off-Campus Activity Safety Policy form - Queen's Concurrent
  • Pre-Departure Workshop and Off-Campus Activity Safety Policy forms for Queen's-Trent Concurrent candidates - Please see Concurrent Education Office at Trent.
• Requesting an Extension of Experiences in Schools Placement (PRAC) - Queen's Concurrent candidates only
• Requesting an Extension of Experiences in Schools Placement (PRAC) - Queen's-Trent Concurrent candidates - Please contact Concurrent Education Office at Trent
• District School Board Protocols
• Practicum area for Final BEd year

Police Check

All teacher candidates enrolled in any Ontario Faculty of Education must have a police record check that includes a Vulnerable Sector Screening, before they can enter into schools in Ontario for their Experiences in Schools placement.

A Vulnerable Sector Screening Police Check MUST be completed through your home Police Department. The “current” address you use on the Police Check application must match the area covered by the Police Department through which you are applying (i.e. if you applying through the Kingston Police Department, you must use your Kingston address, if you are applying through the Peterborough Police Department, you must use your Peterborough address).

Candidates obtaining a Police Check from the Toronto Police Department must contact the Practicum Office to request a Consent form for that department.  This form must be printed on legal sized paper to be accepted by the Toronto Police Dept.  The Toronto Police Department has a 10-12 week wait list for Police Checks.  You must use your Toronto address when obtaining a police check through the Toronto Police Department.

All candidates must show their Vulnerable Sector Screening to the Practicum Office or Concurrent Education Office for Queen's-Trent candidates, for verification prior to starting the Experiences in Schools placement.

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First Year

By the end of first year, candidates must select either the Primary-Junior route or the Intermediate-Senior route (Candidates wishing to change from one division to the other after their first year may apply for permission to do so.)

Candidates in First Year must complete the PRAC 111, Experiences in Schools I in first year.  Under no circumstances can a candidate defer PRAC 111 to the second year.

 

Board Protocol must be adhered to in arranging any practicum placement.  Boards indicating EDU as their protocol, must be arranged through the Practicum Office.  Once a placement has been confirmed, it is a commitment.

Requirements for Experiences in Schools I

 

• To assist the classroom teacher in one-on-one or small group situations. Teacher Candidates are not expected to teach formal lessons.
• Teacher Candidates will make observations of three students, one of whom is a student with special needs. These observations will then be given to the Host Teacher and discussed.

First Year Candidates attending the Castle

First year Concurrent Education candidates who are attending the castle must complete the First Year Experiences in Schools requirements in your second year. (See requirements above.)

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Second Year

Board Protocol must be adhered to in arranging any practicum placement.  Boards indicating EDU as their protocol, must be arranged through the Practicum Office.  Once a placement has been confirmed, it is a commitment.

Requirements for Experiences in Schools II Primary-Junior

 

• To assist and observe.
• To plan and teach three lessons on the same topic or be responsible for the setting up, introduction and monitoring of two learning work stations.
• To prepare a simplified IEP on a specified student.
• Teacher Candidates will make observations of three students, one of whom is a student with special needs and discuss with the Host Teacher.
• Three lesson plans will be discussed with the Host Teacher.
• The simplified IEP will be discussed with the Host Teacher.

Board Protocol must be adhered to in arranging any practicum placement.  Boards indicating EDU as their protocol, must be arranged through the Practicum Office.  Once a placement has been confirmed, it is a commitment.

Requirements for Experiences in Schools II Intermediate-Senior

 

• To assist and observe.
• To plan and teach three lessons on the same topic or be responsible for the setting up, introduction and monitoring of two learning work stations.
• To prepare a simplified IEP on a specified student.
• Teacher Candidates will make observations of three students, one of whom is a student with special needs and discuss with the Host Teacher. Three lesson plans will be discussed with the Host Teacher.
• The simplified IEP will be discussed with the Host Teacher. Strategies will also be discussed to enable applied/essential students to succeed in a school setting.

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Third Year

Board Protocol must be adhered to in arranging any practicum placement.  Boards indicating EDU as their protocol, must be arranged through the Practicum Office.  Once a placement has been confirmed, it is a commitment.

Requirements for Experiences in Schools III Primary-Junior

 

• To assist and observe.
• To plan and teach five lessons on the same topic or be responsible for the setting up, introduction and monitoring of three learning work stations.
• To prepare a simplified IEP on a specified special needs student.
• Teacher Candidates will make observations of five students, two of whom are students with special needs and discuss with the Host Teacher.
• Five lesson plans including accommodations and reflection will be discussed with the Host Teacher.
• The simplified IEP on a special needs student will be discussed with the Host Teacher.

Board Protocol must be adhered to in arranging any practicum placement.  Boards indicating EDU as their protocol, must be arranged through the Practicum Office.  Once a placement has been confirmed, it is a commitment.

Requirements for Experiences in Schools III Intermediate-Senior

 

• To assist and observe.
• To plan and teach five lessons on the same topic or be responsible for the setting up, introduction and monitoring of three learning work stations.
• To prepare a simplified IEP on a specified special needs student.
• Teacher Candidates will make observations of five students, two of whom are students with special needs and discuss with the Host Teacher.
• Five lesson plans including accommodations and reflection will be discussed with the Host Teacher.
• The simplified IEP on a special needs student will be discussed with the Host Teacher.

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Candidates arranging an Experiences in Schools placement in an Ontario school (excluding private) must check and adhere to the Board Protocol for the board in which you want to complete a placement.

• District School Board Protocols

Out of Province Experiences in Schools Placements

Candidates can complete one of either the second or third year Experiences in Schools out of Ontario (including out of country).  A Pre-Departure Orientation Workshop and the Off-Campus Activity Safety Policy (OCASP) form must be completed and approved prior to leaving the country for a placement.

Any placement days completed without OCASP approval and Pre-departure completion will not be counted toward the fulfillment of the "PRAC" course requirements.

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Pre-Departure Orientation Workshop

Candidates going out of the country (including the US) must take the Pre-Departure Orientation Workshop.

*It is the responsibility of the candidate to ensure they meet all entry requirements for the country in which they plan to complete the Experiences in Schools placement.

Candidates who arrange an Experiences in Schools placement out of Canada or in the far-north must take a Pre-Departure Orientation Workshop/Session.

Queen's

• Pre-Departure Orientation Workshop   Queen's University International Centre (QUIC)

Trent

• Pre-Departure Orientation Session  Trent International Program

Off-Campus Activity Safety Policy (OCASP)

Candidates who arrange an Experiences in Schools placement out of the country or in the far Canadian north must complete the on-line 'Off-Campus Activity Safety Policy' (OCASP) (form One).  For liability purposes, you must indicate clearly on the OCASP form, the dates for your Experiences in Schools placement and, the dates you will be in the country for personal reasons.  It is highly recommended that candidates get cancellation insurance for placements requiring flights.

 

The email address for submission is ocasp.education.placement@queensu.ca.  Any other email address used will cause a delay.

• OCASP guide for Teacher Candidates in the Faculty of Education

• OCASP PowerPoint Presentation  A PowerPoint presentation on how to complete the OCASP form is also available.

• Two examples of what a completed form might look like:
  • OCASP Form -  Example # One  - (37.9 KB PDF)
  • OCASP Form -  Example # Two  - (48.1 KB PDF)

• Off Campus Activity Safety Policy — Safety Planning Record (form One)

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Extension of an Experiences in Schools Placement (PRAC)

Candidates in First Year cannot request an extension of the Experiences in Schools I placement (PRAC 111).  Candidates in Second or Third Year have the option (only as a last resort) to request an extension of the Experiences in Schools Placement.

First Year candidates who are at the castle must complete the requirements for first year Experiences in Schools, in your second year.

Request for an extension of any of the Experiences in Schools is not recommended.  Candidates who are granted an extension of the Experiences in Schools placement (PRAC course) have one calendar year from the original completion date, in which to complete the placement.  The original completion date of any Experiences in Schools course is April 30.  Candidates requesting an extension of their Experiences in Schools placement must do so by January 31.

Candidates must be registered in an Experiences in Schools course (PRAC) in order to request an extension.  Candidates should register for the Experiences in Schools course in the academic year in which they intend to complete it.  Candidates who have registered for a second or third year (PRAC) course, then because of circumstances must request an extension must:

Send an email from your Queen's account to the Practicum Office, stating that
- you would like to request an extension of the PRAC course to to the next year

- provide all reasons for requesting the extension of this course and why you did not plan accordingly to complete the placement requirements in the current academic year

-contact Vicky Andrews, the Concurrent Education Assistant, to understand how the extension of your PRAC course will affect your academic progress in the Concurrent Education Program.

Candidates who are granted an extension of the third year PRAC course must understand that this course is a final year requirement that must be completed by second Friday in May of the year in which you intend to enroll in final year Education. Specifically state how you plan to meet this deadline.

Your request will be reviewed and a decision will be made based on the explanation you provide in your email.  The Practicum Office decision will be relayed to you as soon as possible.   Once an extension has been granted, you must complete an 'Incomplete Grade Statement'.  This form is available in the Practicum Office.

The practicum portion of the BEd year of the Concurrent Education Program is very different from the Experiences in Schools placements during your undergraduate years.

Candidates in the BEd year are restricted to a specific catchment area for regular practicum (not Alternative Practicum).  Only specific schools within the specified District School Boards are used.  The maps below indicate which District School Boards are used for practicum in the final BEd year.  The cities listed are for reference only.

District School Board Maps

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