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NATIONAL LOUIS UNIVERSITY

Teacher Preparation

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Welcome!

This session will be recorded.

Please post all questions in the Q & A.

Educator Preparation Program

At National Louis University, our programs in UG Educator Preparation incorporate a substantial amount of fieldwork.

We believe that educators learn best by doing—so we prioritize your opportunities to be in the field working with students.

Throughout your field experiences, you will have the support of your Mentor Teacher, NLU Faculty, Teacher Development Coach (formally Field Coach), and Field Specialist.

Meet the Team!

Undergraduate Field Specialists

Callie Harris�OFE Manager

Nancy Battaglia

Tina Arora

Madeline Pimlott

Stephanie Block

Lisa Mozer�Executive Director

Megan McCarthy

Lisa Stukel

Maureen Chertow Miller�OFE Technology Manager

Avanti Lalchandani

What is a Field Specialist?

How do we support you? Your Field Specialist will…

• Help you complete your Field Placement Application
• Meet with you to decide upon the best field experience placement based on your major and concentration
• Contact sites to request the field placements and confirm the placements
• Help you navigate any additional processes required by a district in which you are being placed (i.e TB test/physical, etc.)
• Arrange all field placements including your Practicum and Student Teaching placements

When and how to reach out to your Field Specialist

• You can reach out to your Field Specialist by email or phone call, or make an appointment to meet through Retain/email when you have any questions or updates to share regarding your field experiences.

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• It is important to communicate and plan with your Field Specialist when you are just starting your field experience, and also as needed with any life updates or changes to your placement preferences.

How do I know who my Field Specialist is?

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Log in to your SONIA portal. On the home page, your Field Specialist is listed in the upper right hand corner under “Field Placement Coordinators.”

What Are Field Experiences?

Field Experiences…

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• Are a required component of some courses
• Are the application of your academic learning in a real world environment
• Build your skills as an emerging teacher
• Are linked to assignments that are directly related to your time in the field
• Review all syllabi and plan your time accordingly

Placement Options

You may complete your field hours at a variety of different

educational sites:

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• Public School
• Charter School
• Private School
• Head Start or Early Head Start
• Community Based Child Care
• Family Child Care Program

Placement options for Licensure

Program Grade Band Requirements for Licensure

• Early Childhood Education Program:
• Field experiences take place in a Birth-2nd grade setting
• ECE 324 must be completed in a PreK setting

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• Elementary Education Program:
• Field experiences take place in a 1st-6th grade setting

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• Early Childhood and Elementary Education Program:
• Students should aim for a range of experiences
• ECE 324 must be completed in a PreK setting
• At least one experience must be in 3rd-6th grade
• Student Teaching must be in the 1st-2nd grade setting

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Placement options for Licensure

Program Grade Band Requirements:

SEE, SEM

• Secondary Education - English Program:
• Field hours can be completed in 5th grade through 12th grade English classrooms
• If you plan to pursue a Middle School endorsement, some field experience should include 5th-8th grade classrooms
• Student teaching must be completed in 9th-12th grade classrooms

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• Secondary Education - Math Program:
• Field hours can be completed in 5th grade through 12th grade Math classrooms
• If you plan to pursue a Middle School endorsement, some field experience should

include 5th- 8th grade classrooms

• Student teaching must be completed in 9th-12th grade classrooms

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*If you plan to add on the Middle Grades endorsement, 1 additional content test is required

Available Concentrations:

• ESL/Bilingual Education (ESL or Bilingual endorsement (with licensure requirements))
• Special Education (LBS1 endorsement (with licensure requirements))

Why Add a Concentration?

• Expand your teaching skill set
• Increase job opportunities
• Support diverse learners more effectively
• Meet state and district needs in high-demand areas

How to Add a Concentration

1. Meet with your academic advisor
2. Submit a concentration request form
3. Adjust your course plan to include concentration-specific classes
4. Complete any required fieldwork or practicum aligned to the concentration
5. Stay informed on licensure/endorsement options

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Requirements for a qualified Mentor Teacher during

Linked Placement (Practicum/Student Teaching)

Per state requirements, a cooperating/mentor teacher must:

• ✅Hold a valid professional educator license in the appropriate content area�   – OR hold *ECE Gateway Level 5 credentials�
• ✅ Have a minimum of three (3) years of teaching experience in a certified public or nonpublic school�
• ✅ Be rated “Proficient” or higher on their most recent performance evaluation
• ✅ Be actively engaged in teaching the content or grade level aligned with the student teacher’s preparation program

*(If applicable) Hold Gateway Level 5 credentials (for early childhood placements in Illinois)

**Hosting Mentor Teachers will receive Professional Development Hours

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Placement options for Non-Licensure

Program Grade Band Requirements:

ITS

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• Infant-Toddler Studies Program:
• Candidates who complete the BA in ITS will be eligible to apply for the Early Childhood Level 5 credential and the Infant-Toddler Level 5 credential awarded by Gateways to Opportunity (Early Childhood Credentialing System in Illinois).
• ITS Internship (150 hours) completed with infant/toddlers
• Upon successful completion of the program, candidates meet the eligibility requirements to apply for the Early Intervention Developmental Therapist credential through the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS), subject to IDHS approval.

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Program Grade Band Requirements:

AES

• Applied Educational Studies Program:
• Students pursuing this major are interested in working in “education adjacent” roles, supporting families through social service agency work, working as a home visitor or family services coordinator or even in out-of-school time.
• Candidates who complete the BA in AES will also be eligible to apply for the Early Childhood Level 5 credential awarded by Gateways to Opportunity.
• AES Internship (150 hours) can be completed in a variety of settings

Your Field Experiences

Time to Take Action!

How will I find out about my placement?

OFE will send you an email to your NLU account.

Please make sure that you are frequently checking your email. You will get an email

outlining the next steps.

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If you have not already, please be sure that you contact your Mentor Teacher before the start of the term, introduce yourself and schedule your first day.

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Field Experience

Placement Sites

Beginning Spring 2026

Step 1: Log into SONIA

• Have it bookmarked!
• https://sonia.nl.edu/
• Click on “Office of Field Experience” at the bottom.
• Select “Student” from Role dropdown .
• Click “University Sign In”.
• You will be directed to an NLU log-in page.
• Enter your NLU username and password (same info you use for NLU portal).

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Placement and Field Specialist

Finding Your Field Specialist (Caseload)

Click on the “Details” tab. Scroll down to Caseload.

Viewing Your Placement

Click on the “Placements” tab.

To View Your Placement Documents

Click on the “Documents” tab.

Your Confirmation Letter will look like this:

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The highlighted yellow box shows the contact information for your mentor teacher that you can use to reach out to them

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You will also receive a copy of your Confirmation Letter in your email as well, which will have more information and resources.

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Learn More About Your Courses with Field Experience

• Review your Degree Plan
• Reference your degree plan to identify the term(s) and courses you will be taking with required field hours
• Check Field Hour Requirements on the Summary of Field Experience Guide
• Learn more about the requirements of your courses

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“Combining” Field Hours

Field Hours can count towards the course requirements for more than one class ONLY IF the placement classroom meets the requirements of both courses and the course allows it.

• Grade level
• Content area of instruction
• Student population
• Staff credentials

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This DOES NOT apply to SPE & EAL Courses

+ AES & ITS degrees.

Students cannot count SPE & EAL field hours for more than one class.

* Exceptions may be made for the Linked Placement (Practicum/Student Teaching)*

Click here for document

Calculate Weekly Hours

• Add up the number of field hours you have for the entire term
• Example: EDU 299 (20 hours), ECE 334 (25 hours)
• 20 + 25 = 45 hours for the term

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• Note: Field hours for EDU 299 and ECE 334 can be combined for a total of 25 hours. If you need to combine those hours, your total would be 25 hours for the term if you can complete all assignments within that time frame. You still need to log the total number of hours for each course on your timesheets.

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• Divide the total number of field hours by 9 or 10 weeks (each term lasts for 10 weeks)
• This is the number of hours you will spend in the classroom each week

45 hours divided by 10 weeks = 4.5 hours each week

• Allocate your hours by course according to the course requirements
• Example: 2 hours for EDU 299, 2.5 hours for ECE 334

Make a schedule with your Mentor Teacher

• Discuss your course requirements with your mentor teacher
• Look at the syllabus together and total number of required hours for the course
• Plan out your weekly field hours
• What subject areas do you need to observe? When are these subjects taught in the classroom? Will you be creating any lesson plans?
• What works best for your schedule and the classroom schedule?
• For example, if you need to observe math and literacy, and each subject is taught for 1 hour every day, plan your schedule around these subject areas

Time Sheets

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Field/Method Hour Course Resources

• How to create a timesheet form for a Field/Method hour course in SONIA
• How to submit a timesheet form in SONIA for Field/Method hour course in SONIA
• Mentor Instructions on how to approve a timesheet for a field/method hour teacher candidate
• How to Complete Your Timesheet Video

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During your Field Hours

• Take notes

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• Teaching skills
• Lesson plan writing and implementation
• Classroom management experience
• Technology
• Types of instruction

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• Transferable skills
• Communication
• Organization
• Time management

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Professionalism in the classroom

• Arrive on time
• Communicate any changes

to your planned schedule

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• Dress appropriately
• i.e. no sweatpants
• Follow school dress code

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• Take initiative
• Offer to help the teacher
• Ask how you can help
• Communicate in a timely manner

(assignments, timesheets)

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• Be kind

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Things to LOOK out for…

• If you have not yet received your Placement Confirmation, be sure to keep an eye on your NLU email - it will be sent there when complete.

• Continue to update your Field Specialist if you have any life changes that might affect your placement (i.e. moving, changing jobs, time off, etc.)

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• Your confirmed placement site may communicate to your NLU email in regards to additional requirements (i.e. TB test, physical, etc.) **not every site has additional requirements, but it is important to be aware they might

Extra Resources and Contact Information

Ed Prep Majors & Handbooks

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Click here 👉 NLU UGC Educator Preparation Site

Great Resource

Contacts

Shawn Prakash Reddy, Director of UG Educator Preparation Field Experience, sreddy@nl.edu

Barb Grooms, Field Experience Manager, Office of Teacher Development, bgrooms@nl.edu

Leslie Delgado-Luna, Field Experience Coordinator, Office of Teacher Development, ldelgadoluna@nl.edu

Mindy Fiala-Leaven, MS | Director of Programmatic Operations and Licensure Officer Undergraduate Educator Preparation mfialaleaven@nl.edu

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Check Navigate (Your Success Team) / Retain

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Academic Advisors (creation/updates degree plan/ register for courses)

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Success Coaches (creation/updates degree plan/ register for courses)

Contacts

Field Specialists

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Callie Harris, Manager of Field Experience Operations, charris64@nl.edu

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Maureen Chertow Miller, OFE Technology Manager; Field Experience Specialist, mmiller111@nl.edu

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Megan McCarthy, Sr. Field Experience Specialist, mmccarthy20@nl.edu�

Tina Arora, Field Experience Specialist, tarora@nl.edu�

Lisa Stukel, Field Experience Specialist, lstukel@nl.edu

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Madeline Pimlott, Field Experience Specialist,mpimlott@nl.edu �

Nancy Battaglia, Field Experience Specialist, nbattaglia3@nl.edu �

Stephanie Block, Field Experience Specialist, sblock6@nl.edu

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Avanti Lalchandani, Field Experience Specialist, alalchandani@nl.edu

Office Hours

Office of Field Experience

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Callie Harris, Manager of Field Experience Operations,

charris64@nl.edu

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Office of Teacher Development

Leslie Delgado-Luna, Coordinator, Office of Teacher Development, UGTeacherDevelopment@nl.edu

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Mondays, 12-1 pm

Tuesdays, 3:30-4:30 pm

Thursdays, 12-1 pm

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Zoom Link: https://nl.zoom.us/j/97727538824

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Your field experience, which includes observation and direct work with children, offers a valuable opportunity to apply what you are learning in your coursework to real classroom settings.

Many of these experiences directly reflect concepts assessed on the licensure content test.

Developing a strong understanding of these concepts will help you identify them in practice and enhance your overall learning during your field experience.

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Content Test

Content Test

Contacts

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ECE, ELE & ECL:

email: UndergraduateContentTest@nl.edu

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SEM & SEE:

Check back soon!

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ECE - Early Childhood ELE- Elementary

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SEM - Secondary Math SEE- Secondary English

Content Test

Resources

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• Content Test Handbook

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• How to Access Discover Course

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• Workshop Recordings and Study Materials

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• Content Test Voucher Codes

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Undergraduate Education Career Advisors

Marissa Dordick

e-mail: mdordick@nl.edu

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Contact us

•Monday-Friday 9 am – 5 pm

•Email: careerbridge@nl.edu