Student Teaching Services FAQs

The Student Teaching Services Office is part of the Teacher Preparation Department.

It creates, supports, and administers field placements associated with students in all education programs: secondary education (SECED), elementary education (ELED), special education (SPED), and early childhood education/early childhood special education blended (ECSE).

Field experiences include practicums and student teaching. Student Teaching Services also works with the Academic Advising Centers and Teacher Education Department for career placements, surveys, assessments, and accreditation.

Go to the home page and click on the icon labeled Student Teaching Preparation Process. Follow the directions on this page.

Preparation Process Page

It is never too early to start the Preparation Process. Students are encouraged to complete the process before the due date to allow time for any necessary corrections.

See Due Dates

Student teaching is available during the fall and winter semesters.

Meet with Advising.
(Make sure to tell them it is for Student Teaching)

Students need to work with Student Teaching Services Office for teaching off-track and work with Financial Aid Office if they need funding. They do not need to get an override through Admissions. 

BYU-Idaho Student Teaching Services Office (HIN 325).

Please bring a valid government-issued photo ID (e.g., driver's license or passport) and be prepared to provide your Social Security Number (SSN).

Fingerprinting can be done anytime within our office hours (M-F: 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM, closed Tuesday and Thursday 11:30 AM-12:00 PM for Forum and Devotional).

The process will take about 20 minutes. By appointment only.

Students who will complete their student teaching outside of the state of Idaho will need to be fingerprinted again for the state in which they will be student teaching.

Student Teaching Services can fingerprint students placed to student teach in Utah. Those students teaching in Texas will need to be fingerprinted in Texas.

Pay attention to all fingerprinting deadlines to ensure your background check will be complete in time for student teaching. You will not be allowed to enter your placement until you have been cleared by the designated state.

Contact Sister Watson in Hinckley 353.

Required PRAXIS exams can change without notice. You will be able to find the most accurate information here.

Accurate PRAXIS Exam Information

You can also contact your program director for specific test questions.

Take the Praxis early enough so that there is time to retake it if needed. Foreign language students need to check extra early because of limited seating and limited testing dates. Please check to see when your results are due to ensure that you are set to student teach (typically, the due date for these exams is mid-term prior to your student teaching semester).

Remember you cannot student teach without passing all your Praxis exams. Be aware, it takes 4-6 weeks to the Student Teaching Services Office to receive scores.

For Fall placement, you will interview in March.

For Winter placement, interviews will be in September.

Representatives from BYU-Idaho's partner school areas come to the BYU-Idaho campus to interview students before their student teaching. These interviews will determine your student teaching placement.

The Meet and Greet is different from the interviews because it is a time when you (the student) will have the opportunity to get to know the principals and schools, instead of the principals getting to know you. This event is for all students who will not be staying in the local area for student teaching. You should dress professionally even though this is a virtual event. The Meet & Greet is optional, though highly encouraged.

Please try to attend your interview on the BYU-Idaho campus if possible, as a live interview is in your best interest. If your circumstances make traveling to campus impossible, please contact Student Teaching Services to arrange an alternative option.

Most likely. Because of the high number of students interviewing, group interviews are created to accommodate the high number of students.

If you are on the roster for student teaching, you will receive an email with an Area Request form prior to interviews. Fill that out and return it as soon as possible.
Due to high demand, we cannot guarantee local placement. You must list a backup option in case your local request cannot be granted. Area Requests are approved on a case-by-case basis. 

• Distant Placements: If you are student teaching outside the local area, you will receive an email about a week after your interviews with your district assignment so you can begin making living arrangements.
  
• Local Placements: If you are student teaching locally, you will not receive this initial email, as local housing is assumed to be secured.
  

Please be patient regarding your assigned school, mentor, and grade level. Your Area Coordinator will work diligently on these details as soon as interviews conclude and will contact you with the specifics as soon as they have been confirmed.

Keep in mind that your administrator may not have the specifics made until just a few weeks before you begin your student teaching experience. Your Area Coordinator will get this information out to you as soon as it is available.

Candidates are responsible for securing their own housing during student teaching. Single students Student Teaching in Idaho will need to live in approved BYU-Idaho housing.

Area Coordinators can give guidance and answer questions, but they are not responsible for finding a place for candidates to live.

Student teaching is a 14 week experience.

Fall Student Teaching begins the day after Labor Day.

Winter Student Teaching follows the school district schedule in which a candidate is placed. Student Teaching will start the day their students return to school after Christmas break.

The last day of student teaching of any given semester will be the Friday prior to graduation at BYUI.

Teacher candidates are expected to participate in teacher inservice trainings and workdays, as well as parent teacher conferences as outlined by individual districts.

Reciprocal agreements between most states augment the process of obtaining licensure from other states if licensed in Idaho. Your active certification in Idaho gives our office the ability to process recommendation requests from most, if not all other states. Upon completion of student teaching and graduation, it is imperative you complete the certification process through the state of Idaho. You will have a 2 year window to apply for licensure.

To avoid the possibility of additional coursework and exams, we strongly encourage candidates to not delay in requesting your Institutional Recommendation from our office so that you can be certified. If you wait beyond that 2 year time frame, you will be required to meet any new requirements that may have changed, before BYU-Idaho can issue the recommendation.

The graduate is responsible to personally research alternate states' requirements and application procedures.

After the posting of your BYU-Idaho degree, which is usually two to three weeks following graduation.

Students are responsible to research the requirements for the state they wish to be certified in. If your state requires a different form that needs to be filled out by BYU-Idaho's education certification officer, Sabrina Grimmett, please email it to grimmettsa@byui.edu.