Course Registration and Orientation

GVSU Education Placement Policies

When do I receive my Placement Information?

Registration Orientation

After you apply to Teacher Apprenticeship and meet with your Placement Specialist to review your application, you will receive an email invitation to the Teacher Apprenticeship Registration Orientation. This orientation will give you information on registering for your teacher apprenticeship courses, an opportunity to meet our faculty and staff, and key information for your program. The Registration Orientations occur:

• Mid-March for students who applied for Fall semester Teacher Apprenticeship.
• Mid-October for students who applied for Winter semester Teacher Apprenticeship.

• Your clinical field experience semester courses are permit-controlled for Teacher Apprenticeship and Teacher Internship semesters.
• The Education faculty/staff select and assign you to specific sections.
• After attending the Teacher Apprenticeship Registration Orientation, you will receive a registration guide with the course sections you are authorized to register for.
• You do not have to worry about your schedule for these semesters! All students approved for their clinical field experience semester are guaranteed seats in the courses.
• Students are responsible for registering online for the correct classes and sections using the registration guides provided by the Office of Certification and Accreditation.

Please note that if you are a “NOT YET” candidate, you will not receive registration information until you are admitted later in the semester. Again, all students admitted into the clinical field experience semester courses are guaranteed seats in the courses.

• Student do not seek out their own placements. GVSU's Placement Specialists work with area Pk-12 partners to identify qualified mentor teachers whose certification, grade level, and teaching schedule align with the teacher candidate's certification requirements.
• When you apply for your Teacher Apprenticeship and Teacher Internship, the application includes a space for you to indicate special accommodations, such as needing a placement along the Rapid Bus Route if you don't have your own vehicle.
• No school is required to accept teacher apprentices or teacher interns. All placements are made through a partnership with the school/district.
• All Teacher Apprenticeship placements are arranged within 50 miles of the Pew campus (Grand Rapids).
• All Teacher Internship placements are arranged within 50 miles of the Pew campus (Grand Rapids), or 50 miles from the GVSU Detroit Center, located in Detroit, MI. 
  • Special Education endorsement Teacher Internship placements are only made within 50 miles of the Pew campus (Grand Rapids).
  • Currently, GVSU has a partnership with Battle Creek Public Schools for Teacher Internship placements. Students must apply for the Battle Creek Teacher Internships program to be eligible for Battle Creek Public Schools placement.
• The Education Programs’ accreditation (CAEP) requires that students complete at least one diverse field experience. Education students are placed in a diverse setting for either the Teacher Apprenticeship or Teacher Internship. We define diversity as "differences among groups of people and individuals based on ethnicity, race, socioeconomic status, gender, exceptionalities, language, sexual orientation, and geographical area". Using public demographic data, placements are classified as "diverse" if 20% or more of the school population are minority or economically disadvantaged.

After you receive your placement information

Interview at placement location:

• You will receive an email from our office with the contact information for either the mentor teacher, principal/administrator, or the district office for your potential placement.
• Contact your potential placement within three days to arrange an interview with the school.
• Look up info about the school to have some familiarity before the interview. Mentor teachers will want to know you have passion and enthusiasm for their classroom.
• If you do not hear back from them within two weeks, call the school and let the secretary know you are trying to schedule an interview for your Teacher Apprenticeship. They may have a number for you to call, etc.

Accept your placement:

• After you interview at your placement school, you will return a form to the Office of Certification and Accreditation to confirm that you have accepted your placement.

Field Placement Concerns

For questions and concerns about field placement, contact the Placement Specialists in the Office of Certification and Accreditation at 616-331-6650 or email [email protected]. The Placement Specialists will collaborate with appropriate supervisors as necessary.