Art Fieldwork in Art + Education

MA, Teaching Art, Grades K-12, Initial Certification

As a graduate student in the Teaching Art (Grades PreK–12), Initial Certification degree program, students participate in two types of fieldwork: serving as a Learning Partner and a Student Teacher.

Emerging teachers complete at least 100 hours as a Learning Partner and spend at least 35 full days in each Student Teaching placement. All fieldwork experiences are selected, supervised, and supported by NYU faculty in collaboration with the Office of School and Community Partnerships.

An Art + Education MA student observes a young child in a classroom. The child is in the foreground wearing a red shirt and touching a loom. The child is focused on their task. The teacher sits in the background and is slightly out of focus. The teacher has long dark hair and wears a blue sweater.

Serving as a Learning Partner

Time spent as a Learning Partner provides important experience in elementary (PreK-5 grade) and secondary (grades 6-12) schools before moving into Student Teaching. Depending on opportunities provided by the school and mentor teacher, these activities may include, but are not limited to, the following:

Observations in the art classroom
Collaboration or co-teaching with mentor teacher
Looking at, discussing, and planning curriculum
Looking at and discussing students’ work samples
Visiting classrooms outside of your subject area
Discovering additional resources and services offered at the school, including special education and auxiliary programs
Observing a student in all or most of his or her classes throughout the school day
Attending teacher professional development programs

While most of the time will be spent in the visual art classroom, students will familiarize themselves with the school as a whole by experiencing other subject area classrooms, school services and programs, non-curricular activities, and professional development opportunities.

In Visual Art, the elementary Learning Partner experience is fulfilled by being placed with a certified NYC elementary school visual art teacher for 50 hours.

The secondary Learning Partner experience in Visual Art is fulfilled by co-planning and co-teaching a class for the 9-week Saturday Visionary Studio Workshop.

Serving as a Student Teacher

Emerging teachers complete two fieldwork placements as a Student Teacher, each in a different school at the elementary and secondary levels. Entry into the first student teaching experience and continuation into a second experience is subject to faculty review. Student Teaching is an important professional experience that builds not only practical experience in the field but also professional contacts and networks.

Emerging teachers are encouraged to spend both of their Student Teaching placements in a New York City public school environment, although private school placements are possible with advisement. Student teachers receive one on one mentorship from NYU faculty supervisors as well as mentorship from their classroom teacher.

During Student Teaching fieldwork, students continue many of the same Learning Partner activities while taking on increased responsibilities such as:

Work one on one or in small groups with students
Support/lead whole group instruction
Create content for class assignments/curriculum
Participate in regular planning and reflection meetings with mentor teacher
Attend grade-level or subject-specific meeting with teachers and administrators
Visit other classroom teachers and subject area specialists
Attend school/community events (PTA meetings, etc.)
Design and teach an original Unit Plan of 3-5 lessons with support from their Mentor Teacher and NYU faculty

Be advised that licensing agencies and fieldwork placement facilities require that you get fingerprinted and undergo a criminal background check, the results of which the agency or facility must find acceptable prior to placement or licensure.

Fieldwork Timeline - Teaching Art, PreK-12, Initial Certification

For full-time students, the following timeline represents a typical fieldwork sequence. For part-time students, the fieldwork experience sequence is determined with the program adviser.

Year 1 - Fall Semester

50 hours as an elementary Learning Partner while taking the NYU Art+Education course: Social Justice Education through Contemporary Art: Elementary Teaching (ARTED-GE 2271)

Year 1 - Spring Semester

35 days as an elementary Student Teacher while taking the NYU Art+Education course: Supervised Student Teaching in Art in Elementary Schools (ARTED-GE 2901)

Year 2 - Fall Semester

50 hours as a secondary Learning Partner in Visionary Studios Saturday Workshop while taking the NYU Art+Education courses: Social Justice Education through Contemporary Art: Secondary Teaching (ARTED-GE 2272) and Visionary Studios: Saturday Workshop (ARTED-GE 2273)

Year 2 - Spring Semester

35 days as a secondary Student Teacher while taking the NYU Art+Education course: Supervised Student Teaching in Art in Secondary Schools (ARTED-GE 2902)

Please note that it is the student’s responsibility to keep track of, meet the minimum hours for, and submit all required fieldwork hours/days. All records will be submitted at the end of each semester and kept in the student’s academic file.

Upon completion of all program coursework and fieldwork, students will meet the requirements for New York State Initial Certification in Visual Art, All Grades. In addition to completing coursework and fieldwork experiences, students must successfully pass the required New York State Teacher Certification Examinations. For more information about certification test requirements, visit Steinhardt’s Certification website and timetable.