With curricular approval last fall, the focus turned toward the intricacies of implementation, particularly the new approach to clinical experiences and the linked methods courses. 

Many alumni are familiar with the four prior levels of field experience — Levels 1-4, including student teaching. The new model is partly a response to a growing trend: many first-year and transfer students enter UNI having already met the requirements for an initial 10 hours of observation in a classroom. 

The faculty also saw benefits to integrating classroom experience with methods courses during the same semester, bridging theory with practice in real time. 

A new three-step model emerged: 

• Clinical Internship 1, a beginning internship paired with a methods course
• Clinical Internship 2, an advanced internship, with a similar pairing
• Student teaching 

An elective course remains available for those who need those initial hours of experience. 

“Pairing methods courses with internships allows students to learn while doing, with real-time feedback from experts,” says Forsyth. “We purposefully chose this approach and believe this only strengthens the depth of field experience for which UNI is well known.” 

An added benefit: internships now carry three credit hours instead of one — better reflecting student time and effort and building in flexibility for faculty as well.

In the previous model, I had limited time to proactively teach and had an overreliance on sidebar conversations, debriefing in classrooms and online feedback to make up the difference,” says Becky Wilson Hawbaker, who coordinates internship experiences as part of her role. “When I sat down to map out how much more time I will have for the Internship 1 seminar, supervision in classrooms and support of the methods course, it felt like a synergistic miracle,” she continues. 

As implementation drew closer, teams of faculty representing the internship and methods part of the collaboration began connecting. Megan Balong, clinical associate professor, and Elizabeth Hughes, math education professor and current educator preparation program faculty chair, piloted paired coursework in the spring semester. “Their structures and experiences helped inform other teams as they prepared for fall,” Hawbaker says. 

In May, about 35 UNI faculty and staff gathered for the first of two retreats to finalize alignment among teams of faculty who view their roles as co-teaching in the new model. In addition to reviewing various processes and tools, they worked together to create a consistent framework across syllabi, policies, assessments and assignments. 

Hawbaker was among the attendees, working with Wendy Miller, professor of art education and her methods partner for internship experiences she coordinates. “Teaching is so much more fun as a team!” Hawbaker says. 

“I will be able to co-teach with Becky and be more directly involved in the internship experience,” Miller notes. “I also revised my methods course to align with new student learning outcomes, a few that I previously did not teach. That is exciting as I will have fresh new materials in my courses. Change is hard, but learning new ideas is exciting!” 

“Now students are not just ‘completing hours,’ but are gaining vital experience in applying what they have learned in methods,” says Mandie Sanderman, College of Education assistant dean of assessment and clinical experiences during the ramp up to implementation. “They are then able to debrief with their classmates and professors regarding their experience, allowing for greater reflection and growth.” 

As these final touches were being planned, professional and faculty advisors worked with current students in the spring to update plans of study. This led to questions, like: “Will this add more? How is this better?” 

“When students realized it’s a change, but not drastic in terms of combinations of classes, length of time or a load, they were relieved and pumped,” says Jenny Connolly, College of Education director of advising.

The re-energized curriculum reflects a myriad of refinements and adjustments, large and small, meant to secure a legacy and enrich the experience of today’s students. Through it all, a sincere adherence to a mantra of “accessibility, flexibility and adaptability” kept the focus on an outcome meant to benefit all — faculty and staff behind the program, future students, future teachers, future employers and the communities served. 

Forsyth says the process has led to stronger interactions and communications among faculty, advisors across campus, on-campus partners like admissions and the registrar’s office as well as PK-12 and community college partners off campus. “Staying actively up-to-date with each of these groups remains a major priority,” says Forsyth. 

“The changes represent an exciting modernization of our preparation of Iowa’s teachers at UNI,” says Jennifer McNabb, professor of math education. “The curricular processes involved the energies and input of faculty across campus and represent the partnerships and collaboration that exemplify UNI’s studentcentered approach to program design.” 

She adds: “Our work was inspired in part by conversations with our alumni who have related their experiences in Iowa’s classrooms. I think they will find these changes capable of producing welltrained and job-ready future colleagues.” 

“We want great teachers to join great teachers in the field,” says Vander Zanden, citing UNI Teacher Education alumni. “Some of the names of things have changed, but the ongoing commitment to quality and the focus on both theory and practice is unwavering.”