Below are a few updates and reminders regarding Field-Based Experience submissions.   (more examples for #5 coming soon!)

 

  1. Filter any escalation requests regarding FBEs or status checks through your leads and manager first to determine if it indeed should be escalated.  For example, an intern’s job is on the line etc.  
  2. Avoid reaching out to fbe@teachersoftomorrow.org for status checks on long-term sub forms.  Instead, first check the documents tab in Prince if we have it.  If not,  use the below talking point to help guide the intern and your conversation. 
    1. “Intern, you should check with your HR department to confirm they have sent it our way.  If they have then we will have it in our queue for review.  Review times are extended right now due to the number of submissions we are receiving but I assure you we will process it in the order it was received and you will receive a confirmation email once it has been approved.”  
  3. Encourage interns to submit their FBEs as they occur, the day the observation and Interaction happened so it is top of mind and our FBE team can review in a timely manner to avoid delays.  Our FBE coordinators will deny new submissions for old experiences that happened outside of the current school year.  We want to encourage our interns to engage in reflective practice and therefore should submit their experiences as they occur, not several months down the road.  
  4. Interactions:  All in-person FBEs must require interaction with students.  Interactions with students may include:
    1. Facilitating small group time
    2. Helping students with assignments
    3. Answering student questions
    4. Reading aloud to the class
    5. Tutoring one-on-one
  5. Some reasons an interaction may require more information may include: (FBEs must include interactions throughout their interactive field-based experience and include engaging and helping students)


  • Intern states they only greeted students at the door at the beginning of the class.  
  • Small talk (asking students if they like the class/teacher) 
  • Switching lights on and off for the teacher during presentations
  • Cycling through powerpoint slidesfor the teacher
  • Stapling handouts
  • Passing out or collecting papers 
  • Walking students to the bathroom 
  • Picking up intems off the floor

6. In the above circumstances, the FBE coordinator will indicate “needs info” on their submission form.  In this case the advisor should:

  1. Direct the intern to their intern portal for a review of what information is needed.  Should be located under the Field-based experience tab.  
  2. Ask the intern to expand and detail out the different ways that they engaged and helped students during their experience.  If the intern lists anything in addition to what they originally put on their form, advise the intern to include the additional information in their updated submission.  
  3. For Example: Intern only stated on their form that they greeted students at the door.  Advisors asks, “can you provide me some more information about what types of activities you did or what you did to engage with the students.”         Intern replies, “well I also read aloud instructions for a group project and then walked around and answered a few students’ questions during that project.”  Advisors responds, “great! This experience would be perfect to highlight and add to y our submission for our field-based experience coordinators to review, Let me walk you through your portal to show you how to access that submission.”
  4. In the event our FBE coordinator denies a submission due to lack of interactions with students or requests more info, review the submission with the intern to see where the intern stated that they sat in the back of the classroom and simply observed.  Then highlight for the intern the types of activities and interactions in #3 that they can include for future interactions.        Also, ask them if any of those applied to their previous observation in the event they did, they can resubmit with further explanation of the interactions they had.