WHITEWATER, WISCONSIN (March 1, 2024) — Kaitlyn Collins from Cordova, Illinois, who is studying Special Education at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, is representing the university as a student teacher during the spring 2024 semester.
Collins, a student in UW-Whitewater's College of Education and Professional Studies, is serving as a student teacher in Special Education in the Milton school district(s) through the end of the school year.
"Our students are highly sought after," said Fred Trotter, administrative director in UW-Whitewater's Office of Clinical Experiences. "School districts really appreciate the caliber of our graduates."
A total of 176 UW-Whitewater students were placed in school districts around the state starting in January. Student teaching is the final activity before teacher candidates earn their degree and license.
UW-Whitewater will partner with 249 cooperating teachers across 130 schools in 87 districts over the course of the semester.
"We couldn't do this without a lot of the great partnerships we have with those pre-K through 12 schools — their partnerships are very much appreciated," Trotter said.
Student teachers assist cooperating teachers with lesson planning, instruction, and assessment. This spring, a record 46 UW-Whitewater teacher candidates were hired by school districts as student teaching interns as part of the Department of Public Instruction's Wisconsin Improvement Program (WIP). Interns are licensed by the DPI to teach up to fifty percent of each day on their own and receive a stipend for the semester.
UW-Whitewater licenses the most teachers in the state of Wisconsin. Educating teachers was the university's original mission during its founding in 1868. To learn more about the College of Education and Professional Studies at UW-Whitewater, visit uww.edu/coeps.
