Student teaching is a requisite for acquiring teacher certification. Student teaching also connects the new teachers from their theories to the research they learned in their lessons planning, teachings and assessments. Student teachers have the chance to put into action, in real classroom settings, the things they learned in their formal education.
Student teaching is also the culmination of a course in a college or university. Being institutionally-supervised, would lead to teacher education; and eventually, to certification. The course may also include programs such as Early Childhood, Childhood and Adolescence. It is a requirement for either a Bachelor of Education or a Master of Education degree.
Student teaching is a requirement for students to receive certification to teach; and it is different from practicum. A practicum, on the other hand, is a requirement for students who have a certificate to teach but wants a certificate extension to teach another area of specialization; which is also institutionally-supervised. Student teaching and practicum are both field-based experiences.
Student teaching; which is almost a semester long, provides the students the opportunity to teach under the supervision of a certified master teacher. The student teacher is monitored by the cooperating master teacher and the college or university through its student teaching department liaison. The student teacher is given a passing or failing grade at the end of the student teaching experience.