Student Teaching
LMU proudly offers supportive student teaching field experiences in partnership with schools and districts in Los Angeles and the surrounding areas
Student Teaching at LMU
As a student teacher, you’ll be placed with an expert full-time mentor teacher in a K–12 classroom. At first you’ll mostly observe your mentor teacher, but you’ll take on more instructional responsibility over time.
Your mentor will offer you regular guidance and ongoing feedback. Mentors tailor their feedback so that you’ll feel challenged but not overwhelmed in the classroom, empowering you to gradually take ownership of daily teaching as you develop new skills and knowledge.
California state legislators have recognized the benefits of student teaching experiences and as such have recently passed (Summer 2025) legislation that could pay student teachers for their classroom fieldwork time. Details are under development. Stay tuned!
Below are a few common questions about our student teaching programs at LMU.
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Leave the planning to us! LMU coordinates student teaching assignment(s) that align you, your subject matter, and your experiences, and your geographic area, in a partnership school with a LMU certified mentor teacher. You do not need to contact any schools or school districts.
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Student teaching experiences are split into two full semesters - fall and spring, or alternatively, spring and fall. Due to school scheduling, student teaching fieldwork is not available during summer sessions.
While timing may vary to meet requirements, as a general guideline,
- In the first semester, student teachers are at school sites 3 days/week, during school hours, for 15 weeks.
- In the second semester, student teachers are at school sites 5 days/week, during school hours, for 15 weeks.
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While undergraduate teacher preparation program candidates do complete student teaching, it is also a supportive and beneficial option for graduate candidates. Please refer to the specific level (undergraduate and graduate) pages for elementary, secondary, and special education. Graduate candidates working in bilingual immersion classrooms also complete the bilingual authorization CSET language competency in advance of fieldwork.
Student teaching is considered the ”traditional” method for training to become a credentialed classroom teacher. Visit the program pages linked below to get more details about admission, application requirements, scholarships and financial aid available, and more.