Field / Clinical Experience - Field and Clinical Experiences
Consortium for Overseas Student Teaching (COST)
Each year, approximately 10-25 College of Education students complete the final step of their teacher education programs by taking advantage of the unique opportunity to student teach abroad. As you think about your student teaching options, we encourage you to consider the COST program, a consortium of universities from across the nation that work through their own colleges and departments to place students in classrooms around the world.
From a high school science class in Australia to an elementary school in Ireland, COST participants learn first-hand what it means to be a teacher in a global society. As the culminating experience of your teacher education program, student teaching marks the transition from student to professional educator. COST allows students to experience this singular moment in their teaching careers through full immersion in a foreign culture and classroom.
The language of instruction is always English.
You do not have to speak or learn a foreign language.
UGA APPLICATION DEADLINES
Summer 2014 Semester – November 15, 2013 (limited sites available in summer)
Fall 2014 Semester – January 15, 2014 (all sites)
Spring 2015 Semester – July 15, 2014 (all sites)
Want to learn more about COST and see a list of international placement sites?
Visit www.costprogram.org.
If you are a UGA student interested in COST, contact Martha Pruet at mpruet@uga.edu.
What do UGA students say about COST?
“I absolutely loved student teaching in Australia. I learned so much about myself and about my abilities. It was great living and learning the culture everyday.”
“Completing my student teaching (in Ireland) was one of the most rewarding experiences I have ever had. I grew not only as teacher but as a person. I gained an independence that is different from the one I had while living at college.”
“I don’t know if I enjoyed every single minute of my time (abroad), but I can honestly say that this has been one of the most valuable experiences I have ever gained. ”
“(Student teaching abroad) is such a rare opportunity; one that is difficult to have when teaching in your own home country, and not even the tiniest part of me regrets having this experience.”
“I (learned) techniques in the classroom that I had never been introduced to before. ”
“Being away from the familiar made me rely more on my fellow faculty and administration, which is crucial to a successful career within (any) school.”
“…being in an international school (in Hong Kong) offered me the opportunity to hear and work with teachers and students from all over the world, exposing me to an even larger pool of different teaching and learning styles and values, allowing me to expand my horizons further, and it opened up new doors and windows in my life (I’ll be teaching in Korea after graduation!)”
“My cooperating teacher was an amazing mentor. She taught me so much, including great ways to use hands-on activities, the importance of a child-centered classroom, and how to laugh at school.”
“It is a long time to be away from family and friends, especially during my last semester of college, but I would recommend it in a heartbeat.”
“(The COST) program has allowed me to explore a different culture through my passion for teaching.”
“My outlook on teaching and life in general has changed for the better by taking part in the COST program. When all is said and done, I would not change a thing.”
