Work Practicum is the American term for a work placement and is an undergraduate or graduate-level course, often in a specialized field of study, that is designed to give students supervised practical application of a previously or concurrently studied field or theory.
[1] Practicums (student teaching) are common for education, mental health counselor, and social work majors.
[2] The process resembles an internship; however, a practicum focuses on observation over work experience.
[3] Student educators work directly with cooperating teachers to plan and implement effective lessons using a variety of teaching strategies and methods to provide differentiated instruction within classrooms and meet the needs of diverse students.
[3] To ensure the safety of students and faculty members, background checks are required and must be completed before any teaching candidate can begin their practicum experience.