A level playing field or unequal footing: Early field experiences and the attributes of the director of field experiences as they relate to the extent of support services provided

Students are shaped by both their experiences prior to entering their teach er training program and by those within training. As a result, teaching exp erience before entering the program is thought to come to bear on their suc cess, or perhaps their need for support services within the program, partic ularly since many teacher education programs require some form of teaching experience as a prerequisite to admission. Moreover, their experience throu ghout the program is largely shaped by those with whom they have profession al contact, namely, those supervising field placements. The purpose of this article is two-fold: first, to examine the literature on field experience and teacher wellness and second, to determine the attributes of the directo r of field experiences and the extent of support services provided. Discuss ion in the first section examines early field experiences had by student te achers prior to their entering teacher training programs, focusing on both the length and the intensity of such experiences, including such topics as mandatory early field experiences, exclusion of early field experiences, an d length and intensity of early field experiences. The second section focus es on the role of the director of teacher education programs and the suppor t services offered, examining the existing descriptions of directors toward building an understanding of a typical composite profile of the administra tor of field studies.