Information for Music Education Students

MSU Music Student Teaching

The MSU Music Student Teaching program is a one-semester program, designed to give students the opportunity to teach in a music classroom setting while still in school. It will help students to bridge the gap between their years of formal university preparation and the “real world” of schools. This is an opportunity for students to take the skills that they have learned in the classroom and to apply them in a classroom, helping them to develop their own personal “style” of teaching.

Acceptance into the MSU Student Teaching Program

Students must be accepted to the College of Education, have Advanced Standing in Music Education, and be a music education major in good standing to be permitted to student teach. Student teaching placements are made in consultation with the Student Teaching Coordinator, and every attempt will be made to place each student teacher in the best possible setting.

Students must have successfully completed the appropriate methods course for the intended placement. For example, to student teach in instrumental (band) music, MUS455: Teaching Instrumental Music, must be taken and passed.

MUS495: Student Teaching Seminar, is required of all student teachers. The seminar meets every Wednesday from 4:00-5:30pm during the student teaching semester. Students are also required to enroll in TE496 during their student teaching semester. STUDENT TEACHERS MAY NOT ENROLL IN OR TAKE ANY OTHER COURSES, INCLUDING APPLIED LESSONS AND ENSEMBLES, DURING THE STUDENT TEACHING SEMESTER.

MSU student teaching placements will not be made in schools more than 50 miles away from campus. The only exceptions to this policy are cases of extreme financial or family hardship, and will be handled on a case by case basis. Contact the Coordinator of Student Teaching with any questions regarding this policy.

Deadlines: Application to student teach must be made two semesters prior to the intended student teaching semester. Fall semester deadlines occur on the first day of classes in October of the given semester; Spring semester deadlines occur on the first day of classes in February of the given semester. To apply, please fill out the student teaching application form [PDF].

Students will be evaluated with this evaluation form [PDF fillable form]. To download, left click or hold the control key and select “download linked file”

Student Teaching Coordinator
Mitchell Robinson, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Music Education
Office: 208 Music Practice Building
Email: mrob@msu.edu Phone: (517) 355-7555

(Student Teaching Application and Materials)