The need for early field experiences in teacher education is based on four specific needs: (1) the student need to know if he or she likes teaching; (2) the university need to know if the student shows promise of becoming a good teacher; (3) the student need to practice before assuming major classroom responsibilities; and (4) the teacher education need to nurture better communication between colleges of education and the schools where their students will be working. Three specific models can be used to achieve these needs: the course specific model, which attaches an on-site field experience to an existing teacher education course; the block of courses model, which involves three different levels of field experiences; and the program-related model, which specifies the field experiences, but doesn't tie them to an individual course. (DS)