TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAM

The Program

The Teacher Education Program, located in the Graduate College of Education, offers undergraduate students a four-semester sequence of education courses and field work, which meet the requirements for state certification at the elementary (1-6), middle (5-9), and secondary (9-12) levels. Certification for the middle and secondary levels is offered in biology, chemistry, earth science, English, French, history, Italian, mathematics, music (N-9; 5-12), physics, political science, and Spanish.

To receive initial licensure, students must

• complete an undergraduate major in one of the liberal arts or sciences;
• complete the Teacher Education Program;
• pass the Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure appropriate to the certification sought.

Initial licensure qualifies one for employment as a teacher for a period of five years. The next step, professional licensure, is achieved through completion of a master’s degree program or an equivalent program sponsored by the district in which one is employed. Professional licensure is currently renewable every five years.

The Graduate College of Education’s conceptual framework, “The Thoughtful and Responsive Educator,” provides the basis for the following learning objectives: Commitments, Understandings and Practices. These outcomes characterize “The Thoughtful and Responsive Educator” and are achieved when their behaviors demonstrate adherence to the following competencies:

• Commitments, by upholding ethical behaviors, pursuing lifelong learning, dedicating oneself to serve others, and acknowledging human resiliency and capability to learn.
• Understandings, by possessing breadth and depth in content and pedagogical knowledge, assessment practices, and the use of technology in practice.
• Practices, by demonstrating caring behavior and by collaborating productively with others, reflecting on how to improve professional practices, and promoting social justice as a social change agent.
  The primary goal of professional preparation programs for education is to prepare educators who see the welfare of their constituents as their personal responsibility, and are driven to engage in critical inquiry about all facets of their educational work and its contexts. These programs are aligned with local, state, and national standards for school professionals, and legal and ethical requirements for “best” professional practice.

Program Requirements

Students complete both

• a major in the College of Liberal Arts or the College of Science and Mathematics, and
• from 30 to 36 credits in the Teacher Education Program. The number of required courses will vary according to level-elementary, middle, or secondary.

Each student’s program of courses in teacher preparation has the following general outline.

Foundations Course

“Contemporary Issues in Education” provides the opportunity for consideration of the purposes and content of education in the context of contemporary urban life. In examining some of the ways in which these issues can be and have been approached, students inquire into historical, sociological, cross-cultural, and philosophical work on education and schooling.

Pre-practicum Field Experiences

Early on-site experiences in observing, assisting, and teaching in the schools allow students to test their interest in teaching, to begin to apply theory to practice, and to develop powers of reflection and problem-solving. The two 1-credit pre-practica are offered in conjunction with specific courses to facilitate the making of connections between theory and classroom realities.

Pedagogy

A series of 3-credit courses requires students to inquire into the nature of learning and teaching for different ages and ability levels, in different subject areas. Students are called on to reflect critically on their own learning, and to become familiar with research findings on the development of concepts and skills in children and on the effectiveness of different modes of instruction. They design curricula and explore a variety of ways to assess student learning, and to use assessment as a means of improving instruction.

Final Practicum

The program concludes with the requirement of a full semester of student teaching in the schools. Students spend five days a week in their school placement and attend an accompanying seminar at the University. Toward the end of the semester, they are expected to take on the full responsibilities of the practicing teacher.

General Education Requirements

Students preparing for certification at the secondary or middle school levels should make course selections with their teaching career in mind while completing the university requirements for general education. Breadth in a number of disciplines, as well as facility in a second language, and solid literacy skills will provide a strong foundation for teaching.

Students preparing for the elementary education certificate must have at least 36 semester hours in upper and lower level arts and sciences coursework covering

• child development;
• composition;
• economics;
• geography;
• mathematics;
• science laboratory work;
• US government, including founding documents;
• US history from colonial times to the present;
• US literature;
• world history, including European history, from ancient times to the present; and
• world literature, including British literature.

Students should meet with their advisors in the University Advising Center to ensure that their general education course selections satisfy the above requirement.

Admission

Students are eligible to apply to the Teacher Education Program when they are nearing completion of the first half of their BA or BS degree requirements. Students in the College of Liberal Arts and the College of Science and Mathematics must have a minimum GPA of 3.00.

Students who wish to enter the program should apply during the preceding spring semester, no later than April 15th. Applicants will be notified of the decisions of the admissions committee prior to the start of pre-registration. Applications will be accepted after the deadline dates as long as space is available. Application forms are available at the Teacher Education Advising Office (W/2/157) and at the University Advising Center (M/3/625).

For further information: contact the program office (617.287.7625). Students interested in teacher certification in physical education should see the section of this publication describing the Department of Exercise Science and Physical Education in the College of Nursing and Health Sciences.