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School of Arts, Humanities and Communications
Department of Education |
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The Secondary-Education Program
If you have questions or concerns, please feel free to contact Dr. Anne Reeves, director of the secondary education program, 104 Seibert Hall, (372-4154 or reeves@susqu.edu). Earning a Secondary Teaching Certificate in Pennsylvania To qualify for a secondary teaching certificate, you must:
Teaching certificates are awarded by state departments of education, not by universities or colleges. When you complete SU's teacher-education program and meet all other requirements, SU will recommend to the Pennsylvania Department of Education that you be granted a teaching certificate. After the officials at the Department of Education in Harrisburg have reviewed your records, they will award you your certificate. Pennsylvania has two levels of certification, Level I and Level II. The one you will be awarded by the Pennsylvania Department of Education when you complete your teacher-education requirements at SU is Level I, best known as Instructional I. The PA Department of Education Web site is an excellent source of information about teaching and the laws and regulations affecting it. Many of your questions can be answered by searching this site: http://www.pde.state.pa.us Information about the teacher-education program at SU is contained in the University Bulletin (course catalogue). There you can find a list of required education courses. Required courses for secondary education are also listed on the Graduation Worksheets, which are available in the Registrar's office and in the Education Department. SU Majors Leading to Secondary Teaching Certification in Pennsylvania The following chart lists majors that can be used to earn a teaching certificate:
Secondary Education FAQ
First courses in education: Q. I've been busy working on the requirements for my major, but now I'd like to add courses for my teaching credential. Where do I start? A. Sign up for Introduction to the Study of Education (ED:200), or Historical and Philosophical Foundations of Education (EDUC:201). These are required 2-credit courses that will not only introduce you to education, but will also introduce you to the education faculty and give you some information about the teacher-education program at SU. These courses can also help you decide whether teaching is the right career for you. It does not matter whether you take EDUC:200 or EDUC:201 first; both are required introductory courses. Informing the university of your interest in secondary education: Q. How do I notify the education department that I'm interested in secondary education? A. Two things should be done when you decide that you want to be a secondary teacher: you should inform the registrar's office of your interest by filling out a "Declaration of Academic Program or Change of Advisor" form on which you state that your program is your major plus secondary education. These programs are "hyphenated majors," which means that their names are made up of the major name (such as English, Biology, History) followed by a hyphen and "Secondary Education." Examples of these programs are "Psychology - Secondary Education," "Spanish - Secondary Education," etc. You should also send an e-mail to Dr. Anne Reeves (reeves@susqu.edu), letting her know of your plan to pursue a secondary teaching certificate. You can request a meeting with her so that the two of you can make sure that your coursework is on track. When to apply for admission to the teacher-education program: Q. When do I need to apply for admission to the teacher education program? A. You must be admitted to the program before you can do your student teaching in your senior year. Therefore you should apply for admission to the program no later than the end of your junior year. We recommend that you apply as soon as you have completed all the requirements for admission. To make things easier for yourself, lay out a schedule detailing how you plan to meet all the requirements by the deadline. If you need help with this, contact Dr. Anne Reeves or one of the student advisors in the education department. Sequence of education courses: Q. What is the recommended sequence of education courses? A. Introduction to Education (ED:200) and Historical and Philosophical Foundations of Education (ED:201) are the first education courses to take. They may be taken in the freshman year, but secondary-education students usually take them in the sophomore year. Educational Psychology (ED:250) is recommended for the junior year, although you may take it in your sophomore or senior year. You can take Technology in Education (ED:330) in your sophomore, junior, or senior year. Standards-based Curriculum and Assessment (ED:280) is taken in the junior year or in the fall of the senior year. As preparation for your student teaching in the fall of your senior year, you are required to take ED:279 (Principles of Learning and Teaching in Secondary Education), ED:282 (Differentiated Instruction and Classroom Management), and a 300-level ED course in Methods of Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment. The course numbers for the methods classes will vary according to the subject area. In the spring semester of your senior year, you will take ED:500 student teaching block of courses, which includes ED:600 (Student Teaching Seminar). Here is a summary of the recommended sequence:
After you've been admitted to the teacher-ed program: Q. After I've been admitted to the teacher-ed program, what do I do next? A. You need to keep your GPA at 3.0 or higher, because you must have a 3.0 when you graduate in order to be certified as a teacher in Pennsylvania. You need to be sure to take all the required courses for your major, and complete any other requirements that the department of your major stipulates. You also need to take all the remaining required education courses in the appropriate semesters (see the list of required education courses above). See also information about Praxis tests in the handout Praxis Test Information. Student teaching: Q. What do I need to know about getting ready for student teaching? A. Most secondary education candidates do their student teaching in the second semester of their senior year. You must be admitted to the teacher-education program before you can begin student teaching. You must also have completed all courses required for your major and all required education courses except the student-teaching block. For the semester you will be student-teaching, you must enroll in the ED:500 block of courses that cover student teaching, plus ED:600 (the student-teaching seminar). You should take only these courses, and no others, while student teaching. If circumstances demand that you take another course, you must get written permission from the head of the Education Department. Another requirement for student teaching is that you have up-to-date clearances (Act 34 Criminal Background check, Act 151 Child Abuse History Clearance, and FBI fingerprinting and background check). You will also need proof of a recent negative TB test. For more detailed information, consult the "Student Teachers' Guidelines and Expectations" handbook.
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Last reviewed August 17, 2007 by Sara Herlinger Anne Reeves, Head, Education Department Susquehanna University, Selinsgrove, PA 17870-1164 Telephone: 570-372-4236 Fax: 570-372-2743 |