secondary certification
Curriculum for the Secondary Minor in Teacher Education
General Education
All candidates will fulfill the General Education requirements of the Teacher Education Program. At the Initial Program Advisor appointment, candidates will complete a General Education Self-Assessment form and will receive advice as to courses that will fulfill TEP General Education requirements.
Teacher Education Introductory Courses/Requirements
- PSY 327, TEP 227, or an equivalent course in educational psychology.
- TEP 223, PSY 323, or an equivalent course in adolescent psychology.
- TEP 201 or an equivalent introduction to education course
- Potential applicants must also document at least 30 hours of service learning with school aged children in an educational setting.
Core Courses for All Teacher Education Candidates
The following courses are taken by all Teacher Education candidates, whether in the Elementary Minor or the Secondary Minor
- TEP 305 Technology for Teaching 3 hours
- TEP 307 History and Philosophy of Education 3 hours
- TEP 401 Middle School Concepts & Practices 3 hours
Courses Specific to the Secondary Minor in Teacher Education
In addition to the above introductory and core courses, candidates in the Secondary Minor will take the following course:
- PSY 324, TEP 224, or an equivalent course in exceptional child.
This course and TEP 305 must be completed successfully before methods courses may be taken.
Methods Courses:
- TEP 314 Curriculum and Instruction, 3 hours
- TEP 419 Methods of Content Area Literacy, 3 hours
One of the following specific content methods courses, depending on major:
- TEP 435 Methods of Secondary English, 3 hours
- TEP 436 Methods of Secondary Mathematics, 3 hours
- TEP 437 Methods of Secondary Science, 3 hours
- TEP 438 Methods of Secondary Social Studies, 3 hours
All general education coursework, TEP coursework, and coursework in the major area must be completed prior to the Clinical Practice Semester.
Clinical Practice Semester:
- TEP 449 ECCE: Clinical Practice Seminar 6-12, 3 hours
- TEP 451 ECCE: Clinical Practice 6-12, 9 hours
Important information about methods courses:
- Each methods courses include a 40 hour field placement in a local school setting.
- Candidates may not take more than two methods courses during one semester.
- Candidates must have their TEP faculty advisor’s signature on the WPI in order to register for methods courses.
- When the candidate completes the special approval for a methods course, s/he also completes a form to request the field placement.
- The Initial Program advisors determine field placements based on these requests and availability.
- At least one field placement will be completed in a diverse setting.
- Candidates will not be placed for field experience in a school where they have children in attendance, have been employed, or have spouses or siblings employed.
- Content Area Methods courses (TEP 435, 436, 437, 438) are offered during fall semesters only.
- TEP 401 is offered online during spring semesters but is primarily reserved for candidates in the Online Mathematics Program.
Important information about the Clinical Practice Semester:
- TEP 449 and TEP 451 constitute the entire semester.
- TEP 449 fulfills the required ECCE elective.
- TEP 451 fulfills the ECCE Engagement requirement.
- No other courses may be taken during the Clinical Practice Semester.
- TEP 449 meets biweekly during the first month of the Clinical Practice Semester; candidates also return for this seminar three times during the semester.
- TEP 451 refers to the actual Clinical Practice experience itself (student teaching).
- With the help of their advisors, candidates should determine the semester for clinical practice and plan on completing the application to Clinical Practice during the first two weeks of the semester prior to the Clinical Practice semester.
- Candidates must provide evidence of passing scores on the Content Area Test at the time of application for the Clinical Practice Semester.
- Candiates must have the required g.p.a.'s at the time of application for the Clinical Practice Semester and must maintain those g.p.a.'s during the semester prior to clinical practice. (2.5 overall, 2.75 in major area, 3.0 in TEP coursework)
- Candidates will not be placed for clinical practice in a school where they have children in attendance, have been employed, or have spouses or siblings employed.
Certification
Completing the Teacher Education Minor or the course sequence for post-baccalaureate candidates does not automatically certify someone to teach. The teacher education program recommends candidates to the State Teacher Certification Board for K-9 certification or 6-12 certification after the completion of criteria required by the program. These criteria include a set of general education requirements set by the program, teacher education course work, passing scores on three tests administered by the Illinois Certification Testing System (Basic Skills, Content-area, Assessment of Professional Teaching), and other requirements outlined by the State Teacher Certification Board, which has sole authority for awarding or denying teacher certification.
