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things you should know about
teacher education

1. The Teacher Education Program provides minors in either elementary or secondary teaching.
2. In order to be certified as a teacher through the TEP program at UIS, students need to select an appropriate major and apply to (and be accepted into) either the elementary or secondary minor in the Teacher Education Program.
3. Most UIS students who are interested in Teacher Education do not ask to meet with an Initial Program Adviser until their first or second years at UIS. Contact the program adviser via e-mail:
   • Heather Nielsen for Elementary
   • Tyler Tanaka for Secondary
4. There are several prerequisites that need to be satisfied before even applying to the Teacher Education Program.
5. Students who are accepted into the Teacher Education Program should expect to spend more than the traditional four years at the University.
6. Once a student is accepted into the Teacher Education Program, s/he is referred to as a ‘candidate.’ This term originated with the Illinois State Board of Education, who use that term for students who are ‘candidates for teaching certification.’ This maintains a distinction between university level teacher education students and students in K-12 schools.
7. Candidates are also referred to as ‘preservice’ teachers because they are not yet serving in the K-12 schools as teachers. Certified teachers who are serving in the K-12 schools are referred to as ‘inservice’ teachers.