Teacher Education 211Handbook

Navigating the Teacher Education Program

(With Success!)

This won’t be YOU!!

Table of Contents

1. Where am I and What am I doing Here?

2. What Teachers Make3. The Teacher Education

Program: an Overview4. What the Heck is a

Conceptual Framework?5. Knowledge, Skills, and

Applications6. Reflective Practice7. Professional & Ethical

Behavior8. Developing a TEP Portfolio9. Goals: Long and Short Term10. Philosophy of Education:

Getting Started11. My Resume: Who am I? &

What Have I Done?12. Evidence & Captions

13. The Interview & How Do I Get In? (to TEP)

14. The Teaching License PRAXIS Connection15. PRAXIS Information21. Other Random Stuff You Should Know!

Where Am I And What Am I Doing Here?

If you have purchased and are reading this handbook, let’s assume you have for some reason chosen to be a teacher! This course is the beginning of the process through which you will navigate to reach your goal of teaching somewhere in public or private schools. Our program will lead to licensure in the state of Tennessee within your chosen field. There are lots of people here; faculty and staff whose job is to make the transition from student to teacher an easier one for you.

If you have entered the field of education because you think it is an easy job, or it’s something to fall back on in case

something else doesn’t work out, you probably should rethink your choice. Teaching is a demanding, soul wrenching, exhausting job. Entering into this profession should not be taken lightly.

This course will introduce you to the basic requirements of the Teacher Education Program (TEP). You will develop an understanding of the Conceptual Framework that guides our program. During this semester you will be expected to develop your portfolio with which faculty judge your progress in our program. You will create a resume, a professional teaching philosophy and goals. How you go about all of this, plus learn about licensure, PRAXIS, and graduating with a toolkit to guide your first years as a teacher will be part of this course.

I hope you are ready…

1

WHAT TEACHERS MAKE

The dinner guests were sitting around the table discussing life. One man, a CEO, decided to explain the problem with education. He argued, "What's a kid going to learn from someone who decided his best option in life was to become a teacher?" He reminded the other dinner guests what they say about teachers:

"Those who can, do. Those who can't, teach."

To emphasize his point, he said to another guest; "You're a teacher,Susan. Be honest. What do you make?" Susan, who had a reputation for honesty and frankness replied, "Youwant to know what I make?

"I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could."I make a C+ feel like the winner of the Congressional Medal ofHonor. I make kids sit through 40 minutes of study hall in absolute silence.You want to know what I make?I make kids wonder.I make them question.I make them criticize.I make them apologize and mean it.I make them write.I make them read, read, read.I make them show all their work in math and perfect their finaldrafts in English. I make them understand that if you have the brains, and follow your heart, and if someone ever tries to judge you by what you make, you must pay no attention because they just didn't learn."Susan paused and then continued. "You want to know what I make? 'I MAKE A DIFFERENCE.' What do YOU make?"

Teachers make every other profession possible!

2

The Teacher Education Program (TEP)An Overview

The teacher education program housed in Gooch Hall is an N.C.A.T.E. accredited program. This means that this program has met national standards in the preparation of teachers. If you leave this state to teach elsewhere, it tells prospective employers you have gone through a program which thoroughly prepares you to begin a teaching career.

The curriculum in your program includes three parts: the general education core, specialty area, and professional education. Your check sheet clearly indicates which is which. Your check sheet and catalog need to be your constant companions in the next couple of years. You need to read them, know what is required, and if you are staying on target for graduation. After you have been admitted to the TEP, you will have a faculty advisor to help you navigate your program. Ultimately you are responsible for your education, no one else can make you attend class or do assignments.

Admission to the TEP requires an interview with a faculty interview board, a minimum cumulative G.P.A. of 2.5, (going to 2.75 in Fall 08) and a minimum of 22 or higher on the A.C.T. or pass PPST (PRAXIS I). There is an appeals process. Finally, you will be evaluated from time to time on your disposition toward the profession and other educators.

The following dispositions characterize the UTM teacher education undergraduate and graduate candidate:

1. Demonstrates positive interactions with peers, faculty, and P-12 school personnel.

2. Demonstrates self-respect and respect for others.3. Accepts constructive criticism and changes behavior in response

to faculty suggestions.4. Assumes responsibility.5. Solves problems in a fair minded manner.6. Exhibits interest in the learner and enthusiasm for the learning

process.7. Adheres to professional guidelines regarding academic conduct

established by the Teacher Education Program.

Check out the Educational Studies website for more information about all the services, degrees and other miscellaneous information

you may need. http://www.utm.edu/departments/cebs/educate/resources.php

3The Conceptual Framework

The conceptual framework (CF) guiding the TEP was developed by faculty. This is a compilation of those things faculty believe candidates need to know in order to be prepared as a teacher. These include: Knowledge, Skills and Applications, Reflective Practice, and Professional and Ethical Behavior. Your portfolio and its evaluation depend on how well you present your case to your advisor and other faculty in the TEP in these areas.

Within these three areas you will also be asked to show your knowledge of assessment, technology and diversity. This means you will need to show that the work you have done within the three components of the C.F. also indicates you have considered these in doing your work for your courses. On the following pages each section of the C.F. will be considered separately.

4

Knowledge, Skills, and Applications

Knowledge includes knowledge of your content area as well as knowledge in the pedagogical (teaching) part of your program. If you are going to be a science teacher, you must know science. The same is true for every other content area. Specialty areas vary greatly from secondary to early childhood education. Each of your programs differs in the general education core, specialty area and professional education. In professional education, knowledge includes how to teach the science, math, history, or special education children you will have in your classrooms. It is not enough to know science content, you also must be aware of the developmentally appropriate approaches to teaching it.

The skills you must know include how to write lesson plans, plan a unit, integrate content areas, assess students, and modify lessons to meet the needs of all your students. Although not a comprehensive list, these skills, and others, will be acquired in your professional education courses. Seemingly mundane things have to be considered to be successful in the classroom: do my objectives match my assessment? Am I teaching what I say I am? Am I testing what I teach? How do I incorporate higher order thinking questions and objectives in my lesson planning? How do I maintain some kind of order in the room? Do I reward or punish? What rules are appropriate?

The application of knowledge and skills comes with mastery of these two important components. How you use them is the application of the information we as a faculty try to impart. You will find that, your professional education courses should be more than memorizing techniques and regurgitating information. They should be using that information to best teach students.

Reflective Practice

If you go home at the end of the day and don’t consider how your day went, you are weird!! A good teacher will be critical of themselves and reflect on lessons that went well or went wrong. They reflect on what they could have done differently or better. They think about keeping or not keeping an activity. They think about what Sarah was doing in social studies or where her mind was. What is going on in her life that I need to know about? Did Jim get this breakfast? He certainly couldn’t focus on what we were doing. How is Will’s grandfather doing? Did that affect how he was working today?

If 86% of your students failed their exam, whose fault is it? Theirs or Yours? How can you find out? Where do you go from here?

These are some of the hundreds of things you may consider on a daily basis. Just as a coach analyzes what went right and wrong in a game, you as the teacher must do the same thing. You will not improve as a teacher or facilitator of learning if you hand out information in tidy 50 minute packages, never consider how the information is related to your students’ lives or ever consider that you may be the one at fault when they don’t get it.

5

Professional and Ethical Behavior

As a teacher there will be tasks you are asked to do above and beyond your normal classroom duties:

parent teacher conferences, professional development, coaching, attending P.T.A. or other functions.

Professional and ethical behavior includes: behaving in a manner that does not violate the law or put

students in harms way, criticizing other teachers or the administration in public, talking about your students to others not permitted to

have that information, not cheating on TCAP or GATEWAY tests

The question: are you a professional or not? Do you keep up with your area of expertise? Do you attend conferences?

Do you find outside sources for information if you need help in a particular matter?

Do you do more than show up at 8:00 and leave at 3:00?

How will YOU answer these questions?

6

Developing the TEP PortfolioThe purpose of the portfolio is to give your advisor and other

faculty a record of your growth as a prospective teacher. You will include all kinds of documents and a caption that explains why that document is included. The portfolio will be set up in a standard format using the following information. You can however, individualize it with the kinds of paper you use, whether you decorate the front with something other than just the required title, and any other personal touches you choose to use. Your portfolio basics will be completed in this course.

Needed for your portfolio:3 ring binder; 2 or 3 inch will doDividers with clear tabsPage protectors for your documents

Portfolio Divisions (Use dividers with clear tabs for this)Each of the following items should have its own tab.

Table of ContentsProfessional PhilosophyProfessional GoalsResume

Conceptual FrameworkKnowledge, Skills, and Application

DiversityTechnologyAssessment

Reflective PracticeDiversityTechnologyAssessment

Professional and Ethical BehaviorDiversityTechnologyAssessment

7Goals

Goals refer to long and short term professional goals. This is not where you indicate you would like to remodel your kitchen or add a workshop to your garage.

Where you do want to be in one year? What do you want to accomplish over the next two years? These are short term goals.

Where do you want to be in 5 years? 10? These are long term goals.Again, we are talking professionally speaking. Would you like to start work on a master’s degree in 5 years? Graduate with honors in two years? Have an assistant coaching position in 5 years?

Look at goals you might attain professionally.

Philosophy

Your philosophy should tell us something about you. How do you feel about students? Or how they should be taught? Do you feel comfortable using corporal punishment? How do you want to present the content you have worked hard to acquire? The following is an example:

My Educational Philosophy

All students should have an equal opportunity to learn in a safe and equitable environment. I believe that education should be experiential in nature, so students should be active participants in their own education. The teacher’s duty is to provide experiences for students that not only enhance their knowledge in subject matter content, but also develop cognitive skills through inquiry and discovery learning, and problem-based instruction, in an environment that encourages questioning, critical thinking, and social action.

In science education, I believe the teacher should establish an environment that develops a community of science learners who come to understand that all students can be scientists, can conduct scientific inquiry, and participate as problem solvers to the betterment of society and the natural world.

This is not to say your philosophy should mirror this one, but this gives you an idea as to what might be included. Start thinking about how you feel about learning and learners.

8

Resume

You will include a resume in your portfolio. Include work you have done, schools you attended and so on. There are lots of examples of resume styles on most word processing programs including Microsoft Word. Consider what you want this document to say about you, your work history, your schools attended and any outside activities that will shed some light on you as a person. This is part of what you will complete for this course to put into your portfolio.

Evidence and Captions for your Portfolio

The evidence you will collect for your portfolio will come from a variety of places including your coursework. It will come from activities you do outside of the classroom such as workshops or events you

attend. You will have to decide along with your advisor where your work will best fit. Remember you will try to fit these under those three areas of the conceptual framework. YOU INCLUDE WORK YOU HAVE DONE, NOT COPIED FROM ANOTHER SOURCE.

Knowledge, Skills and Applications:

Lesson and Unit Plans Objectives, Questions (Bloom’s Taxonomy)Lesson plans with accommodations (special education)Management PlanUnit AssignmentsLearning Centers or Bulletin BoardsTests and other evaluation instruments you have developed or

used Internet lesson plans you have modifiedWeb Quests you create (HL 311)Technology used to teach lessons, or incorporated into lessons

Reflective Practice

Journal entriesLesson CritiquesField Experience AssignmentsTextbook, software evaluationsI.E.P. s

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Professional and Ethical Behavior

Membership in professional organizationsOffice in professional organizationsAttendance at conferences, in-services, or other professional

meetingsJuried performances, shows, judgingAgriculture judging, participation in high school activities (band camp, FFA, etc.)

The Explanatory Caption

Portfolio Section (Knowledge, Skills, & Application)

Title of Work:

Date Created:

Course in which created:

Introduction and Explanation:

Interpretation & Reflection:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You will write a caption sheet for each individual piece of evidence presented in your portfolio. When you finish student teaching, you will have 9-15 pieces of evidence. As your work improves, you will replace old evidence with new. Before you student teach you should have a minimum of 5 pieces of evidence in your portfolio and may have more than that. There are portfolio checkpoints throughout the program, the first in 211. It will be checked in TCED 302, 303 & 305 (these checkpoints may change)as well as at EACH registration advising appointment with your advisor. It will also be checked prior to student teaching and will be checked at the end of the semester in student teaching.

10

The Teacher Education Admissions Interview

Toward the middle of each semester, teacher education admission interviews are held. You have to sign up for these and schedule an appointment time. This will be discussed more in class.

The interview team will be looking for oral language skills, how well you know what the heck you are doing, what influenced you to become a teacher and so on. The questions will vary somewhat depending on your interview team. This is not a time to panic or worry excessively. However, do not take the interview process lightly. You must dress professionally: no midriffs, cleavage, no alcohol on breath, no torn jeans, dirty clothes or unkempt appearance. If you pass your interview and have the other requirements listed on page 5 of the handbook or on page 163 in the 2006-2007 UTM catalog, you will be admitted.

There may be a background check required before student teaching. You must have one to teach in Tennessee. At the interview you will sign a statement acknowledging the requirement of a background check.

11

The Teaching License PRAXIS Connection

In order to become a licensed teacher in Tennessee, there are a series of tests you must complete and pass. Depending on your area, you may have to take more than someone else in the TEP. For instance, K-6 majors must pass 4 tests to be licensed. Your advisor is the best person to talk with about when to schedule your PRAXIS exams. You do not want to find yourself student teaching only to find you have 4 tests to take in a very short time if you want to get a teaching position. Generally speaking, take your content area exam when you have completed most, if not all of your content courses. Some should not be taken until you have completed your upper division methods courses, some should be taken during your student teaching semester.Do NOT wait until the last minute to try to take them all, you will not be happy. There are workshops usually twice a year to prepare you for the PLT. Take one. One of your exams will also serve as your exit exam from our program.

Who Do You Call?

Questions about licensure:

Office Contact PersonGooch 205 Student Services Ms Jenny Hahn 881-7126 or

jhahn@utm.edu

PRAXIS, Graduate Student AssistantsNew Check sheets, 881-7203advisor information, interview sign-up,

student teaching applications, Ms Debbie Stigall 881-7129 or

dstigall@utm.edu

Student teaching placements, Mrs. Jennifer Cook

Gooch 205 Student Services offers help in multiple areas. Be nice! These people are here to help you. Their website has the answers to FAQ, check it out! http://www.utm.edu/departments/cebs/ESS.php

To sign up for PRAXIS exams, or to review Tests at a Glance, help prepare for the tests: www.ets.org

The connection between PRAXIS and licensure is simple, pass the tests, you may be licensed. Be sure to request scores go to UTM.

12

Where to Get Additional InformationTo obtain information about approved teacher education programs or certification for individuals who hold certification in another state, you may contact:Office of Teacher LicensingState Department of Education5th Floor, Andrew Johnson Tower710 James Robertson ParkwayNashville, TN 37243-0377Telephone 1-615-532-4885 Test RequirementsIf you test in Tennessee a copy of your scores will automatically be sent to the State Department of Education.The first digit of the "Session/Test Code" indicates the session during which the test is offered in the 2005-2006 testing year. There are no session numbers for the CBT tests, which are given by appointment, as explained in Praxis I Overview.You may take each Computerized PPST once per calendar month up to six times in a 12-month period. If you violate this restriction, the scores from your retest will not be reported and your test fees will not be refunded. This applies even if you canceled your scores on a test taken previously.

LicensureArea

Session/Test Code

TestName

QualifyingScore

Entry Into AllEndorsement Areas 10710 PPST Reading 174

20720 PPST Writing 173

10730 PPST Mathematics (calculators prohibited) 173

or

5710 Computerized PPST Reading 174

5720 Computerized PPST Writing 173

5730 Computerized PPST Mathematics(calculators prohibited)

173

 Where to Take the Computer-based Tests

The computer-based tests are offered by appointment through a national network of PrometricTM Testing Centers (many Prometric Testing Centers are located inside Sylvan Learning Centers), selected institutional sites, and ETS Field Service Offices. Visit Computer-based Test Centers  for the locations near you.Test center locations for the paper-based PPST are listed in the appropriate Test Center List:

← United States and U.S. Territories ← Outside the United States

The following tests are also required for teacher licensure:LicensureArea

Session/Test Code

TestName

QualifyingScore

All Teaching Licenses 30521 Principles of Learning and Teaching: Early

Childhood155

or

30522 Principles of Learning and Teaching:Grades K-6

155

or

30523 Principles of Learning and Teaching:Grades 5-9

154

or

30524 Principles of Learning and Teaching:Grades 7-12

159

Test (Beginning Administrator A)(PreK-12)

11010 School Leadership Licensure Assessment (must use SLS bulletin to register)

156

Test (Beginning Administrator B)(Prek-12)

11010 School Leadership Licensure Assessment (must use SLS bulletin to register)

156

Agricultural 7-12 10700 Agriculture 530

Art 7-12(Visual Arts) 10133 Art: Content Knowledge 150

Choice of:

20132 Art: Content, Traditions, Criticism and Aesthetics 140

or

20131 Art Making 155

(Test takers are required to bring four color photographs or still reproductions of their own artwork. For more detailed information about this requirement, see the TAAG material)

Biology 7-12 20235 Biology: Content Knowledge(calculators prohibited)

148

Choice of:

30233 Biology: Content Essays(calculators prohibited)

146

or

30433 General Science: Content Essays(calculators prohibited)

130

Business Education 7-12 10100 Business Education

(calculator allowed)570

Chemistry 7-12 20245 Chemistry: Content Knowledge(calculators prohibited)

152

10431 General Science: Content Knowledge,Part 1(calculators prohibited)

145

Early Childhood Education(PreK-4)

20021 Education of Young Children 155

10014 Elementary Education: Content Knowledge(calculator allowed)

140

20201 Reading Across the Curriculum: Elementary 151

Earth Science7-12 20571 Earth and Space Sciences: Content Knowledge

(calculators prohibited)146

10431 General Science: Content Knowledge, Part 1(calculators prohibited)

145

Economics 7-12 10910 Economics(calculators prohibited)

530

Elementary K-6 10011 Elementary Education: Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment(calculators prohibited)

159

10014 Elementary Education: Content Knowledge (calculator allowed)

140

20201 Reading Across the Curriculum: Elementary 151

Elementary K-8 10011 Elementary Education: Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment(calculators prohibited)

159

20201 Reading Across the Curriculum: Elementary 151

Choice of:

10014 Elementary Education: Content Knowledge (calculator allowed)

140

or

20146 Middle School: Content Knowledge (calculator allowed)

150

English 7-12 10041 English Language, Literature, and Composition: Content Knowledge

157

30043 English Language, Literature, and Composition: Pedagogy

145

English as a Second Language(PreK-12)

20360 English to Speakers of Other Languages(contains listening section)

530

Family & Consumer Science 10120 Family and Consumer Sciences

(calculator prohibited)580

French 7-12 20173 French: Content Knowledge (contains listening section)

160

10171 French: Productive Language Skills(contains speaking section)

165

French (PreK-12) 20173 French: Content Knowledge (contains listening section)

160

10171 French: Productive Language Skills(contains speaking section)

165

Geography 7-12 30920 Geography 580

German 7-12 20181 German: Content Knowledge (contains listening section)

149

German(PreK-12) 20181 German: Content Knowledge (contains listening

section)139

Government 7-12 10930 Government/Political Science 600

Health K-12 20550 Health Education 570

History 7-12 10941 World and US History: Content Knowledge 136

Latin 7-12 10600 Latin 540

Latin (PreK-12) 10600 Latin 540

Library Media Specialist(PreK-12)

10310 Library Media Specialist 600

Marketing 7-12 10560 Marketing Education(calculators prohibited)

640

Mathematics 7-12 10061 Mathematics: Content Knowledge (graphing calculator required)

136

30065 Mathematics: Pedagogy (calculator allowed) 125

Middle Grades5-8 20146 Middle School: Content Knowledge

(calculator allowed)150

20201 Reading Across the Curriculum: Elementary 151

Middle School Highly Qualified Status (tests are optional, not required for initial licensure)

Middle School English Language Arts

10049 Middle School English Language Arts 145

Middle School Mathematics 20069 Middle School Mathematics (calculator allowed) 143

Middle School Science 10439 Middle School Science (calculators prohibited) 135

Middle School Social Studies 20089 Middle School Social Studies 140

Music K-12(Instrumental) 30111 Music: Concepts and Processes 145

10113 Music: Content Knowledge(contains listening section)

150

Music K-12(Vocal/General) 30111 Music: Concepts and Processes 145

10113 Music: Content Knowledge(contains listening section)

150

Physical Education K-12 10091 Physical Education: Content Knowledge 152

30092 Physical Education: Movement Forms - Analysis and Design

148

Physics 7-12 10265 Physics: Content Knowledge(calculators prohibited)

144

Choice of:

30262 Physics: Content Essays(calculators prohibited)

135

or

30433 General Science: Content Essays(calculators prohibited)

130

Psychology 9-12 20390 Psychology 560

Reading Specialist 20300 Reading Specialist 510

School Counselor (PreK-12) 20420 School Guidance and Counseling (contains

listening section)580

School Psychologist (PreK-12) 10400 School Psychologist 590

Sociology 7-12 20950 Sociology 540

Spanish 7-12 10191 Spanish: Content Knowledge (contains listening section)

152

20192 Spanish: Productive Language Skills (contains speaking section)

154

Spanish(PreK-12) 10191 Spanish: Content Knowledge (contains listening

section)152

20192 Spanish: Productive Language Skills (contains speaking section)

154

Special Education /Comprehensive K-12 20353 Education of Exceptional Students: Core Content

Knowledge144

10544 Education of Exceptional Students: Severe to Profound Disabilities

155

20201 Reading Across the Curriculum: Elementary 151

Special Education /Early Childhood Education(PreK-1)

20353 Education of Exceptional Students: Core Content Knowledge

144

10690 Special Education: Preschool/Early Childhood 560

20201 Reading Across the Curriculum: Elementary 151

Special Education /Hearing(PreK-12)

20353 Education of Exceptional Students: Core Content Knowledge

144

10271 Education of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students 163

20201 Reading Across the Curriculum: Elementary 151

Special Education /Modified K-12 20353 Education of Exceptional Students: Core Content

Knowledge144

10542 Education of Exceptional Students: Mild to Moderate Disabilities

164

20201 Reading Across the Curriculum: Elementary 151

Special Education /Speech Language(PreK-12)

20330 Speech-Language Pathology 600

Special Education /Visual (PreK-12) 20353 Education of Exceptional Students: Core Content

Knowledge144

10280 Teaching Students with Visual Impairments 700

20201 Reading Across the Curriculum: Elementary 151

Speech Communication7-12

10220 Speech Communication 570

Technology Education5-12

10050 Technology Education(calculators prohibited)

580

Theater K-12 10640 Theatre 610

Other Random Stuff You Need to KnowCourses taken off campus at an institution other than UTM:

Must be taken before the last 30 hours of your program

Substituting courses you have had transferred to UTM:Courses must meet certain criteria and there is a particular procedure that must be followed:

You have to produce the course syllabus, The proper paperwork must be filled out by your

advisor and signed by you, We do NOT substitute methods courses for our own,

If you want to sub a course in the university general education core, it must go before the Undergraduate Council as well as departmental committee,

Math majors, pay attention to course rotation, some courses are only offered every other year.

K-6 majors, take Math 191 and 192 early.

Secondary Education majors, your methods class is only offered in the fall and TCED 302 is a pre-requisite. (SEDU 411, 412, 413 etc)

TCED 302 is a pre-requisite for MOST professional education courses.

You have to register for student teaching as for other courses.

You should join S.T.E.A. the Student Teacher Education Association. Your membership provides liability insurance. It is affiliated with T.E.A. and N.E.A. It also saves you a registration fee for the PRAXIS PLT workshop. S.T.E.A. also puts you together with other education majors. Dr. Ginny Esch (vesch@utm.edu) is the advisor for this group.