Program Model
Students in the Department of Middle/Secondary participate in a demanding sequence of professional courses developed to address current and traditional research and best practice in teacher education. As the secondary model shows, course work within the secondary professional sequence examines and analyzes educational foundations content, educational technology, educational psychology, teaching for understanding, pedagogical content knowledge development, classroom management approaches, understanding special populations within education, cultural identity development, content literacy theory and practice, and teacher professional development. Knowledge and experiences gained in each course in the methods sequence informs and builds on new experiences and new knowledge in the next. Secondary pre-service teachers are involved in a field component of observation and teaching from the initial foundation pre-requisite course, TE 100. In this course students spend eighty (80) hours in various field sites assisting and tutoring middle school or high school students. Pre-service teachers in the secondary program have a field component in each of their methods courses; TEMS 302, General Methods of Teaching in Middle and Secondary Schools, TEMS 308, Advanced Methods of Teaching in Middle and Secondary Schools, and TEMS 312, Content Literacy in Middle and Secondary Schools. Students work directly with secondary school-based mentor teachers and practice methods of instruction examined in their courses. Pre-service teachers begin with focused observations and tutoring and advance to teaching full lessons they have prepared. Professors and field supervisors work with students during their fieldwork. The secondary professional sequence culminates with student teaching.