Education Studies

Teacher Education Student Handbook

2010

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“Learning can challenge what you already believe or strengthen it and no matter how small the lesson, when you learn something new, you are forever changed because a new understanding exists.”

--Emily, class of 2011

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Students,

So you are really going to do this, right? You’ve thought about it, you’ve

had a taste of it, you’ve reflected and weighed your options, and teaching

is what you really want to do. Terrific!

I sincerely hope you enjoy the roller coaster ride of the certification

program you have chosen and that you take time to take advantage of the

opportunity it will give you to dream, imagine, and prepare for your life as

a teacher. If you love it, there is honestly no work that will bring you the

pride, satisfaction, joy, and frustration of working everyday with the

young thinkers and doers in your classroom.

This handbook is a guide to the Teacher Education Programs and their

requirements and expectations as well as explanations of course

scheduling and preparation for completion of the program. We hope it

will provide the information and support necessary to guide you on your

path to becoming a certified teacher. While we provide a lot of

information here, you also have an Education Advisor. Your advisor is

going to be your advocate and very much wants to help you in every way

possible, whether it is about classes and curriculum plans, class work and

field placements, or personal issues. Please talk with the advisor early

and often. And please feel free to stop by my office any time.

Again, welcome to the family. I’m so very glad you are here!

Bobby

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Table of Contents

Philosophy Page 4

Program Goals Page 5

Admission to the Teacher Education Program Page 7

Teacher Education Committee Page 11

Teacher Dispositions Page 11

Admission to Student Teaching Page 14

Student Teaching Term Page 16

Certification Requirements Page 17

Exit Portfolio Page 18

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“The environment created within the classroom is a foundation for the environment created in the world. I want to create a place where children can learn to trust, value, and respect their peers. By giving children this opportunity, I hope to influence their actions within their world and create a greater sense of community.”

--Talisha, class of 2010

Philosophy

The program’s philosophical framework is the community of inquiry, which

encompasses the ideas of community and inquiry in relationship. At the heart

of that relationship are the means by which human beings convey and create

meaning together. Words are a primary means of communication, but other

artistic media find their way into communities comprised of diverse individuals

working together to create and share meaning. Common to all means of

expression is the necessity of careful thinking, vision, and personal integrity.

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Education Program Goals

1) As people who have found joy in life, learning, and teaching, and who trust in the power of human relationships to call forth inner strengths, teachers strive to relate to their students in ways that free both teacher and learner to engage in joyful, responsible and disciplined inquiry into the workings and possibilities of our world.

2) As people who value difference in human interactions, ideas and nature; who

understand that identity is shaped by diversity, experiences, and environment; and who recognize that we must all work together to build a more just society, teachers create learning environments based on democratic principles which ensure that multiple perspectives are valued and considered, and which encourage students to speak from their own diverse experiences, to give value to those expressions, to explore their own diversity, and to bring those experiences to the broader community.

3) As people who appreciate the interconnectedness and interdependence of

our world, teachers seek to add depth and breadth to their general knowledge as well as in-depth understandings of the content they teach. These teachers provide experiences that allow learners to recognize and value the interconnections that emerge as they explore their unfolding world.

4) As people who have experienced the power and beauty of creating their own

knowledge and constructing their own understandings, and who are committed to enabling their students to share this experience, teachers create dynamic learning environments providing both direct and vicarious experiences oriented around student interest and characterized by active inquiry, liberal use of time, self-correction, and engagement with others.

5) As people who see the promise in every person and believe that individuals

have the ability and duty to create a more just society, teachers attend to each and every student by planning, implementing, and assessing meaningful learning experiences and systematically engage in critical reflection and self correction.

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6) As people who understand and appreciate the capacity of tools—informational, technological, physical and intellectual—to extend the reach and enhance the quality of work to be done, teachers incorporate appropriate tools into their own work-lives and integrate their use into the instructional environments they create with learners.

7) As people who are committed to thinking together with others in the search

for truth, wisdom and beauty, teachers create learning communities grounded in inquiry where students come to understand the critical role of communication in inquiry and where they feel the confidence that grows with the development of their ability to participate in a community of inquiry.

For full version of the Unit’s Conceptual Framework see

http://www.berea.edu/educationstudies/ncate/2011/docs/ConceptualFrame

work.pdf

“I think the mind is a practical yet surefire avenue through which the

heart, spirit and body can all be reached.”

--Sonja, Class of 2012

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Beginning your education program

Candidates begin the program by taking EDS 150: Introduction to Education typically in the second semester of their first year (2nd Term). Students must undergo and pass a criminal record in order to take EDS 150. At the completion of this course, candidates talk with the instructor regarding their fit for teaching.

Typically, in the first semester of the sophomore year (3rd Term) candidates enroll in EDS 227: Child Development and School Structure if interesting in teaching in elementary school (P-5) or EDS 228: Adolescent Development and School Structure if interested in teaching at the middle-school or high school level.

After completing EDS 150 and EDS 227/228 candidates apply for formal admission to the major and to the Teacher Education Program. Candidates must earn a B or better in EDS 150 and EDS 227/228 to declare Education Studies as their major.

Admission to Teacher Education Program (TEP)

The formal Declaration of Major process coincides with the candidates’ admission to the Teacher Education Program for those seeking certification and typically occurs in the fourth term.

Requirements for Admission to Major

Grades of B- or higher in EDS 150 and one other EDS course A minimum overall GPA of 2.5 Demonstration of appropriate qualities of judgment, disposition, and

temperament in classroom and field settings

Requirements for Admission to the Teacher Education Program (TEP)

Demonstrate a commitment to high standards of academic effort and achievement, and a minimum 2.5 overall GPA.

Earn at least a B- in EDS 150 and EDS 227/ 228 or in the case of Physical Education and Music, an appropriate equivalent.

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Submit a satisfactory Education Written Assessment which represents the candidate as an individual who intends to become a teacher and complete a timely and satisfactory conference with candidate’s Education Advisor to discuss the professional growth and development plan.

Submit the following required forms: Application to TEP; Health and Character Profile; Student Curriculum Contract; signed commitment to abide by the Kentucky Education Professional Standards Board’s Code of Ethics for Kentucky Educators and show no evidence of willful failure to maintain that commitment; and three waivers.

Demonstrate appropriate qualities of judgment, disposition, and temperament in classroom and field settings together with a genuine commitment to children, to teaching and to learning.

Show no evidence or history of physical or psychological impairments that would preclude teaching success; no record of felonies or serious misdemeanors; no history of, nor existing problem with, substance abuse or chemical dependency.

Exhibit proficiency in communication in all areas essential to teaching as displayed in classes, course work, written statements, and interviews. (Candidates’ speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills are essential considerations in the Education Studies Department recommendation.)

Attain clearance that the candidate is not on academic, labor, or social probation.

Receive a favorable recommendation from the Education Studies Department

Admission to TEP Written Assessment Guidelines*

This assessment consists of four parts.

“Why I want to teach”

Write a reflective essay that addresses the question “Why do I want to teach?”

Discussion of how your motivations may have changed over time will add depth

and richness to your writing.

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Updated philosophy

Write a new or revised statement of your teaching philosophy.

In a separate essay discuss the changes that you recognize in your teaching

philosophy. Be sure to explicitly connect and integrate areas in which growth

has occurred due to your experiences in your preparation program and aspects

of the Program Goals that influence your thinking. Include a copy of your

original philosophy.

Professional Growth and Development Plan

As part of the Key Assessment 1 conference at the conclusion of EDS 150, you

set professional goals targeting dispositions that you wanted to strengthen, a

Program Goal that you wanted to understand with more depth and breadth and

a plan to gain content proficiency. In EDS 227, 228, or other related music and

physical education content courses, you worked on these professional goals in

various ways.

Briefly write about the changes in your understanding, thinking, and or

performance in these areas and be prepared to discuss these areas of growth at

your admissions conference. Make sure to address the content plan, the chosen

Program Goal and at least one of the targeted dispositions.

As part of your professional development plan also write an annotated list of

your experiences working with children of the ages you intend to teach.

Annotations should be brief, providing descriptive information about the

nature of the experience (when, where, with whom, and nature of your role).

Begin with the most recent.

Admissions Conference

During the admissions conference you and your advisor will develop new goals

to help you continue to grow professionally either in the areas already

identified or in new developmental areas. This conference will include setting

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goals concentrated on content proficiency, increasing your understanding of

the Program Goals, strengthening dispositions and gaining experience with

children of the age you plan to teach.

*For complete TEP guidelines and rubric see

http://www.berea.edu/educationstudies/ncate/2011/docs/Admission-to-

Teacher-Education-Program-guidelines-and-rubric.pdf

Notes/Questions ___________________________________________________________________________________________

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Teacher Education Committee [Policy]

The TEC meets to consider candidate admission to the Teacher Education

Program and to Student Teaching and consists of education faculty, candidate

representatives, and school personnel. The Committee notifies candidates by

letter regarding its decision. If the candidate is accepted, he/she is permitted to

enroll in education courses to which admission to TEP is the prerequisite and to

work toward admission to the Professional Terms/Year. If the candidate is not

accepted, he/she receives a letter indicating the reasons for the decision, what

needs to be done next, and how to reapply, if so desired, when those needs are

met.

A letter of denial indicates that the Teacher Education Committee’s decision

may be appealed in writing within 5 days from the date of notification. The

appeal should include pertinent data not available to the committee at the time

of its original action. It should be addressed to the chairperson of the TEC. The

candidate is notified of the time and place of the appeal meeting. If the

candidate wishes, he/she may appear before the committee in person. (Legal or

local counsel may not be involved in the appeal hearing.) The chair of the TEC

informs the candidate of the committee’s decision.

Teacher Dispositions

The program’s philosophical framework is the community of inquiry, which

encompasses the ideas of community and inquiry in relationship. At the heart

of that relationship are the means by which human beings convey and create

meaning together. Common to all means of expression is the necessity of

careful thinking, vision, and personal integrity. The goal of education (at every

level) is to help people become reasonable, just, compassionate, and creative

human beings who will seek to determine what is of constant value in the world

and to live accordingly. The education program at Berea College seeks to

prepare individuals who will manifest the values and commitments, the

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understandings and knowledge, and the skills and abilities necessary to

cultivate the dispositions of judicious inquiry in themselves and in their

students.

We seek evidence in all prospective teachers of the following foundational

dispositions, and we seek to nurture and extend these dispositions through

every facet of preparation:

1. Candidate exhibits behaviors that indicate a commitment to introspection and reflection.

2. Candidate exhibits behaviors that indicate a commitment to the value of relationships with others and to diverse perspectives, and with nature.

3. Candidate exhibits behaviors that indicate a commitment to life-long learning for

self and others. 4. Candidate exhibits behaviors that indicate a commitment to the growth and

development of all learners. 5. Candidate exhibits behaviors that indicate a commitment to the value of agency

for oneself, others and in the community. 6. Candidate exhibits behaviors that indicate a commitment to engage in critical,

creative and ethical thinking. 7. Candidate exhibits behaviors that indicate a commitment to the role of inquiry

and to reasoned discourse. 8. Candidate exhibits behaviors that indicate a willingness to take initiative and

assume responsibility. 9. Candidate exhibits behaviors that indicate understanding of professional work

environments and expectations. 10. Candidate exhibits behaviors that indicate a commitment to an ethic of service

that extends beyond the classroom.

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“As long as there is freedom within the mind to understand and see

things from different perspectives, then learning will be present.” Danny, class of 2013

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Admission to Student Teaching

Formal admission to Student Teaching takes place the second semester of the senior year (8th Term).

Requirements for Admission Student Teaching

Admission to the Teacher Education Program and continued meeting of all

requirements for admission and retention in the TEP.

Demonstration of commitment to high standards of academic effort and

achievement, with attainment of a minimum grade-point standing of 2.50

in major, collateral, and Education Studies courses and overall.

Demonstration of moral, social, and ethical behavior consistent with the

values and commitments of Berea’s Teacher Education Program and with

the Kentucky Education Program and with the Kentucky Education

Professional Standard Board’s Code of Ethics.

Satisfactory Education Portfolio for the major teaching field in which

certification is sought, submitted to the Education Advisor by the date

required.

Favorable recommendations from a) Education Studies Department; b)

the major department; c) the Berea College Labor and Student Life Office.

A favorable recommendation from the classroom teacher with whom

candidate worked during pre-professional placement.

Admission to Student Teaching Portfolio Guidelines*

A. Personal and professional background

1. An updated version of your TEP annotative listing of experiences that

includes experiences working with children of the age/s you intend to teach as

well as conferences and other professional experiences

B. Content

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In this section of your portfolio, you will provide evidence of your ability to

integrate what you know—and have researched—through the development of

a two-week interdisciplinary unit on a topic of your choice. Then you will write

a reflective essay on the process of creating your unit.

In your essay, help us follow your thinking through the process of creating your

unit. The unit can be one that you have already developed for a class or one

that you create for this portfolio; in either case, your unit should reflect your

best thinking about how you would teach under optimum conditions.

C. Professional knowledge

Our Teacher Certification Program is committed to a set of beliefs about how

teaching and learning can best occur. These beliefs are defined by 7 program

goals. At this point in your progress toward student teaching, it is important for

both the program and you to assess how you are developing in each of the areas

defined by these goals.

The purpose of this section of your portfolio is for you to demonstrate how you

understand what these goals mean, how they inform your philosophy of

education, how they will impact your practice, and how you imagine yourself

growing and developing in their use.

1. Write a statement of your philosophy of education that reflects your vision for your students; your understanding of how learning takes place; and your view of the role of diversity, inquiry and community in your future classroom.

a. You must attend to each of the seven goals and identify them as they are being addressed.

b. You must provide some kind of evidence to support the claims you make about what you know and understand, what you believe, and what you say you can do and plan to do.

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*For complete Admission to Student Teaching guidelines and rubric see

http://www.berea.edu/educationstudies/ncate/2011/docs/Admission-to-

Student-Teaching-guidelines-and-rubric.pdf

Requirements for admitted candidates prior to Student Teaching Term

The following requirements must be received by the Education Studies

Department prior to the start of Student Teaching in the ninth term.

Grade of B- or higher in each EDS course taken in the pre-professional

term.

Submit evidence that the Praxis II content test(s) and PLT test have been

taken.

Verification of a current medical examination, including a tuberculosis

risk assessment.

Criminal Background Check clearance

Student Teaching Term

This course involves observation, participation, teaching, and a wide variety of

school-related activities under the guidance of supervising teachers and staff

members of the Education Studies Department. Student teachers will spend at

least twelve (12) weeks, five (5) full days per week, in their assigned

placement(s). Students will be expected to complete satisfactory entries for the

Eligibility (exit) Portfolio required for initial teacher certification and teach

from a Unit produced by the candidate.

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Certification Requirements

Favorable recommendation from the Education Studies Department based upon the candidate’s reflection of the values and commitments that underlie Berea College’s Teacher Education Program and adherence to the Kentucky Education Professional Standard Board’s Code of Ethics.

Favorable recommendations from cooperating teachers and College Student Teaching supervisor(s) based upon performance in meeting the Kentucky Teacher Standards and Berea College’s Teacher Education Program Goals.

No grade lower than a B- in the Student Teaching course. Satisfactory Eligibility Portfolio demonstrating competency in each field in

which certification is sought that meets all Kentucky Teacher Standards. Passing scores on all required Praxis II content test and the PLT. Completion of application for certification and related materials.

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Exit Portfolio*

Your portfolio has three sections.

A. Teaching Philosophy Begin your teaching philosophy with a statement that articulates your hope for the world. This is a personal statement that shares how the world should be, in your view. Your hope for the world permeates everything you do as a teacher. This statement becomes the foundation of your vision for teaching. For example, your vision guides how you foster community, how you engage in inquiry, and in how you interact with the natural world. Your hope for the world is the overarching idea that you value, your vision is how you will bring this about through your teaching.

B. The second section of your portfolio is a seven-part narrative relating the

Education Program Goals to your work in the classroom this semester. For each Goal, your narrative should do the following things:

1. Explain what the goal means to you in ways that demonstrate your ability to embrace its complexity and its role in realizing your hope for the world and your vision for teaching.

2. Select, include, and discuss at least one piece of evidence from your student teaching that demonstrates:

a. Your understanding of that goal; b. How your vision for teaching connects to that goal.

3. Show the evidence you include relates to one or more of the ten Kentucky Teacher Standards (KTS).

a. Include the Kentucky Teacher Standard and indicators you address in your narrative.

b. Address each of the ten standards. C. The third section of your portfolio, which focuses on your unit, is a work

sample analysis. This requires that you have planned, taught, and analyzed a complete unit so you can show the impact of your instruction on student learning. The work sample analysis will provide an excellent opportunity to analyze your practice and will prepare you for the work sample analysis

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that is a required component of the Kentucky Teacher Internship Program (KTIP) performance assessment that first-year Kentucky teachers must complete during their first year of teaching. Within the work sample analysis, you will address a series of questions on your planning and teaching of an instructional unit (Kentucky Teacher Standards I-IV). You will analyze student performance during the unit (KTS V). The act of analyzing and reflecting is evidence of KTS VII.

*For full guidelines and rubric see:

http://www.berea.edu/educationstudies/ncate/2011/docs/Exit-Portfolio-

guidelines-and-rubric.pdf

Notes/Questions

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For more information, please see the Education Studies Website

www.berea.edu/educationstudies or visit the Education Studies office in Knapp

Hall.

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Teaching Resources

Kentucky Teacher Standards

http://www.kyepsb.net/teacherprep/standards.asp

Program of Studies, Academic Expectations & Core Content for

Assessment

http://www.education.ky.gov/KDE/Instructional+Resources/Curriculum

+Documents+and+Resources/default.htm

Combined Curriculum Documents

http://www.education.ky.gov/KDE/Instructional+Resources/Curriculum

+Documents+and+Resources/Teaching+Tools/Combined+Curriculum+D

ocuments/

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Notes/Questions

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