Division of Teacher Education

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Faculty

Craig, Amy
Eschete, Cathy
Shamblin, Michael
Skiles, Marion
Warren, Christy

Mission Statement

The mission of the Department of Teacher Education is to provide an environment and structure that prepares candidates to become professional educators, informed by the Christian faith, and committed to life-long learning in a changing world.

The Dynamic Educator Exemplifying

1. Christian and Community Service
2. Mastery of Subject Matter
3. The Attributes of the Practitioner Teacher

A Cord of Three Strands is not Easily Broken. Ecclesiastes 4:12

The philosophy of the Teacher Education Program reflects the premise that teaching is both an art and a science. Prospective teachers should receive the education and guidance necessary to develop mastery of subject matter; a personal philosophy of learning and teaching; proficiency in planning, instruction, and assessment; competency in classroom leadership; and a realization and acceptance of their responsibility in directing the educational experiences of their students. Louisiana College offers an initial certification program. Within that initial program, one may pursue the undergraduate bachelor’s degree with certification in elementary grades, secondary level subjects (English, French, mathematics, sciences, social studies, and Spanish), or K-12 grades certification in art, music, or Health & Physical Education.

The Teacher Education Program is designed as a process to help the candidates become knowledgeable, caring, empowering educators who can fulfill these important tasks. The following outcomes are embraced in support of the mission and are correlated to the Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (INTASC) Standards and Teacher Education Accreditation Council (TEAC) standards/Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP).

Candidates should:

• Engage in Christian/Community service
• Exhibit professional dispositions
• Possess a knowledge base in the liberal arts and sciences
• Possess knowledge of research-based theory
• Recognize the implementation and integration of theory throughout the curricula
• Communicate accurately and effectively
• Construct meaningful experiences that facilitate both creative and critical thinking and reality-based problem solving and decision making
• Model effective classroom leadership and teaching of individual learners within diverse student populations
• Integrate technology in instructional planning and teaching
• Experience diverse teaching and learning environments
• Demonstrate competence in planning, instruction, assessment, management, and collaboration
• Utilize self-evaluation, feedback from performance-based assessment, and reflective thinking to improve professional skills

Louisiana College prepares students from all major fields for a changing world through a liberal arts tradition, and commitment to academic excellence informed by a Christian worldview. In addition, the Department of Teacher Education establishes a professional academic environment which reinforces life-long learning.

The Threads of Purpose in the TEAC Claims

The faculty of the Department of Teacher Education at Louisiana College has chosen symbolic threads or strands that when collectively brought together in a planned and methodical manner, weave a cord that represents a strong, well-rounded, and competent teacher education graduate. Its premise rests upon the fact that each thread or strand addressed individually is relatively weak and can be broken and rendered useless. However, when each strand is woven into a strategically designed cord representing the incarnate of the total teacher, the end result is a competent, resilient, and purposeful teacher. This is the epitome and culmination of a uniquely designed, creative, caring, and highly competent individual. The theme revolving around these three concepts is taken from Ecclesiastes 4:12 which states “…a cord of three strands is not easily broken.”

TEAC Claims

• Teacher candidates will model Christian/community service with their students and in their communities
• Teacher candidates will master the prescribed subject matter to include content, pedagogy, and methodology.
• Teacher candidates will exemplify the attributes of a professional teacher by applying knowledge, skills, and dispositions in the classroom.

Entrance and Exit - Undergraduate Teacher Education

The Department of Teacher Education’s continuous assessment model utilizes portals to provide checkpoints to monitor candidate performance and gather information regarding the program’s effectiveness. Each portal consists of criteria that the candidate must fulfill to successfully move into the next portal. There are four portals utilized by the Department of Teacher Education or initial candidates. These are:

• Portal One Admission to Teacher Education Program
• Portal Two Teacher Candidacy Program
• Portal Three Student Teaching
• Portal Four Exit from Teacher Education Program - Application for Louisiana’s Level One Teaching Certificate

Portal One: Admission into Teacher Education

Potential candidates apply for admission to the Teacher Education Program in Portal One. Students at Louisiana College should apply to the Department of Teacher Education for admission to the Teacher Education Program during the first semester they declare a major. Applications will be accepted from transfer students either from other institutions or other curricula at more advanced levels in their college career at the time they enroll in the college. To be admitted to the Teacher Education Program a student must meet the following criteria:

1. Have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.5.
2. Earned a C or better in all courses required for teacher certification.
3. Passed the PRAXIS Core Academic Skills for Educators in Reading, Writing, and Math. (Effective September 1, 2006, prospective teachers in Louisiana may use an ACT composite score of 22 or higher, or an SAT combined verbal and math score of 1030 or higher, in lieu of PRAXIS Core Academic Skills for Educators scores.)
4. Complete application along with two letters of recommendation that identify and discuss the applicant’s attributes. These attributes should support the probability for success in the teaching profession and the applicant’s service to others.

Students cannot take upper-level teacher education courses (300-400) until they have been admitted to the Teacher Education Program.

Portal Two: Teacher Candidacy

Once admitted into the Teacher Education Program, teacher candidates must meet the following ongoing criteria:

1. Maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.5.
2. Earn a C or better in all courses required for teacher certification.
3. Pass PRAXIS content exam in certification area.
4. Pass PRAXIS PLT in grades K-6 if elementary major or 7-12 if secondary major. All level (K-12) majors can select either the PLT K-6 or the PLT 7-12.

During the Teacher Candidacy Portal, candidates take 300-400 level courses. These varied experiences provide the candidates with the opportunity to apply the knowledge base of methods and subject matter into diverse field experiences. The candidates will be required to develop an electronic portfolio which demonstrates competence in professional outcomes. Satisfactory recommendations from the education course instructors are essential for candidates to move into the student teaching portal.

Observation of student performance is based on outcomes correlated to the COMPASS which is based on Danielson Framework for Teaching. Teacher candidates’ instructors gather information based on each candidate’s performance and recommendations from the candidate’s cooperating teacher to assess the candidate’s demonstration of the professional outcomes. If candidates do not meet the expectations of the professional outcomes, they can be called before a committee of instructors. The purpose of this committee is to review the candidate’s progress and make recommendations that range from strategies for improvement to dismissal from the Teacher Education Program.

Portal Three: Student Teaching

Students who plan to receive an education degree from Louisiana College must successfully complete a semester of student teaching under the supervision of an experienced, competent classroom teacher as well as a member of the faculty of the Department of Teacher Education. The Student Teaching Program at Louisiana College is conducted in the public schools under a special agreement between the college and the local school districts. All student teacher placements are made by the faculty of the Department of Teacher Education.

Students are to schedule no more than twelve (12) credit hours during the student teaching semester. The class(es) taken must be in the evening so as not to interfere with the all-day student teaching experience.

To be qualified for the Student Teaching Program a candidate must meet the following criteria:

1. Completed Portal One and Portal Two.
2. Filed an application for Student Teaching with the director or supervisor of student teaching at the beginning of the semester preceding the student teaching semester.
3. Successfully completed the courses in his/her professional sequence up to that point.
4. Have a minimum grade point average of 2.5 in the following: all course work, courses in professional education, and other courses required for certification (allied and major courses).
5. Earned a C or better in all courses required for teacher certification.
6. Passed all PRAXIS tests required for certification.
7. Possess positive character traits, such as fairness, honesty, compassion, and respect for self and others.
8. Approved by the Teacher Education Committee.

Portal Four: Exit from Teacher Education

In order for a teacher candidate to exit from the program he/she must meet the following criteria:

1. Successfully passed through Portals One, Two and Three.
2. Completed appropriate degree plan, maintaining a 2.5 grade point average with no grades lower than a C in courses for certification.
3. Filed Level One Teaching Application with the Department of Teacher Education for state certification.

Add-On Certifications

Students seeking add-on Pre-Kindergarten-3^rd grade certification requires the addition of ED 307  and PRAXIS Early Childhood PLT.

The addition of Special Education certification requires 9-18 hours of coursework:

Elementary courses are: ED 316 , ED 352 , ED 355 , ED 375 , ED 390 , ED 391 .

Middle and Secondary Courses are: ED 352 , ED 353 , ED 355 , ED 375 , ED 390 , ED 391 .

Areas of Certification

The Department of Teacher Education offers certification in twelve areas in addition to Elementary Education. Each of these teaching certification areas is listed in the section of the catalog for that discipline. Students will be advised by both the Department of Teacher Education and the specific content discipline. The teacher education unit offers the following subject area certifications: English, Mathematics, Business, Biology, Chemistry, Social Studies, French, Spanish, Adaptive Physical Education, Health and Physical Education, Music, and Art.

Teacher Education Minor

The following courses constitute an education minor: ED 190 , ED 198 , ED 295 , ED 390 , ED 395  or ED 396 .

NOTE THE FOLLOWING: A minor in teacher education is designed for those who may be interested in the field of education but who may not be interested in pursuing certification to teach. Any student pursuing this minor is advised that this minor alone will not meet certification standards of the Louisiana Department of Education.

Programs

• Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education

• Teacher Education Minor

Courses

• ED 190 Survey of Education Foundations with a Multicultural Perspective
• ED 198 The Exceptional Child
• ED 223 Children’s Literary Experience
• ED 250 Fine Arts for the Elementary School Teacher
• ED 295 Educational Psychology
• ED 307 Teaching the Young Child
• ED 310 Assessment of Instruction for Regular and Exceptional Learners
• ED 315 Introduction to Reading in Elementary Schools
• ED 316 Testing Procedure and Remedial Teaching in Reading
• ED 318 Specialized Methods and Organization for Elementary School Social Studies
• ED 320 Specialized Methods and Organization for Elementary School Language Arts
• ED 321 Content, Methods, and Materials for Elementary School Math I
• ED 322 Content, Methods and Materials for Elementary School Math II
• ED 323 Assessment of the Mathematical Understandings of Learners
• ED 324 Specialized Methods and Organization for Elementary School Science
• ED 335 Introduction to Reading in the Secondary School
• ED 352 Methods for Teaching the Special Child
• ED 353 Vocational Education for Special Needs Learners
• ED 355 Collaborative Teaming
• ED 375 Behavior and Classroom Management for Regular and Exceptional Learners
• ED 385 Instructional Strategies in the Content Area
• ED 390 Instructional Use of Computers
• ED 391 Special Education Tests and Measurement Experience Practicum
• ED 393 Secondary Curricula and Instruction
• ED 395 Child Psychology
• ED 396 Adolescent Psychology
• ED 403 Advanced Topics in Education
• ED 425 Student Teaching in Elementary School
• ED 445 Student Teaching in the Secondary School
• ED 465 Student Teaching in K-12
• ED 467 Internship in Teaching

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