Secondary BSED Advising

Very Important: You MUST PASS Praxis II: Social Studies: Content Knowledge (5081) before applying to student teach.

That means you’ll have to have passed Praxis II very soon after entering the Professional Program.

It is important that you prep for and pass Praxis II as soon as you finish your introductory courses. There is no need to wait until you enter the Professional Program to take the test.

You can find out more here

Congratulations!

You have already made significant progress toward your degree and certification. With acceptance into the Professional Program comes the responsibility to conduct yourself with the highest degree of professional standards.

First Things First

From now on, it is vital that you keep an accurate and up-to-date record of your educational and professional paperwork. Your files should start with a copy of your letter of acceptance into the Professional Program. Save all of your syllabi, course assignments, lesson plans, observations, letters of recommendations, etc. You should have a resume that is updated every semester. PLAN AHEAD: You Will Need to Complete a Total of 100 Field Experience Hours Before Student Teaching.

Student Teaching

You will have to apply for student teaching in the semester before you intend to student teach. You MUST PASS Praxis II: Social Studies: Content Knowledge (5081) before applying to student teach.

Most students take SSCI 415: Social Studies Methods at the Secondary Level that semester, and you will spend a lot of time in class discussing the application process and the expectations of student teaching.

All student teaching is coordinated by the Office of School-Community Partnerships. Student teaching application deadlines are usually 15 September and 15 February. Please check their website for more information.

ADVISING MEETINGS

It is your responsibility to make sure that you are on track to meet the general education, major, and Professional Program requirements. It is important to know exactly which courses are left for you to take in addition to the Professional Program sequence, especially because you can take only the two student teaching classes in your student teaching semester. Failure to follow the suggested sequence of classes could mean delays in graduation and having to do additional field experience hours.

Ideal Sequence of Classes

1st Semester

The first class you need to take is EDTE 316: Principles of Learning in Diverse Settings.

It is important to take this class first because it is a prerequisite for EDSC 425: Multicultural, Interdisciplinary Teaching and for LLA 440: Literacy Instruction in the Secondary School.

I strongly urge you to take SPED 315 this first semester as well. It will provide you with needed information and experience for the other semesters.

EDTE 316: Principles of Learning (4 credits - 30 field experience hours)
SPED 315: Introduction to Educating Learners with Exceptionalities (3 credits – 10 field experience hours)

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EDT 315 can be taken in either the first or second semester, as long as it is completed BEFORE your student teaching semester.

2nd Semester

The following three courses should be taken in the semester just prior to student teaching.

(By doing so, you can integrate the field experience requirements. You may only “double-dip” field experience hours if you take EDSC 425 and SSCI 415 in the same semester.)

LLA 440: Literacy in the Secondary School (3 credits – 30 field experience hours in history/social studies) 
EDSC 425: Multicultural, Interdisciplinary Teaching at the Secondary Level (3 credits – 30 field experience hours)
SSCI 415: Social Studies Methods at the Secondary Level (4 credits – 30 field experience hours)

Student Teaching Semester

The following two courses are the student teaching courses. Take them together during your student teaching semester. No other courses may be taken in the semester of student teaching. EDSC 435 is the course for student teaching and SSCI 421 is the once-per-week seminar that all History/Social Science student teachers attend.

EDSC 435: Secondary Education Student Teaching (9 credits)
SSCI 421: Social Studies Student Teaching Seminar (1 credit)