Program Overview

TEACH Program (TCH)

The TEACH Program is designed for students who aspire to become teachers in middle grades and secondary education. The program offers a comprehensive curriculum that combines theoretical foundations with practical experiences, preparing students to become effective educators.

Course Descriptions

The TEACH Program includes a range of courses that provide students with a deep understanding of teaching and learning. Some of the key courses include:

• TCH 302: Introduction to Middle Grades and Secondary Education: This course introduces students to the field of education and the role of teachers. It explores the expectations of and for teachers and students from fifth through twelfth grade.
• TCH 303: Conceptions of Healthy Adolescence: This course introduces varying conceptions of healthy adolescence, taking into account physical health and development, social and emotional health, mental health, and the contextual factors that shape healthy adolescence.
• TCH 311: The Nature of English: This course is designed to help students see that the field of English Studies is bigger than the component they probably identify as English (it's Literature, Writing, and Linguistics/Grammar).
• TCH 312: The Nature of History and the Social Sciences: This course builds on the content course work students have done in the seven disciplines grouped under the heading "social sciences" (history, political science, geography, sociology, anthropology, economics, and psychology).
• TCH 313: The Nature of Mathematics: This course builds on students' mathematics understanding by emphasizing the universality of mathematics as a cultural endeavor.
• TCH 314: The Nature of Science: This course is about the nature of science and the interactions between science and society.

Program Requirements

The TEACH Program requires students to complete a series of courses and field experiences that provide them with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary to become effective teachers. Some of the key requirements include:

• Completion of a minimum of 25 Level I Field Experience hours
• Completion of a minimum of 25 Level 2 Field Experience hours
• Completion of a student teaching experience
• Completion of a capstone project

Assessment Practices

The TEACH Program places a strong emphasis on assessment practices that are fair, valid, and reliable. Students learn about various assessment methods and tools, including standardized, quantitative, and qualitative assessments.

Research Methods and Disciplinary Inquiry

The TEACH Program includes courses that introduce students to education research methods and discipline-specific research and inquiry. Students learn about the multiple frameworks that inform education research and various methodologies employed in collecting and analyzing data.

Graduate Courses

The TEACH Program also offers graduate courses that provide students with advanced knowledge and skills in teaching and learning. Some of the key graduate courses include:

• TCH 401: Teaching as a Profession in Secondary School: This course is an introduction to the TEACH Program, including the College of Education's conceptual framework and teacher dispositions, and to the professional world of secondary school teaching.
• TCH 402: Introduction to Middle Grades and Secondary Education: This course introduces middle grades and secondary education teacher candidates to the field of education and the role of teachers.
• TCH 411: The Nature of English: This course is designed to help students see that the field of English Studies is bigger than the component they probably identify as English (it's Literature, Writing, and Linguistics/Grammar).
• TCH 412: The Nature of History and the Social Sciences: This course builds on the content course work students have done in the seven disciplines grouped under the heading "social sciences" (history, political science, geography, sociology, anthropology, economics, and psychology).

Student Teaching

The TEACH Program culminates in a student teaching experience that provides students with the opportunity to apply their knowledge and skills in a real-world setting. Students are placed in a middle school or high school content area classroom and are required to be in the classroom full-time, participating in both in-class instruction and extra-curricular activities related to the school.

Capstone Project

The TEACH Program also includes a capstone project that requires students to demonstrate their knowledge and skills in teaching and learning. The capstone project is a comprehensive assignment that requires students to apply their knowledge and skills in a real-world setting.

Thesis Research

The TEACH Program also offers a thesis research option for graduate students. This option provides students with the opportunity to conduct original research in teaching and learning and to contribute to the field of education.

Middle Grades and Secondary Student Teaching Seminar

The TEACH Program also includes a seminar that provides students with the opportunity to reflect on their student teaching experiences and to reach back and consider what they have learned in their teacher preparation programs and their next steps as practicing teachers.