COURSE DESCRIPTION

Provides an orientation to the teaching profession in Virginia, including historical perspectives, current issues, and future trends in education on the national and state levels. Emphasizes information about teacher licensure examinations, steps to certification, teacher preparation and induction programs, and attention to critical shortage areas in Virginia. Includes supervised field placement (recommended 40 clock hours) in a K-12 school. Prerequisites: successful completion of 24 credits of transfer courses, preferably including ENG 111, SPD 110 and STD 101. (Lecture: 2 hours per week. Laboratory: 2 hours per week. Total: 3 credits)
 
 

GENERAL COURSE PURPOSE

The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the skills, knowledge, and abilities expected of classroom teachers and to provide insights into career opportunities and the procedures available for becoming a teacher in Virginia.
 
 

ENTRY LEVEL COMPETENCIES

None. (Depending upon the program in which the student is enrolled (i.e., "Career Switcher" vs. VCCS Teacher Preparation AAS), the student may need to have achieved a satisfactory score on Praxis I and Praxis II.)
 
 

GENERAL COURSE OBJECTIVES

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to

• Examine state licensure/certification requirements for their fields of study.
• Assess strengths and weaknesses in preparation for state licensure examinations.
• Identify personal beliefs about teaching as a career through reflective writing.
• Reflect upon their field experiences through reflective writing and classroom discussions.
• Relate principles, theories, and history of education in the United States to actual practice in the classroom.
• Increase understanding of the field of education by focusing on the inter-relationship of teaching, learning, students, schools, and society.
• Present topics related to practice in a variety of communities, with students of differing ages and with culturally diverse and exceptional populations.
• Think critically and engage in problem solving related to the teaching profession as demonstrated in a student-constructed portfolio.

MAJOR COURSE CONTENT TOPICS

This course will survey the general topics outlined in the "Course Description" and "General Course Objectives" above. For convenience of scheduling and covering related material, course content will be presented under the following general topics:

• Field Placement: The Where of Teaching (40 clock hours)
• Entering the Profession: The Why of Teaching
• Professionalism: Multiple Dimensions of Teaching
• Students: The Who of Teaching
• History and Evolution of Education in America: The When of Teaching
• Pedagogy: The How of Teaching
• Curriculum: The What of Teaching
• Reflecting on Teaching

EXTRA TOPICS

Related subjects at the discretion of the instructor.