THE PROFESSION OF TEACHING

The Teacher Education program at Ferrum College helps students achieve effective teaching outcomes through its unique program design. The program consists of one course sequence, THE PROFESSION OF TEACHING that continues for four or five semesters (depending upon the teaching endorsement selected). Assignments in each of these course segments challenge the student to systematically build skills, acquire dispositions and develop knowledge critical to becoming a professional teacher. The strands of professional knowledge are woven throughout the entire sequence and provide deeper understanding through continual iteration as the student matures.

COURSE SEGMENTS

EDU 202: INTRODUCTION TO ISSUES IN EDUCATION THROUGH TECHNOLOGY is not an official component of THE PROFESSION OF TEACHING and may be taken by any Ferrum College student. A primary function of this segment is to help students decide whether or not they want to teach. Through class assignments and interactions with teachers in the public schools, students will be exposed to many aspects of a teacher's work. Such experiences will insure that students enter the teaching profession with realistic expectations of the demands of teaching. In addition, students explore the role of education in society.

EDU 301: FOUNDATIONS

Students in all endorsement areas take FOUNDATIONS, the first course segment following acceptance into the program. The structure of this course may challenge students in a new way because it is likely the first experience with a six-hour block which requires three-hour class sessions twice a week (plus the usual expectation of two hours out of class for each hour in class) and has much more extensive task requirements than traditional three-hour courses. The course requires mastery of basic theoretical and philosophical assumptions in education. Students demonstrate elemental knowledge and comprehension of these concepts through a series of mastery quizzes taken outside of scheduled class time. The course deals predominantly with the application of these concepts as you work with individual learners during School Site visits as well as during the field placements. The course addresses issues in Educational Psychology, with an emphasis on the role and impact of developmental theory upon learning; Educational Philosophy, which challenges you to find experts in Education who share your ideas; and the History of Education, which asks students to explore student and teacher roles of an earlier time.

EDU 310: DEVELOPMENTAL AND DIAGNOSTIC READING and EDU 311: THE LANGUAGE ARTS

These two courses comprise a six-hour block for students seeking an Elementary endorsement. These classes establish the foundation for assessment and instruction in Reading and teaching Language Arts. Students work one-on-one with both an emergent and a struggling reader at the upper elementary level to assess strengths and instructional needs in reading and writing. Students also develop and implement individualized literacy programs for these elementary-aged students.

EDU 312: CONTENT AREA READING

This course segment is designed for Secondary and All-level endorsement students and focuses on teaching reading strategies in the content area. During this segment students establish a basis for curriculum integration.

EDU 330: THE MIDDLE SCHOOL

THE MIDDLE SCHOOL is recommended, though not required. This three-hour course, taught in the Spring semester, has both classroom and middle school location components. This course segment focuses on the middle school philosophy, the middle school learner and the distinction between the two. This course prepares the student to develop strategies that include the specific needs of the middle school learner.

EDU 354: ELEMENTARY/MIDDLE SCHOOL STRATEGIES

The six-hour ELEMENTARY/MIDDLE SCHOOL STRATEGIES course segment challenges students to synthesize the knowledge/skills gained in prior coursework with new models for instruction. The course focuses on assessment and instruction. Students learn how to develop learning experiences that appropriately engage all learners by designing lesson plans as well as thematic units, exploring classroom management strategies, and developing skills in assessing learner outcomes.

EDU 356: SECONDARY/MIDDLE SCHOOL STRATEGIES

The six-hour SECONDARY/MIDDLE SCHOOL STRATEGIES course segment is designed to cause the student to consider goals, content, method, learner characteristics, and the student's own personal qualities as factors in the creation of curriculum. The course shows the student how to develop learning experiences that appropriately engage all learners and to consider classroom management strategies.

EDU 359: ALL-LEVEL STRATEGIES

The six-hour ALL-LEVEL STRATEGIES (Grades K-12) course, is designed for Physical Education majors as well as Art, Music, Drama, and Foreign Language majors who plan to teach. (Ferrum does not currently offer an All-Level endorsement in Music and Foreign Languages). It is essential for P. E. majors to have K-12 certification. This means that the student must understand a wide variety of learner needs and understand how elementary, middle schools, and high schools differ. The student must understand how to integrate the subject area into the general curriculum and how to function as a team member with other colleagues. Curriculum design, instructional models, and clinical cycles will be developed.

EDU 402: THE STUDENT TEACHING AND SYNTHESIS EXPERIENCE
THE STUDENT TEACHING AND SYNTHESIS EXPERIENCE, a twelve-hour course, is an intensive clinical experience and the final segment of THE PROFESSION OF TEACHING. The student spends ten weeks in the schools teaching at the endorsement level. Depending upon the placement and the student's teaching model appropriate for the endorsement area, students spend a week or two observing, planning, and tutoring. Two to three weeks are allowed for gradually taking over parts of the day, and for five to six weeks the student will have sole responsibility for the instructional program. Students will be supported by a college supervisor, sponsoring teacher, and building administrator, as well as by peers, major professors, and other education professionals. Students will need to do their best to meet the needs of students in their placement and to manifest their personal educational philosophy in the classroom. Students complete six clinical cycles in the field, attend a weekly seminar, do assigned reading, keep a journal, and attend to all related professional responsibilities (i.e. report cards, parent conferences, faculty meets, bus duty). The student's teaching performance will be evaluated by the college supervisor, sponsoring teacher, and building administrator. Student teaching is an exhausting, exhilarating, and exciting experience during which students learn a great deal about themselves. The Synthesis component occurs immediately after student teaching during the last 3 1/2 weeks of the last semester at Ferrum. It consists of a number of team and individual projects designed to allow students to pursue areas of interest and to evaluate and synthesize their pre-professional preparation. Students will, among other things, participate in a school design project, write a final philosophy paper, do a senior presentation, conduct an action research or mini-research project, assemble a professional portfolio, and participate in a class weaving project. Field trips, assigned readings, guest speakers, class discussions, and professional development workshops round out the course segment. Students report EDU 402 to be "crazy but wonderful". It really is an opportunity to "bring it all together". Assuming all else is in order, successful completion of EDU 402 leads to graduation and the College's recommendation to the Commonwealth of Virginia that the Ferrum student be licensed as a teacher.