EDUC 1300 - Education as a Profession: An Overview of Teaching

Candidates will receive a panoramic view of teaching as a career from multiple perspectives of life in the classroom, while introducing the skills necessary to become reflective practitioners. At the end of the course, candidates should possess an understanding of central issues that will help them clarify goals in choosing education as a career.

"I am not a teacher, only a fellow traveler of whom you asked the way. I pointed ahead - ahead of myself as well as of you." ~Gearge Bernard Shaw

COURSE GOALS:

1. Identify personal motives for wanting to teach.

2. Articulate the requirements for teacher licensure.

3. Describe the relationship between teacher effectiveness and the Praxis Assessment for Beginning Teachers.

4. Provide examples of ethical responsibilities and legal rights associated with the teaching profession.

5. Discuss the school as an organization.

6. Describe the impact of student diversity upon American schools.

COURSE GRADING and REQUIREMENTS

Grades will be calculated based on the percentage of the total possible points as follows: A is 90-100, B is 80-89, C is 70-79, D is 60-69, and below 60 is F.

COURSE OUTCOMES AND EVALUATIONS (600 points):

    300 - Three tests will be given, which includes the final exam, at 100 points each  

    200 - Four major activities, at 50 points each

            Two teacher interviews, public school k-12

            One school board meeting observation

            One classroom presentation from the course novel

            One group activity to develop a School Improvement Plan

    100 - Classroom Attendance/Activities

Field Experience Requirements: Two public classroom teacher interviews and attendance at one public school board meeting are required. Successful completion is required for course credit.

TEXT BOOK

Kauchack, D. & Eggen, P. (2011). Introduction to Teaching: Becoming a Professional. Boston: Pearson Education, Inc.

Unit One: chapters 1,2,7,8 of the textbook. This unit will also emphasize the UCA teacher education program, the TPOA rubric, and the concept of educators as reflective decision-makers.

Unit Two: chapters 3,4,5,11,12,13,14 of the textbook. This unit will focus on effective teaching practices and key issues for first year teachers.

Unit Three chapters 6,9,10 of the textbook. This unit will focus on the organization of the educational system and legal issues for teachers.

*Changes may be made to the unit/chapter division at the discretion of the instructor.

*****  Useful textbook companion website: http://www.prenhall.com/kauchak/

*****  Standard Syllabus for course at http://www.uca.edu/tlt/syllabi.php

*****  College of Education website: http://www.uca.edu/education/

*****  Arkansas Education website: http://ArkansasEd.org/

School Board Meeting Times

 Note: school board meeting times and places are subject to changes, it is a good idea to call and verify that the board will meet as scheduled!

SCHOOL BOARD MEETING ETIQUETTE

 Rationale: Some students have never gone to a formal board meeting before, whether it be a school district, church, or administrative board for a community organization. So, here are a few tips to help you make the most of your experience.

     1.    Arrive early to secure an agenda and to locate an administrator to sign it. When you find an administrator, introduce yourself as a student observer and ask if there is any particular spot that would be best to sit.

2.    Be aware that seating is limited in most board rooms. Please be willing to give up your seat to parents and honored guests.

3.    If the meeting is prolonged, you may leave after 60 minutes, but be discrete.

4.    Dress appropriately. Look like a teacher that the district would want to hire.

5.    This is an opportunity to meet people for networking. It is also an opportunity to meet teachers if you need someone for a teacher interview.

6.    If asked, be ready to share your career goals: licensure, desired position, and basic philosophy.

7.    Do not pretend to know more than you do. On the other hand, do not be afraid to share your opinion from a student’s perspective.

School Board Meeting Report

Your school board meeting report must be from a PUBLIC school district or the Arkansas Department of Education board meeting. Remember to obtain a signed agenda as evidence of your attendance. If printed agendas are not available, use a paper with the date, district name, time and location of the meeting to document your presence.

In addition to the signed agenda, you will submit a paper (1-2 pages) reflecting upon your observation with regard to the following points:

1.) Where was the meeting held? Who seemed to be in charge of the meeting? What was the

make-up of the board? How many people were in attendance (estimated audience size)? How long did the meeting last?

2.) What kinds of issues were addressed? Was there any major issue discussed? Did board

members appear to be knowledgeable about issues?

3.) Did any person(s) from the audience address the board? If so, how did the board respond?

4.) What did you learn from this observation that might directly affect you as a future

teacher? What do you now know about school board meetings that you did not know before attending this meeting?

Rubric for School Board Meeting – (based on 40 possible points)

 No credit is given without evidence of attendance – agenda signed by school or state department official.

Instructions for the NOVEL presentation:

            A brief presentation (3-5 minutes) that will answer the following questions about the TPOA domains. Hand in a hardcopy of notes in paragraph or outline form.

1. Tell one story from the novel to provide context for the teacher action.
2. Comment on a specific “teacher action” from the story. Share your opinion as to whether the teacher acted professionally in the situation. Relate the action to your specific TPOA domain.
3. Incorporate at least two learning styles in the presentation: visual, auditory, kinesthetic; do more than just auditory lecture. Engage the audience.

Rubric for Dangerous Minds

ACTIVITY - SUPPORT PERSON INTERVIEW

 Interview a school support person, an employee that is not a certified teacher (classified). This may be a janitor, secretary, lunchroom worker, bus driver, aid, or office/library volunteer. Your report will be similar to the teacher interview, including answers to the following questions, the instructional context for the report, and a reflection.

1.   How long have you held this job?

2.   What influenced your decision to choose this job?

3.    What grade levels are you in contact with?

4.    What do you enjoy most about your job and why?

5.    What do you enjoy least about your job and why?

6.    Do you feel that you assist teachers in the education of the students? How?

7.    Do you find ways to get to know the students? How?

8.    What are your basic beliefs about discipline?

9.    What do you wish the school district would do to help you in your job?

10.  What do you wish the school district would do to help teachers do their job?

11.  What do you wish could be done to help students get a better education?

12.  What advice would you give to a student who is thinking about teaching as a career?

Rubric for support person interview

ACTIVITY - TEACHER INTERVIEW

Interview two practicing public school K-12 classroom teachers. These teachers may be professionals of your choice, either individuals you know personally or ones whose names have been provided for you to contact. This interview may be accomplished through direct contact by visiting and sitting down with your teacher at a prearranged time or, if schedules conflict, you may interview by phone or email. Your interview must include the following questions. After the interview, gather your material and type your responses in complete sentences for each of the interviews and turn these in at the designated time specified by your instructor. If you are able, try to select a teacher in the major and subject area that most interest you. When your interview is completed and recorded, take time to write a reflection based on the information you have received and recorded.  The written reflection should be typed, 12 font, double-spaced, and a minimum of one full page in length (check with your instructor for more specific direction).

1.   How long have you been teaching?

2.   What influenced your decision to become a teacher?

3.    What grade levels and/or subject areas have you taught or are teaching now?

4.    What do you enjoy most about teaching and why?

5.    What do you enjoy least about teaching and why?

6.    How do you go about selecting what content and skills to teach, and can you make your own decisions as to what topic to teach?  Are you confined to the “official” school curriculum?

7.    When do you find time to plan?

8.     What are the in-service requirements of your school district?

9.     How do you get to know the students in your classroom?

10.   What are your basic beliefs about discipline?

11.   (Newer teacher) What has surprised you most about teaching? (More experienced teacher)  What are some of the changes that you have personally seen taking place over the years?

12.   What do you wish the university teacher preparation program had told you about teaching before you entered the field?

13.  Is there any reason that you would leave your job?

14.   What advice would you give to a student who is thinking about teaching as a career?

Rubric for teacher interviews

School Improvement Plan

Includes 25 points from group plan and 25 points for individual submission.

The document must include the following parts: name and description of school (grades, rural/urban/suburban, population), mission statement, two or three (2-3) goals with a rationale for each, two to five (2-5) actions for each goal, for a total of 6-8 actions. Each action requires a description of the action, school person responsible for implementation (job title), timeline, and any resources needed that may need to be budgeted. There will be one document for the entire group.

In addition to the plan, your document must include a list of any resources used to develop the plan. One of your resources must be from a specific school district (use their website or information on ArkansasEd.org). A planning page must be included to describe the role of each member.