The TEACH Program combines a College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences (LAS) undergraduate History major or some other disciplinary major with a graduate level College of Education (COE) Master of Education (MEd) Program. Students graduate with a BS in their CSH disciplinary major and a MEd in Education with a Professional Educator License and history endorsement in the State of Illinois.
The program features the integration of disciplinary content with educational foundations and pedagogical content knowledge. The Junior Year Experiential Course, Senior Capstone Course, and three double-counted undergraduate/graduate courses offer students a seamless transition from undergraduate to graduate studies and from major-field coursework to teacher-preparation coursework. For undergraduate disciplinary major requirements, please refer to the appropriate undergraduate program website.
The 5th-year master’s level coursework builds on students’ undergraduate experiences through a series of integrated courses that include consistent and long-term field experiences culminating in a student-teaching experience during the Spring of students’ fifth year. Within the COE, the Junior Year Experiential Course, Capstone Course, and master’s level coursework are part of the Department of Teacher Education. This coursework is designed to immerse students into the teaching profession by linking and integrating disciplinary content with an understanding of human development; diverse students; middle-school and secondary education, research on pedagogical content knowledge; the social and cultural contexts of education; and the development and assessment of content-area curricula. The program engages teacher candidates in critical reflection on their teacher development and practice. It fosters engagement in schools through placement of students in field experiences in schools and community agencies. Upon completion of the TEACH Program, teacher candidates measure themselves against the values of the COE conceptual framework through the development of professional portfolios. Values that are part of this framework include: commitment to social justice, critical pedagogy, and positive educational transformation within the context of a Vincentian personalism that honors the dignity of each person.
In addition to completing the requirements for licensure in Illinois, and in aligning with a commitment to preparing students with a global mindset, teacher candidates will also complete the requirements to gain a certificate in Teaching and Learning from the International Baccalaureate Organization. The IB Certificate in Teaching and Learning for the Middle Years Program (MYP) and the Diploma Program (DP) provides teacher candidates the background and expertise to teach in an IB school. The IB Certificate in Teaching and Learning expands the opportunities for teacher candidates and training in IB open expands the vision of inquiry and reflective practice.
Students entering the program must be able and willing to participate in a minimum of 85 hours of field experiences in schools and community sites. These field experience hours are completed in conjunction with coursework and are integral to successful completion of the program. As students will be completing requirements to earn the IB Certificate, some hours may be in International Baccalaureate Schools. In addition, students must complete a minimum of 10 weeks of full-time student teaching in a designated middle or high school.
Licensure
Illinois Professional Educator License with endorsement in Middle and Secondary Education Social Science-History (grades 9-12 or grades 5-12), an Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) approved program. Graduates who earn an initial Professional Educator License in grades 9-12 may also qualify for a subsequent endorsement for grades 5-8.
Program Requirements | Quarter Hours |
---|---|
Degree Requirements | 40 |
Total hours required | 40 |
Learning Outcomes
Students will be able to:
- Use knowledge of adolescent learners to create safe, equitable, and meaningful learning environments and collaborative classrooms.
- Demonstrate and apply disciplinary content and pedagogical content knowledge with an emphasis on developing students' conceptual understanding and disciplinary literacy.
- Plan and deliver instruction that demonstrates knowledge of adolescent learners and content.
- Implement assessment practices to evaluate student learning and inform instruction.
- Exhibit professionalism, pursue professional growth, and advocate for adolescent learners and their communities.
- Evaluate educational research to support their understanding of teaching and learning and identify the theories that inform their teaching practices.
Degree Requirements
Course Requirements
All students need to have sufficient knowledge of the subject they will be teaching. Illinois State Board of Education requires a minimum of 48 quarter hours (32 semester hours) in the content area subject. Typically these requirements are met concurrently with the completion of the LAS undergraduate degree program. Prior to admission to the 5th Year Master’s Year, students must meet with their LAS academic advisor to complete an undergraduate degree audit that will include an official written content area evaluation. Any areas of deficiency must be completed prior to beginning student teaching.
Content Area Requirements for Secondary History Education
All coursework in the content area must earn a grade of C or better.
Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
---|---|---|
HST 298 | INTRODUCTION TO HISTORICAL SOURCES AND METHODS 1 | 4 |
HST 299 | CRAFT OF HISTORY 2 | 4 |
Select 4 US History courses 3 | 16 | |
Select 4 Non-US History courses 3 | 16 | |
Additional licensure requirements (minimum of one course in each discipline required): | ||
GEO 101 | ENVIRONMENTAL GEOGRAPHY | 4 |
ECO 106 | PRINCIPLES OF MACROECONOMICS | 4 |
PSC 120 | THE AMERICAN POLITICAL SYSTEM | 4 |
SOC 101 | INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY | 4 |
ANT 102 | CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY | 4 |
PSY 105 | INTRODUCTORY PSYCHOLOGY I | 4 |
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Serves as prerequisite for HST 299.
- 2
Serves as prerequisite for upper division History courses.
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A minimum of four History courses must be at the upper division level (300-level) with at least one of those courses in non-US History.
Junior Year Coursework: 4 undergraduate quarter hours required
Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
---|---|---|
TCH 320 | EXPLORING TEACHING IN THE URBAN HIGH SCHOOL (fulfills the Liberal Studies Program experiential learning (EL) requirement) | 4 |
Senior Year Coursework: 4 quarter hours required
Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
---|---|---|
TCH 390 | CAPSTONE: INTEGRATING EDUCATION & DISCIPLINARY FOUNDATIONS (fulfills undergraduate Capstone requirement; major area may require a separate Capstone course) | 4 |
Undergraduate/Graduate Double-Counted Courses: 12 undergraduate/graduate quarter hours required, grade of C or better required.
Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
---|---|---|
TCH 402 | INTRODUCTION TO MIDDLE GRADES AND SECONDARY EDUCATION | 4 |
TCH 412 | THE NATURE OF HISTORY AND THE SOCIAL SCIENCES | 4 |
TCH 422 | INQUIRY & APPLICATION IN DEVELOPING HISTORY AND SOCIAL SCIENCES PEDAGOGY | 4 |
5th Year Master’s Year Coursework, Excluding Student Teaching: 32 graduate quarter hours required, grade of C or better required
Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
---|---|---|
TCH 403 | CONCEPTIONS OF HEALTHY ADOLESCENCE | 4 |
SER 446 | PSYCHOLOGY AND EDUCATION OF THE EXCEPTIONAL CHILD | 4 |
BBE 501 | TEACHING ADOLESCENT ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS AND DIALECT SPEAKERS ACROSS THE CURRICULUM | 4 |
TCH 480 | THE TEACHER AS PROFESSIONAL 1 | 4 |
TCH 472 | TEACHING HISTORY AND THE SOCIAL SCIENCES IN THE MIDDLE GRADES AND HIGH SCHOOL 1 | 4 |
TCH 482 | TEACHING HISTORY AND THE SOCIAL SCIENCES IN THE MIDDLE GRADES AND HIGH SCHOOL 2 | 4 |
TCH 495 | ASSESSMENT PRACTICES IN THE MIDDLE GRADES AND SECONDARY EDUCATION | 4 |
TCH 525 | READING, WRITING, AND COMMUNICATING ACROSS THE CURRICULUM | 4 |
- 1
Taken in conjunction with TCH 482.
Student Teaching: 8 graduate quarter hours required
Registration in student teaching requires completion of all requirements and procedures listed in the college core section. EDU 95 indicates to the Illinois State Board of Education that all field experience hours are complete. It is a non-credit, non-tuition course.
Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
---|---|---|
TCH 590 | MIDDLE GRADES AND SECONDARY STUDENT TEACHING (grade of B- or better required) | 6 |
TCH 591 | MIDDLE GRADES AND SECONDARY STUDENT TEACHING SEMINAR (grade of C or better required) | 2 |
EDU 95 | CLINICAL EXPERIENCE WITH CHILDREN AND YOUTH (non-tuition, PA grade required) | 0 |
Licensure Tests
All individuals licensed by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) are required to complete licensure tests specific to their teaching license. 160; Secondary Education History students must complete the following tests:
- Social Science: History Test (test #246) – assesses core knowledge of history and social science fields. Test is required before Student Teaching (deadlines apply).
- EdTPA - assessment conducted during the student teaching experience including video clips of instruction, lesson plans, student work samples, analysis of student learning and reflective commentaries. Students will submit an electronic portfolio to an outside agency for independent evaluation and a fee will be imposed by that agency as part of the assessment.
Field Experiences
Each student seeking licensure from the College of Education/Professional Education Unit must complete supervised field experiences in appropriate settings in conjunction with education courses. The field experiences must include a variety of grade levels, multicultural experiences, and a minimum of 15 hours in special education settings. All field experiences must be completed prior to final approval for student teaching. Students should enter field experience hours into the FEDS system upon completion of each course with field experience requirements. For details on requirements, expectations, documentation, & courses in your program that require hours, visit the College of Education website.