Education (Secondary)

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S. Nancy Gilchriest, Ed.D., Chairperson
S. Margaret Buckley, Ed.D., Associate Chairperson

The Education Department, in keeping with New York State Standards and guidelines, seeks to prepare students for Initial Certification in Adolescence Education with majors in biology, chemistry, English, history, mathematics, and Spanish, in New York State Approved Programs as effective February 2, 2004. The St. Joseph’s College Adolescence Education programs are accredited by the New York State Board of Regents.

The programs, grounded in the tradition of the liberal arts, provide students with a core curriculum and appropriate depth and breadth of knowledge in their major field. (See specifics required of majors in their respective field.) Close collaboration exists among major departments and the Education Department in the preparation of teachers.

For entrance into the secondary education program, all students will be required to file a formal application in the Education Office. A College average of 2.8 is required and an acceptable grade in a writing sample. Thereafter, students must maintain a 2.8 GPA College-wide, in their major field, and in their Education coursework, including methods courses. In addition, an application must be made for student teaching before registering for EDU 473 . Each student in this program is required to purchase and complete an e-portfolio.

Professional competence is developed through a sequence of courses that integrate theory and practice, as well as through 100 hours of fieldwork in the middle and secondary schools prior to student teaching. These field experiences introduce the prospective teacher to working with students and teachers in a variety of situations and in roles of increasing responsibility.

St. Joseph’s collaborates with Brooklyn Technical High School in its competency-based program. Faculty of both institutions work together to assist students to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed by competent teachers.

All students preparing to teach must demonstrate acceptable expository writing, and the ability to utilize new technologies. Workshops in the latter area will be available for all candidates. In addition, students must complete a year of the same modern language at the College level, and two approved speech courses (three for English majors), with a Speech GPA no lower than 3.0.

In addition to the academic requirements of the College, and in accordance with the regulations of the Regents of the State of New York, to gain Initial Certification teacher candidates must achieve passing scores on the New York State Teacher Certification Examinations. Beginning in the sophomore year, all students should be fingerprinted. Certification also requires evidence of participation in a Child Abuse Workshop and a Violence Prevention and Intervention Workshop, both of which will be provided at the College.

Candidates usually enter the program as sophomores. Other students may elect Education courses with the permission of the department.

Programs

• Adolescence Education (Grades 7-12) (Brooklyn Campus)
• Adolescence Education (Grades 7-12) (Long Island Campus)

Courses

Senior Methods Block

The general and special methods courses, taken just prior to student teaching, are considered an integrated block, with a team of college instructors working together with high school teachers to help students develop competence. The total experience includes regular field work, supervised by the college, in one or more schools where students observe, tutor, assist with small groups, and begin to teach. General and special methods courses must be taken during the same semester. These method courses and student teaching cannot be transferred from another institution.

During the fall semester, students spend one morning a week in Brooklyn Technical High School as part of their methods courses.

• EDU 115 - Educational Psychology
• EDU 121 - Teaching Adolescents with Exceptionalities
• EDU 183 - Self Exploration and Career Search
• EDU 234 - Sociological and Philosophical Foundations of Education
• EDU 240 - Adolescent Literacy
• EDU 250 - Introduction to Middle School
• EDU 251 - Literacy Acquisition: Middle School Years
• EDU 256 - Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages
• EDU 360 - Methods of Secondary Education
• EDU 361 - Methods of Teaching English in Secondary School
• EDU 363 - Methods of Teaching History and Social Studies in Secondary School
• EDU 364 - Methods of Teaching Mathematics in Secondary School
• EDU 365 - Methods of Teaching Modern Language in Secondary School
• EDU 366 - Methods of Teaching Science in Secondary School
• EDU 473 - Supervised Teaching in Secondary Schools

Career Education

The following courses are offered as a service to all students in the College by the Director of Counseling and Career Services.

• EDU 180 - Self Exploration and Career Search I
• EDU 181 - Career Search II

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