Elementary Education, AB

The Wesleyan College Teacher Education Preparation Program has a vision of creating teachers who are prepared to teach in a diverse and multicultural global society, in which students must be able to confront the challenges of an ever changing, demanding, and information-rich technological world. The department’s mission is to educate exemplary teachers, who are committed to the highest levels of teaching and student learning, intellectual growth, and the continued development of their expertise. These exemplary teachers internalize the ideals of a liberal arts education, demonstrate professional knowledge in the classroom, and demonstrate a deep understanding of self reflection and evaluation.

These three foundational elements of liberal arts education, professional knowledge, and evaluation are integral to the development and sustainment of exemplary teachers. These three elements are demonstrated by proficiencies that represent the crucial knowledge, skills, and dispositions of exemplary teachers.

The knowledge (K), skills (S), and dispositions (D) are shown below:

I. Liberal Arts Education

It is the experience of the Teacher Education Program that all teachers who possess the critical and intellectual skills that a liberal arts education affords have much to offer the teaching profession. This is because a liberal arts education first and foremost educates one for life. The liberal arts education provided at Wesleyan produces teachers who have a broad-base of knowledge, and they are self-directed, confident, diligent, and reflective about what they do.

1. The candidate possesses knowledge in fine arts, science, mathematics, social studies, and humanities. (K)
2. The candidate applies content knowledge across the curriculum by making curricular decisions based on best practices (e.g., critical thinking, problem-solving, innovation) and students’ learning needs. (S)
3. The candidate values intellectual independence (critical thinking, problem-solving, innovation) across the curriculum for all students. (D)
4. The candidate understands the implications of constructivism in the classroom as it pertains to the students’ creating their own meaning and their need to interact in a positive learning community. (K)
5. The candidate creates a positive learning community that bolsters the tenets of constructivism by encouraging student interaction and participation in purposeful activities. (S)
6. The candidate believes that a positive constructivist learning community plays a critical role in student active engagement, freedom to think divergently, attitude toward learning, and participation in learning activities. (D)

II. Professional Knowledge

Accomplished teachers have a rich understanding of the subjects they teach and appreciate how knowledge in their subject is created, organized, linked to other disciplines and applied to real-world settings. Wesleyan College’s candidates are those who attain a high degree of competence in the knowledge and skills necessary to lead a classroom of students. In addition to professional knowledge, exemplary teachers must possess interpersonal knowledge (i.e., human interactions and caring relationships). While Wesleyan College’s candidates recognize the importance of professional knowledge, they recognize the preeminence of human relationships in teaching. Exemplary teachers must possess interpersonal knowledge (i.e., human interactions and caring relationships). By the time the candidates graduate, they have an understanding that a caring disposition is important in building positive relationships with their students and impacting students’ academic achievement. A critical facet of caring is appreciating diversity. In Wesleyan’s teacher education program, diversity is used in its broadest sense, including not only race, ethnicity, sexual preference and gender, but also cognitive and developmental differences. “Difference” is the operative word since many exceptionalities can be viewed largely as a matter of differences, rather than deficits.

1. The candidate understands best practices, various learning theories, subject matter, curriculum development, and learner development necessary to make informed decisions about curriculum and instructional strategies. (K)
2. The candidate develops lesson plans and units that demonstrate the use of a variety of instructional methods, resources, and technology based on knowledge of learner development. (S)
3. The candidate appreciates the impact of learner development (physical, social, emotional, and cognitive) on instructional decisions. (D)
4. The candidate understands the broad range of diversity (race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, cognitive, skills, talents, interests, background, developmental). (K)
5. The candidate structures the classroom and curriculum to meet the learning needs of diverse learners. (S)
6. The candidate appreciates and shows respect for diversity by acknowledging the flexibility and fluidity of curricular decisions based on students’ diverse learning needs. (D)
7. The candidate understands how to create a viable classroom management plan. (K)
8. The candidate creates a positive classroom environment by implementing an effective classroom management plan. (S)
9. The candidate realizes the impact of a positive classroom environment in fostering a climate of teaching and learning. (D)
10. The candidate understands effective methods of building and nurturing interpersonal relationships in the classroom. (K)
11. The candidate builds effective interpersonal relationships in the classroom. (S)
12. The candidate believes that building caring relationships with students is critical to a lifetime of learning. (D)

III. Self Reflection and Evaluation

Reflecting as an active process requires teachers to examine their past and present practices and use the analyses of these practices to make decisions about future practices. The real reason effective teachers monitor and reflect on their teaching is to become better teachers, thereby making a positive difference in their students’ lives. Wesleyan’s candidates understand that exemplary teachers must carefully choose multiple ways in which they assess their students, whether the assessment is for a grade or for diagnostic reasons.

1. The candidate understands various types of student assessments. (K)
2. The candidate uses a variety of formal and informal assessments to inform instructional decisions. (S)
3. The candidate believes that it is necessary to use a variety of assessments in order to make prudent instructional decisions. (D)
4. The candidate knows a variety of self-assessment strategies for reflecting on his/her practices and the impact of these practices on student learning. (K)
5. The candidate refines and revises professional and/or pedagogical behaviors based on reflections. (S)
6. The candidate recognizes that reflections can provide the impetus for revising and refining professional and pedagogical practices. (D)

Teacher Education Program. Wesleyan College’s elementary education program prepares women to teach in grades Kindergarten through Grade 5. The following teacher education program is approved by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission with the numbers in parentheses representing the typical grade levels for which teacher certification can be obtained:

Elementary Education (K-5)

Teacher Education at Wesleyan College is the responsibility of the College-wide Teacher Education Committee. This Committee’s responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the approval or disapproval of all teaching field programs submitted by the departments, admission of students to teacher education programs, admission of students to student teaching, and recommendation of students for graduation.

Teacher Certification. Initial teacher certification may be obtained as a part of the student’s regular four-year program. Course work is approved and designed to meet standards for certification in Georgia. In addition to a four-year degree from an approved college program, the Professional Standards Commission of the Georgia State Department of Education requires that applicants successfully complete Georgia Assessment for the Certification of Educators (GACE) Admission Assessment, an assessment of competency in reading, writing, and mathematics, and GACE Content Assessment, an assessment tool measuring content area knowledge.

Post-Baccalaureate Status. Those individuals interested in teacher certification who have already earned a bachelor’s degree can complete certification requirements within approved programs at Wesleyan. They should consult with the appropriate faculty member in the Education Department.

Teacher Candidate Preparation. Candidates preparing to work in schools as teachers must demonstrate the content, pedagogical, and professional knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary to have a positive impact on student learning. Candidates demonstrate the acquisition of these proficiencies (content, pedagogical, and professional knowledge, skill, and dispositions) by progressing through three transition points: Admission to Teacher Education, Admission to Clinical Practice (Student Teaching), and Exiting from Clinical Practice (Student Teaching). They are required to complete an electronic portfolio at each transition point. In order to complete the required experiences and labs associated with this program, all students should have consistent and reliable access to transportation.

Field Experiences and Labs

Teacher Education is a field-centered educational experience built around goals of attaining certain specified competencies. Students are placed in classrooms in the surrounding school systems for field experiences and educational labs, providing experience and knowledge of the practical aspects of teaching. Field experiences or labs are required in all education courses and are of three types as described below:

1. Observations and Field Experience Related to Course Work.

In the teaching field courses, the student is placed in classrooms for the purpose of observing teacher and student behavior, assisting the teacher, and assisting in instruction. Students are assigned 20 field placement hours in each EDU field experience course. Students need to schedule with their assigned cooperating teacher in order to obtain full credit for the field experience portion in each course.

In order to complete all required field experiences, all education students should have consistent and reliable access to transportation.

2. Professional Lab Courses.

In the professional lab courses, the student is placed in classrooms for the purpose of planning, teaching, and assessing a standards-based, content-specific instructional unit. Students are expected to attend the assigned location for the duration of the semester consistently for three hours each week in each lab related course in order to obtain full credit in the lab course.

In order to complete all required lab courses, all education students should have consistent and reliable access to transportation.

3. Clinical Practice (Student Teaching).

Clinical Practice (student teaching) is the culmination of professional field experience and professional lab course competencies during the candidate’s senior year. Candidates learn and teach for at least 14 weeks in the classroom of a certified teacher who has been selected as being an excellent example of the teaching profession.

Integration of Technology. Pre-service teachers at Wesleyan College will use technology to gather information and apply appropriate multimedia tools as they develop and implement quality instruction. Interactive technology-based learning activities are integrated throughout the respective education courses. Students use hardware and software housed in the education classrooms to explore the computer-based educational resources and instructional techniques. Education facilities are networked to the Internet. In addition, education majors are provided opportunities to collaborate on the development, use, and application of instructional technology, STEM related activities and the use of our onsite Maker Space in the college classrooms and in their field-based classrooms.

Course Requirements. In addition to classroom experiences, the Teacher Education Program requires three types of academic work including general education, teaching field education, and professional education. The teaching field component includes those courses specifically geared to providing the knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary to teach a specific age level or academic discipline in the schools. In order to receive state certification, a minimum grade of C is required in all courses applied to the teaching field (a B is required for State Certification purposes in EDU 290 ) and the professional education sequence. Professional education is provided through courses designed to aid the student in achieving certain competencies required by the education profession. It includes courses in the foundations of education, growth and development of children in an educational context, learning theory, methods courses, clinical practice (student teaching), and others. Clinical Practice (student teaching) must be completed in public school settings and is arranged by the counties’ placement officials in conjunction with Wesleyan’s field experiences coordinator. Wesleyan’s Education faculties supervise students within the specific content course in which they are enrolled. Courses related to each major are described below.

Integrative Experience. Education students will fulfill the integrative experience through the course: EDR 390 .

Pre-Education Major

Admission to Wesleyan College does not guarantee admission to the Education Program. Candidates should declare pre-education as their major and complete all required courses before applying to be fully admitted as an Elementary Education Major.

The Education Program is full time and field experiences, labs, and student teaching take place during the weekdays ranging anywhere from 7:30 am until 4:30 pm and requires the ability to obtain transportation to and from the various locations. Candidates are expected to have and to maintain a 2.5 GPA. Candidates dropping below 2.5 will be evaluated for program admission by the Education Faculty and the Teacher Education Committee (TEC) on a case-by-case basis.