Education Minor

FACULTY:
Matthew Broda, Chair
Sharon Ferguson
Alison Schmidt (on leave 2016-2017)
Gretchen Tefs
Megan Wereley

The Department of Education offers a teacher preparation program that leads to an Ohio, initial, four-year Resident Educator teaching license. Education is not a major at Wooster. Instead, students simultaneously pursue an academic major in a department or program while completing all of the coursework required for the Ohio teaching license.

The Department of Education provides opportunities for its teacher candidates to learn and teach within a liberal arts environment that values independence, leadership, inquiry, and tradition. The teacher education program prepares reflective and competent educators for work in classrooms, schools, and a variety of educational communities.

The Department recognizes that this preparation is provided in collaboration with all academic programs at Wooster. Throughout the teacher preparation program, students are immersed in hands-on, one-on-one experiences with classroom teachers, college faculty, and P-12 students. The Department emphasizes the importance of effective writing, speaking, and interpersonal skills and strives to encourage its graduates to become educational leaders in a complex and global society.

Minor in Education

Consists of six courses:

Special Notes:

Students may earn a teaching license through the Department of Education with or without a minor.
Only grades of C- or better are accepted for the minor or licensure program.
Students pursuing a teaching license must have a 3.0 GPA to be accepted into the Licensure Program.
Students pursuing a teaching license must complete a “Statement of Good Standing” to be accepted into the Licensure Program.

Departmental Standards for the Teaching Profession

The following seven standards for the teaching profession reflect a connection between the goals of Wooster’s teacher education program and the Ohio Standards for the Teaching Professions. Listed below is a brief explanation of what the Department expects teacher licensure candidates to achieve by the end of the teacher education program:

Student Learning: Candidates understand student learning and development and respect the diversity of students they will teach.
Content Knowledge: Candidates know and understand the content area for which they will have instructional responsibility.
Assessment: Candidates understand and use varied assessments to inform instruction, evaluate, and ensure student learning.
Instruction: Candidates plan and deliver effective instruction that advances the learning of each individual student.
Learning Environment: Candidates create learning environments that promote high levels of learning and achievements for all students.
Collaboration and Communication: Candidates collaborate and communicate with students, parents, families, and other educators, administrators, and the community to support student learning.
Professional Responsibility, Growth, and Reflection: Through reflection, candidates assume responsibility for professional growth, performance, and involvement as individuals and as members of a learning community.