secondary education certificate

This course is designed to provide an orientation to the primary components of the Graduate Initial Teacher Certificate. Students will be introduced to the program's progression and completion requirements. Clinical experience, electronic resources, clinical practice, and the teacher performance assessment/teacher work sample will be discussed.

This course examines the strategies used in managing a positive and respectful classroom environment within the framework of today¿s diverse student population. Topics include models of discipline, establishing expectations and procedures, motivating and engaging students, and effective communication strategies. The course focuses on supporting teacher candidates in developing an individual classroom management plan appropriate for their targeted grade levels and needs.

This course focuses on the theoretical models that underlie teaching and learning. Teacher candidates analyze the most effective teaching strategies to encourage students to develop a deeper understanding of content and to promote critical thinking. Teacher candidates also examine teaching methods and learn to effectively use students¿ prior knowledge to develop lesson plans.

This course provides an overview of the categories of exceptionality for school-age students with special needs. The course focuses on differentiated methods and techniques used for the identification, assessment, and instruction of diverse populations. Historical perspectives and information related to special education law, and current policies and practices are examined.

This course addresses legal and historical foundations of structured English immersion (SEI) foundations, the identification and assessment process for English learner eligibility, and culturally relevant instruction. The Arizona Language Development Approach and SEI models are introduced, including language development and acquisition learning theories. Students examine the English Language Proficiency (ELP) Standards and their application in lesson planning. Additionally, students explore appropriate intervention practices and differentiation strategies to support English learners in secondary settings. This course is designed to meet the standards set by the Arizona Department of Education.

This course provides the teacher candidate with the methodology to assess student learning effectively. The focus is placed on providing teacher candidates with the tools necessary to use, interpret, and evaluate student growth in order to inform instruction. Teacher candidates explore a variety of assessment tools and construct objective and performance assessments.

This course focuses on the most current research, theory, and methods of content-based literacy strategies (pre-reading, guided reading, post-reading, and writing) in single subject classrooms at the secondary level. Teacher candidates will implement teaching and learning strategies that use critical thinking, provide meaningful context, and incorporate student knowledge to develop a comprehensive content area lesson plan. Guided field experience, based on work in a single subject content area classroom, is incorporated into the course requirements.

This course focuses on the methodology and assessment strategies that enhance learning at the secondary level. The teacher candidate will use assessment data to enhance instruction that meets the students¿ varied learning needs. Teacher candidates will promote critical thinking, apply essential strategies, and incorporate meaningful context to promote a deeper understanding of content. Multiple perspectives of students as learners of secondary content, along with current research on pedagogy, are explored.

This course emphasizes the practical application of educational theories and methods. The course will focus on the following topics: the student teaching experience, the school culture, the learning environment, instructional design, implementing assessments, instructional decision-making, analyzing learning results, reflection and self-evaluation, and planning, preparing, and implementing the teacher performance assessment. The course also provides a forum for open discussion and problem solving based on student teaching classroom experiences.