Wellesley-MIT
Teacher Education
Requirements for the Elementary (grades 1-6) Teaching Program
Many people find teaching to be the most rewarding work there
is. Here is a basic outline of our program to learn to teach
at the Elementary level. After you look this over, please talk
with Bernice Speiser about how this program fits in with your
goals and circumstances. The program is based on our knowledge
and our own experience working with beginning teachers over the
years, and on the Massachusetts state requirements for licensure.
(The program is also applicable to other states). Nick Doe in
the chemistry department will be available to advise you in your
selections of math and science courses. In addition, Ed Stettner
in Political Science can advise you in the humanities and social
sciences.
The
program is challenging and the description of it may appear daunting
at first, but please know that we are ready to work
with you to help you understand the requirements and to find
ways to succeed with them and with teaching itself.
I.
SUBJECT MATTER REQUIREMENTS
Massachusetts
regulations specify subject matter knowledge requirements for elementary
teachers. Here is a
summary of
those requirements:
(More detailed explanations will follow).
- Reading: theory, research, and practice; practices for teaching
writing; theories of language learning and development.
- English
- Mathematics
- History and social science
- Science and Engineering/Technology
- Child development
- Principles and concepts of visual and performing arts, physical
education, and health.
These
requirements will be met by:
1) completing the set of courses described below;
2) doing additional study in areas where you have not
taken courses;
3) demonstrating your knowledge via student teaching
and the MTEL subject test. (Massachusetts Test for
Educator Licensure). Or if you do not plan to take
the MTEL subject
test because
you do not intend to teach in Massachusetts, you can
alternatively
do a portfolio review process, although the test is
simpler and
quicker.
A. Required subject matter courses
You
may be able to use eight of your distribution requirements for the
following required subject matter courses (an
MIT student may be able to do the same):
3 courses in math and science (depending on your prior knowledge,
you might choose one course in math,
one in a physical science
and one in a life science). Includes completion
of the Quantitative Reasoning requirement (or for MIT
students
the relevant Institute
science and math requirements).
1 literature course
1 writing course (Wellesley Writing 125,
or the MIT communication requirement)
1 course in U.S. history (depending on your
prior experience, History 203 is recommended).
1 course in child development (usually Psychology
207)
1 course in economics, geography, world history,
or U.S. government. (Recommended: History
103 or a course
stressing
Western civilization)
1 additional course that furthers your study of the subject matter
knowledge for elementary
teachers (See
Part IV).
B.
Additional study
For required subject areas (see IV. SUBJECT
MATTER KNOWLEDGE) where you do not take
courses, additional
study and written
description of your understanding will
be required to complete the program.
This study provides a wonderful opportunity
for additional learning, and can be largely
guided by the Massachusetts
Curriculum Frameworks.
When you enter the program we will provide
you with a Subject Notebook to keep track
of any of the subject
matter knowledge
that you may acquire from other classes
or resources.
Two
main goals as you study are that you find your own sense of connection
among
facts and aspects of
the subjects
deepening,
and that you begin to consider how
to
connect your future students to the
knowledge and
skill of each
subject area.
II.
EDUCATION COURSES, AND PRE-PRACTICUM FIELDWORK
The
following courses and fieldwork are required:
- One introductory education course: Education 102, 212, 215, 216,
217, Psychology 248
or MIT 11.124.
- One course on the teaching of reading (Education 310 or Brandeis
Education 107a).
- Education 300 (fall
seminar that
precedes student teaching.)
- Education 304
(Curriculum
and Instruction
in Elementary
Education).
- Education 303
Practicum
(a spring semester
of full-time
student
teaching
in an elementary
classroom).
- Education
302 (This is the
seminar that
accompanies student
teaching).
Pre-practicum
field work:
(“Pre-practicum” means before the practicum, that
is, before student teaching.) You
must complete
at least 50
hours of supervised
field work, in
two or more school
settings, before doing
student teaching. Field work
includes
tutoring, assisting, observing, and teaching. Additional
work in other settings
where you
have major responsibilities
for teaching young people
can be valuable also. Please
see
us for more information
on how field work is supervised
and
documented. You must
have some field
work experience in an urban setting or with children
from urban backgrounds.
A substantial amount
of pre-practicum fieldwork
will be done as part
of Education 300 (fall
semester before student
teaching) and as part
of Education
310 (the course
on the teaching of reading).
Parts
of the requirements
described here
may be waived, depending on your prior
knowledge and experience,
with approval.
III.
ENTERING AND COMPLETING
THE PROGRAM
A.
Program Entry
Doing
the complete
teacher education program
is
a serious
undertaking, and
it entails commitments
to students
and their teachers.
Consequently, we
have a process for
entry
into the program.
This normally involves
three
steps.
1.
Initial program
interest
and advising.
For
this step, we
discuss with you
your experience
and course
work so far, your
academic and personal
readiness for teaching,
and plans for
completing the
program.
2.
Formal program
entry.
A
formal
application
can
be
made
as
early
as
the
spring
of
your
sophomore
year.
This
step
is
normally
completed
by
April
1
of
your
junior
year,
but
may
be
done
up
to
the
beginning
of
Education
300
if
necessary.
Please
see
us
for
an
application
form.
3.
Student
teaching
entry.
Near
the
end
of
Education
300,
we
take
an
opportunity
to
determine
together
if
you
are
ready
to
begin
student
teaching.
B.
Demonstration of
Knowledge
1.
The
deepest
demonstration
of
your
knowledge
will
be
through
student
teaching.
2. Using
the
Massachusetts
Curriculum
Frameworks
as
a
basis,
you
will
have
opportunities
to
review
and
reflect
on
your
subject
matter
knowledge
throughout
Education
300.
3.
You
can
choose
to
take
the
subject
matter
MTEL
(Massachusetts
Test
for
Educator
Licensure)
for
your
teaching
field
or
go
through
a
portfolio
review
process
that
would
include
extensive
oral
and
written
work.
C.
Other
Requirements
1.
Assessment of
your teaching,
mainly during
student teaching,
to
ensure that
you meet
the Massachusetts “Professional
Standards for
Teachers.”
2.
Completion
of
your
bachelor’s
degree.
3.
For certification
in
Massachusetts
only: passing
the
subject
matter
MTEL, the
Communication
and
Literacy
Skills MTEL,
and the
Foundations
of Reading
MTEL.
IV.
SUBJECT
MATTER
KNOWLEDGE
Massachusetts
regulations
specify
the following
subject
matter
knowledge
requirements
for
Elementary
(grades
1-6) teachers.
To
understand
more about
what
is intended
in
each area,
please
study
the Massachusetts
Curriculum
Frameworks,
which
we will
give
you copies
of
and which
can
be found
on
line at
www.doe.mass.edu.
Please
use
your Subject
Notebook,
which
we will
provide
for
you, to
keep
track
of
the subject
matter
you
learn.
1.
English
a.
Children’s
and
young
adult
literature
b.
Adult
literature,
classical
and
contemporary
works
c.
Genres,
literary
elements,
and
literary
techniques
d.
Nature,
history,
and
structure
of
the
English
language:
lexicon
and
grammar
e.
Approaches
and
practices
for
developing
skill
in
using
writing
tools.
f.
Writing
process
and
formal
elements
of
writing.
2.
Mathematics.
Basic
principles
and
concepts
related
to
elementary
school
mathematics
in
the
areas
of
number
sense
and
numeration,
patterns
and
functions,
geometry
and
measurement,
and
data
analysis
3. History
and
Social
Science
a.
Major
developments
and
figures
in
Massachusetts,
U.S.
and
world
history,
with
stress
on
Western
civilization
b.
Basic
economic
principles
and
concepts
c.
Basic
geographical
principles
and
concepts
d.
U.S.
political
principles,
ideals,
institutions,
and
processes,
their
history
and
development
4. Science and Technology/Engineering
a.
Basic principles
and
concepts
of
the life sciences
appropriate
to the elementary
school
curriculum
b.
Basic principles
and
concepts
of
the physical
sciences
appropriate
to the elementary
school
curriculum
c.
Principles
and
procedures
of scientific
inquiry
d.
History of
major
scientific
and technological
discoveries
or inventions
e.
Safety issues
related
to science
investigations
5. Child Development
a.
Basic
theories
and
concepts
in
social,
emotional,
and
physical
development
from
childhood
through
adolescence
b.
Characteristics
and
instructional
implications
of
moderately
and
severely
disabling
conditions
The
following topics in arts, health, and physical
education shall be included
in an approved program but
will not
be addressed on
a test of written
subject matter knowledge
1.
Basic principles
and concepts
in each
of the
visual and
performing arts
(art, music,
drama/theatre, dance)
2. Basic principles and
practices in physical
education
3.
Basic principles and practices
related to personal
and family health
Go
to Elementary Certification Program Plan
