Department of Teacher Education
Sharon Harris-Ewing, Ph.D., Chair
Roberts Wesleyan College offers programs leading to New York State Teacher Certification and fulfills the terms of the Interstate Agreement on Qualification of Educational Personnel.
To speak with a representative in the Department of Teacher Education, call 585.594.6677.
Admission to Teacher Education Programs
Students apply for admission to the Early Childhood and Students with Disabilities programs, the Childhood and Special Education programs, the Adolescence Education programs, or the Physical Education program during the spring of the freshman year or fall of the sophomore year. Students in the Music Education program apply for admission during the fall of the sophomore year. All Education students must be formally admitted to the Teacher Education Program and complete all education requirements before student teaching. Progress toward the degree and readiness to student teach will be appraised regularly between admission to the program and acceptance for student teaching. Students should refer to the progress chart below and contact the Undergraduate Teacher Education Office at 585.594.6448 for detailed admission requirements.
| Admission to the Teacher Education Program | Student applies for admission after successfully completing a minimum of two Teacher Education Department courses. Other admission criteria include earning a 2.7 overall GPA; a C or better in CMC 101 and CMP 101; a C+ or better in EDU 185 and 195; and a B- or better in all education courses at the 200 level and above; and successfully completing a writing sample. |
| Progress Reviews | Student's progress is formally reviewed by faculty at the end of every semester. Students must maintain required course grades and GPA, and demonstrate professional dispositions for teaching. |
| Application to Student Teach | Student applies to student teach when all prerequisites have been met. Application deadlines are September 1st for spring placement and January 15th for fall placement. |
| Student Teaching Appraisal | Student's performance is informally reviewed at the midpoint of each placement and formally reviewed at the end of the student teaching placement. Student receives a grade of pass or fail. |
| Application for Degree | Student submits "Application for Degree" form to be signed by Teacher Education advisor when all program requirements have been successfully met. |
Field Experience
Student fieldwork in area classrooms, called Observation/Participation Experience (OPE), begins during the first year of a student’s program. Students are responsible for transportation to all OPE sites with the exception of EDU 195. Students must successfully complete all required OPE experiences prior to student teaching.
- Early Childhood/Students with Disabilities dual certification program requires 150 hours of OPE
- Childhood/Special Education dual certification program requires 150 hours of OPE
- Adolescence Education (7-12) program [without Students with Disabilities] requires 100 hours of OPE
- Adolescence Education (7-12) with Students with Disabilities 7-12 Generalist dual certification program requires 150 hours of OPE
- Music Education (K-12) program requires 100 hours of OPE
- Physical Education (K-12) program requires 120 hours of OPE
Student Teaching
Education students, guided by a master teacher and college supervisor, will spend one semester in area schools for their student teaching experience. Students will be responsible for transportation to their student teaching placements. The deadline for student teaching applications is one full semester prior to the student teaching semester:
- January 15 – in order to student teach the following fall semester
- September 1 – in order to student teach the following spring semester
- Prerequisites for applying to student teach:
- Successful completion of all Observation Participation Experience (OPE) hours.
- Formal admission to the Teacher Education Department and continued satisfactory progress reviews.
- Successful completion of all EDU courses with required minimum grade for each course.
- Minimum of 2.70 overall grade point average.
Double Majors within the Department
Double majors within the Teacher Education Department are not allowed. However, in some cases, Adolescence Education majors may be allowed to earn a second major in their content discipline. Students should refer to the department of their discipline to determine whether this is allowed.