Preparing Tomorrow’s Teachers

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Preparing Tomorrow’s Teachers

This learning community is for students in elementary education, those in other majors who are seeking teacher certification, and undecided freshmen who want to explore teaching as an option. You can learn more about our other learning community, Future Teachers – Future Leaders on their web page.

Majors Eligible to Join

All freshmen elementary education majors are automatically enrolled in Preparing Tomorrow’s Teachers (PT2). This learning community is also open to those exploring teaching as an option.

Program Description

PT2 introduces students to the K- 8 teaching profession, along with helping students adjust to college life.

This learning community is a two-semester experience that includes students taking courses in the fall and spring.

In the Fall

In the fall, students enroll in:

• EDUC 205 – Social Foundations of Education in the United States: Early Childhood and Elementary EducationThis course will provide students with an early exposure to the history, philosophy, and future challenges to how schooling is done in the U.S.
• EDUC 216 – Learning Community Orientation to Teacher EducationStudents will receive an overview of and develop an individualized semester-by-semester plan of study to satisfy the requirements in the different teacher certification content areas available at Iowa State University.
• ENGL 150 – Critical Thinking and CommunicationStudents will be introduced to basic oral, visual, and electronic communication principles to support writing development in teacher preparation.
• HD FS 102 – Individual and Family Life This course fulfills the teacher education and social science development of individuals across the life-span requirement.

In the Spring

In the spring, students enroll in:

• ENGL 250– Digital Learning in the PK-6/7-12 Classroom Analyzing, composing, and reflecting on written, oral, visual, and electronic (WOVE) discourse within academic, civic, and cultural contexts. Emphasis on supporting a claim and using primary and secondary sources. Continued development of communication portfolio.
• EDUC 280N– Pre-Student Teaching Experience I: Learning CommunityStudents will participate in a once-a-week course in which they will explore some of the foundations of teaching. Students will also be paired with K-6 (elementary) school teachers within local school districts for first field experience.

Also in the spring, all students will complete 10 hours in a setting assisting others from diverse cultural/ethnic groups and/or disadvantaged others as part of a service-learning project. Lectures on diversity will be coupled with these service-learning experiences. The connection between learning in the course and observations in the field to strengthen the students’ initial understanding of teaching.

Living Options

This is a non-residential learning community.

Signing Up

Students enroll during freshmen orientation.

Coordinators

Jaime Boeckman

142 MacKay Hall2302 Osborn DriveIA 50011-1078
515-294-7559
boeckman@iastate.edu

Becky Koenen

133C Mackay Hall2302 Osborn DriveIA 50011-1078
515-294-6425
bakoenen@iastate.edu

Tonya McCormick

133 Mackay Hall2302 Osborn DriveIA 50011-1078
515-294-1826
tmccormi@iastate.edu