The B.S. in Secondary Education prepares students for Maine licensure to teach grades 6 through 12. Students may attain endorsements under Chapter 115 in the following areas: English, Life Science, or Physical Science. To prepare students for teacher certification, the School of Education has developed concentrations with courses that enhance knowledge in those fields.
Program Outline
The program outline indicates the types of courses students need to take in Secondary Education. A significant number of required courses in the first two years are liberal arts courses. Student teaching is one of the experiential learning requirements, and the seminar in teaching includes developing an electronic portfolio based on the cumulative experiences students have had to indicate their accomplishment in the program. Student teaching is scheduled in the final semester of study.
Program experiences in Secondary Education include four areas:
Liberal Arts: General Education Courses
A strong liberal arts experience is essential to being a successful secondary education teacher. Liberal arts courses include experiences in English, mathematics, sciences, psychology, ethics, and history. These are the foundation of a well-rounded, professional secondary education teacher.
Professional Educational Courses
Professional educational courses prepare teachers to be conversant with the philosophy of education, educational processes, standards, and technology as defined by the State of Maine Learning Results for 21st-century educators. Courses in these areas include philosophical foundations of education, educational psychology, educating exceptional students, technology, diversity and multiculturalism, assessment, curriculum and instruction, and seminar in teaching.
Secondary Education – English, Life Science, Physical Science Core Courses
There are specialized courses in the program to prepare students for specific endorsements from the State of Maine. They are designed to provide a solid foundation in English, Life Science, or Physical Science education. Teaching skills, methods, curriculum, instruction, and assessment for middle school and high school are emphasized.
Clinical Experience, Practicum Experiences, and Student Teaching
There is one non-credit clinical experience, three one-credit hour practicum experiences, and a fifteen-credit hour student teaching experience.
Clinical Experience
Firsthand opportunities allow students to observe and be proactively involved in schools for a total of 30 hours. The clinical experience is an essential component of the teacher candidacy application to the Teacher Education programs.
Practicum experience
Three 30 hour practicum experiences move students beyond the observation stage and allow them to become active participants in the classroom. They are completed in conjunction with coursework, ensuring rich opportunities for connecting theory to practice. Class assignments are carefully linked to field placement work.
Student teaching
Student teaching consists of two field placements for a total of sixteen weeks. The objective is for students to experience varied grade level assignments. Students will produce an electronic portfolio at the end of their student teaching experience. Embedded within this final semester is a capstone seminar for which students are required to return to campus weekly. This course is designed to provide education students with the opportunity to reflect upon and assess their knowledge, skills, and attitudes in the teacher preparation process. Maine's Teaching Standards and teacher effectiveness best practices provide the framework for this experience.