UTSA College of Education & Human Development Undergraduate Teacher Certification Program

Fitness to Teach Program Admission Requirements Field Experiences Restricted Courses TExES Exams Student Teaching Scholarships Contact Information Agenda

Fitness to Teach Must be read prior to applying to the Teacher Certification Program Fitness to Teach Policy addresses: –Academic Requirements –Personal and Professional Requirements –Cultural and Social Attitudes and Behaviors –Physical Skills –Emotional and Mental Abilities Policy can be found at

Admission Requirements Cumulative GPA must be a 2.5 or better CEarn a C or better in WRC 1013 AND WRC 1023 Have Junior Standing with at least 9 hours completed at UTSA Core Complete

Admission Requirements Passing scores on THEA, ASSET, Compass, ACCUPLACER or meet exemption requirement AssetCompassAccuplacerTHEA Reading Math Writing Essay666

Admission Requirements Complete a Teacher Certification Program Application in ASAP Submit authorization for a Texas Dept. of Public Safety Criminal Background Report

Field Experience Field Experience (field work) is time spent in an educational setting, usually a public school, in addition to regular class hours Field Experiences allow students to: –Develop teaching skills in the context of a school setting –Develop an understanding of the needs of diverse learners

Field Experience: What does it require? Each student is required to complete a minimum number of hours of observation or participation per class, per semester For Example: oReading courses: 20 hours oCurriculum and Instruction courses: hours oEarly Childhood Education courses: hours oOther courses: refer to course description for details Criminal background checks required

Restricted Courses Must have all prerequisites completed AND be admitted to the teacher certification program Restricted courses require advisor clearance which can be obtained online by following the instructions found at s/OnlineInstructionstoRestrictedCourses.pdf

Restricted Courses Contd. EC-6 and Special Education will be required to take “Blocked Courses” Require concurrent enrollment Designed to allow students to spend extended periods of time in one school setting

Advising Tips: Field Experiences and Restricted Courses Plan carefully to make sure all prerequisites are met Check course descriptions in the current catalog to determine course prerequisites Build in travel time before and after field-based courses

Criminal History Background Check process Every student is required to fill out a criminal background check at the time of course registration. Please visit to get the form and for more information about criminal background checks. If you have ever been arrested, it is very likely that the arrest(s) will appear when your background check is run. To learn more about how arrest(s) on your record can impact your ability to become a certified teacher, please visit COEHD courses that involve field experience require that a criminal history check be conducted before students are allowed to participate in or obtain class credit for field-based assignments.

Students are encouraged to complete all practice tests, reviews, and TExES exams the semester before student teaching Information for practice exams, review sessions and state exam registration procedures can be found at: htm htm For more information, contact the TExES Testing Office at TExES Certification Exams

1.A placement for student teaching requires attendance at a mandatory meeting ONE long semester in advance 2.Requirements and guidelines for student teaching and application information will be discussed and disseminated at meeting 3.Deadlines:  Spring Semester – October 1  Fall Semester – February 15 4.All coursework should be completed before student teaching Student Teaching

Student Teaching Contd. Student teaching is a full-time commitment and working while student teaching is highly discouraged Student will be assigned to a school and cooperating teacher Monday-Friday for the entire semester If you anticipate the need for financial assistance, contact COEHD Student Services at least 2 semesters before you student teach

COEHD Scholarships and Services Visit COEHD Student Services webpage for assistance scholarships.htmhttp://coehd.utsa.edu/students/scholarships/home_ scholarships.htm Services offered: –Guidance in finding and applying for scholarships –A ‘Scholarship Alert’ –Essay writing assistance Be aware of application deadlines

Contact Information Degree/Program Questions: (1604) or (DT) Field Placement Questions: Ron Thomas/Jesus Marquez Student Services/Scholarships: Francesca Bronder TExES Exam Questions: Cherie Weiss Student Teaching Questions: Janet Scott

Congratulations!!! If you would like a printout of this tutorial, please visit /Admin_U_T_C.htm /Admin_U_T_C.htm Close this window and return to ASAP Take the brief quiz Apply to the Teacher Certification program