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Program Requirements

The teacher education minor prepares students to become classroom teachers at the preschool, elementary, middle or high school level.  It includes a set of required courses, plus a semester of student teaching.  

Candidates for a teaching license at the elementary or secondary level must achieve a grade of at least B-minus in all required education program courses. Satisfactory grades and permission of the education program faculty adviser (elementary) or director (secondary) are required in order to proceed to the final semesters of the program.

• Preschool candidates must pass the MTEL Communications and Literacy test prior to student teaching.
• Elementary candidates must pass the MTEL Communications and Literacy, Foundations of Reading and General Curriculum tests prior to student teaching.
• Secondary candidates must pass the MTEL Communications and Literacy test prior to student teaching.

Preschool Program

Lemberg Children's Center has been recognized as an outstanding early childhood education program in the Boston area. After volunteering or doing work study at Lemberg, some students choose to do preschool student teaching (ED 112e for 35 hours/week) at Lemberg. Prerequisites for ED 112e are PSYC 33a, ED 103a, and two approved electives. We strongly recommend that those interested in preschool teaching take ED 107a, Teaching and Learning Reading, as well as another elective.

These courses will fulfill the Department of Early Education and Care requirements for lead teachers in infant/toddler and/or preschool. For further information, consult the director of the Lemberg Children's Center and the director of the Education Program.

Elementary Teacher Education Program

Students preparing to become elementary teachers should choose a major appropriate to the instructional field and must also be able to demonstrate subject knowledge in American and world literature, American and world history, geography, economics, child development, science and mathematics.

Course requirements for the undergraduate elementary teacher education program include:

• ED 100a, Exploring Teaching- Elementary and Preschool  (includes three hours per week lab observations in a local school) should be taken in the fall semester of either the sophomore or junior year (sophomore is recommended).
• ED 107a, Teaching and Learning Reading in Elementary and Preschools, a spring-semester course (sophomore or junior year) that includes two hours per week lab observations and some reading instruction (prerequisite: ED 100a).
• PSYC 33a, Developmental Psychology (prerequisite: PSYC 1a).
• MATH 3a, Mathematics for Elementary and Middle School Teachers (unless waived upon education program and mathematics department review). Please note this course is offered during spring semester of alternate years.
• ED 101a, Literacy, Social Studies, and Other Topics, including a three hours per week lab/practicum in the same classroom in which the candidate will student teach, and ED 105a, Mathematics and Science, both taken in the fall semester of the senior year, before student teaching.
• ED 101b, Arts, Multiculturalism, and Other Topics, and ED 111e, Student Teaching, spring of the senior year. When doing full-time elementary student teaching in the spring semester of the senior year, students are expected to take no other courses than ED 101b and ED 111e.

Additional liberal arts courses are required for licensure by the Massachusetts Department of Elemenatary and Secondary Education.  Brandeis courses which fulfill these requirements are outlined here.

Students must pass the MTEL Communications and Literacy (01), Foundations of Reading (90), and General Curriculum (03) tests before enrolling in ED 111e (student teaching).

Students should consult the Education Program faculty adviser for elementary candidates regarding these and other program requirements as soon as possible. We strongly recommended that students considering elementary teacher education consult Professor Dirck Roosevelt during the freshman year.

Middle and High School Teacher Preparation Program

Students preparing to become middle or high school teachers must choose a major in a content area they will teach during their senior year. The only exception is that students may complete a math minor and do their student teaching in mathematics.

Course requirements for the undergraduate education program for middle or high-school teaching include:

• ED 100b, Exploring Teaching – Secondary should be taken in the spring semester of the sophomore year.
• ED 102a, Secondary Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment (prerequisite: ED 100b) should be taken during fall semester of the junior year).
• PSYC 36b, Adolescence and the Transition to Maturity (prerequisite: PSYC 1a).
• ED 104a, Secondary School: Theory into Practice and ED 110e, Secondary Student Teaching, are both taken during fall semester of the senior year, or in some rare cases, during ninth semester. While doing full-time student teaching, students are expected to take no courses other than ED 104 and ED 110e.

Students must pass the Massachusetts Communication and Literacy Skills Test before enrolling in ED 110e (student teaching). Students must consult Professor Marya Levenson, director of the program, for other requirements, including recommended courses in their major.