Department of Teacher Education and Higher Education
Middle Grades Concentration
Classroom Practice Track
Designed for:
Students with an undergraduate degree (other than education) who wish to pursue a masters degree in education with teaching licensure for middle grades (6-9). Undergraduate major must align with one of four teaching areas: English, Math, Science, Social Studies.
Program Description:
The Master of Education (Classroom Practice Track) program is a field-based program that features strong collaboration with classroom teachers. Graduates receive a Master of Education with a concentration in Middle Grades Education and licensure to teach one subject field in grades 6-9.
Graduates of the Master's Degree must be able to demonstrate four major accomplishments:
- Understanding the philosophy and mission of middle grades education.
- Understanding human growth and developmental implications for middle grades education.
- Generating strategies for curriculum development and teaching methodology.
- Developing personal competencies for leading and teaching at the middle-level.
Candidates must submit a portfolio that documents their accomplishment of five Advanced Competencies
Philosophy and Goals:
The primary goal of the Middle Grades Education programs is to prepare teachers to teach academic core subjects (language arts, math, science, and social studies) in grades 6-9. To qualify for initial licensure, candidates must meet the eleven basic goals of UNCG's Middle Grades Program listed below.
Students will :
- Become involved in the identification of issues in middle grades education and the search for solutions.
- Become critical thinkers capable of effectively expressing themselves in oral and written communication.
- Develop self-awareness and an understanding of their own world view and how that perspective influences their own learning and teaching.
- Understand the cultures of middle-level schools and classrooms and the professional roles of teachers in those cultures.
- Understand cultural differences and appreciate the rich cultural heritage that each young adolescent brings to the classroom.
- Understand the unique learning characteristics, needs, and capacities of young adolescents of different cultural and language backgrounds and of varying exceptionalities.
- Gain a deeper understanding of multiple ways of knowing, and understanding what it means to know something well.
- Develop a knowledge base in the content areas that middle grades teachers must deliver.
- Develop skills in observing students' development and learning strategies and in creating appropriate learning opportunities and managing instruction responsively.
- Use educational technology in innovative ways to enhance classroom learning.
- Develop a perspective of the teacher as researcher and gain confidence in their own ability to contribute to theoretical and pedagogical discussions on the nature and development of learning in the middle grades.
Application Process:
- Applicants can obtain an application from the Graduate School (http://www.uncg.edu/grs).
- Two official transcripts are required from every college and university that you attended.
- Three recommendations are also required, and should be submitted in sealed envelopes.
- A Residency Statement is required for applicants claiming North Carolina residency.
- Applicants must take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) and submit their test scores to the Graduate School.
- Applicants are required to submit a personal statement and a copy of an updated resume.
Program Pre-requisite Requirements:
- One composition course
- One literature course
- One science course
- One social science course
- One course in US history
- One math course (college algebra)
- One course in world affairs
- One health course
- Other courses in teaching areas as needed to fulfill licensure requirements
Note: Permission from the TED Department is required to begin program with more than three pre-requisites/co-requisites.
Curriculum:
Core: (9 hours)
- TED 669 (3) Educational Implications of Learning & Developmental Theory
- TED 545 (3) Diverse Learners
- ERM 605 (3) Educational Measurement & Evaluation
Pedagogical Expertise: (18 hours)
- TED 626 (3) Middle Grades Curriculum & Instruction
- TED 634 (3) Seminar in Middle Grades Education (with internship)
- TED 635 (3) Reading in the Secondary School & Content Area
- Plus 6 hours content, 3 hours methods
Professional Development/Leadership: (12 hours)
- TED 650 (3) The Interaction of Classroom Management & Instruction
- TED 680a (6) Clinical Experience in Teaching
- TED 680b (3) Clinical Experience in Teaching
Licensure Process:
- Completion of Program of Study
- Successful completion of Technology Portfolio
- Successful completion of Advanced Competencies Portfolio
- Acceptable scores on required PRAXIS exams
- Application for licensure through UNCG Certification Officer.
Contact Person:
Dr. Colleen Fairbanks
Curry Building, Room 336A
(336) 334-3746
cmfairba@uncg.edu
Frequently Asked Questions:
What are the prospects for a job when I finish?
North Carolina is currently experiencing a teaching shortage and Middle Grades is one of the most highly impacted areas of the shortage. The UNCG program could easily place twice as many graduates as we do.
Can I complete the program going to school part-time?
Both the undergraduate and graduate programs require part-time classroom internship and a full-time student teaching experience. It is possible to complete coursework on a part-time basis until the "professional year" begins.
Can I pursue my Master's Degree while I am a lateral entry teacher?
Many of our students are teaching in lateral entry programs. Required courses are offered after school hours. Candidates must meet the requirements for admission for the Graduate School to be accepted in the program.