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 What programs are available for students pursuing a career in teaching at CSU-Pueblo? What will be my major and minor? |
In Colorado, students cannot major in education. Instead, they complete an academic major in the area they want to teach, and minor in education. The following majors are available for future teachers at CSU-Pueblo…
Elementary teachers major in Liberal Studies, preparing them to teach all subjects. Secondary teachers (middle school and high school) can major in English, Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, History, Political Science, or Spanish. These departments on campus have designed special programs for students pursuing teaching, denoted as majors for a teaching emphasis. K-12 teachers can major in Music Education, Art (teaching emphasis) or K-12 Physical Education (teaching emphasis). These majors allow students to teach in grades K-12.
Your minor then, becomes the area you want to be licensed to teach: elementary (K-6), secondary (7-12) or K-12. The courses in your minor are called Professional Education Courses, which provide you with the knowledge and techniques for effective teaching.
The CSU-Pueblo Teacher Education Program also offers a minor in Reading that is intended for students in any licensure area who wish to have a recognized strength in the teaching of reading and other language arts. You can also minor in any other content area you would like, but it is not required.
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| Are the specific classes that are required for my major and minor listed anywhere? |
YES! There are advising sheets for every major for prospective teachers as well as the elementary, secondary, and K-12 teaching minors, which list all of the required courses and provide information about prerequisites. Just click on one of the menu links under “Forms & Documents” listed to the left. |
| When and how should I get an advisor? |
Early and consistent communication with faculty advisors is essential to successfully completing any college degree. All CSU-Pueblo students will be assigned an advisor in their academic major. It is important that you meet with your advisor each semester to appropriately plan out your courses and to stay aware of any extra requirements or changes in the program. Major advisors are assigned in the department of the major.
Students attending an SCTEA Partnership Community College (Pueblo Community College, Trinidad State Jr. College, Otero Jr. College, and Lamar Community College) should also meet with their advisor frequently to assure that the courses they are taking will transfer into the Teacher Education Program. The faculty in the CSU-Pueblo Teacher Education Program and at the community colleges have collaborated extensively to provide the best advising possible to make the transfer to CSU-Pueblo as smooth as possible. |
| If I am transferring from a community college, how and when do I apply for admission to CSU-Pueblo? Are there any scholarships available to me as a transfer student? |
Apply for admission to CSU-Pueblo as early as the first or second semester at the community college. The earlier you apply, the better CSU-Pueblo can serve you as a future student by contacting you early about registering, orientation, and having the opportunity for our faculty advisors and admission counselors to meet with you. Applications for admission can be obtained from the CSU-Pueblo Admissions office 719.549.2461 or online at http://www.colostate-pueblo.edu/. There is a $25 application fee.
There are also a variety of scholarships available for transfer students. The Destination CSU-Pueblo Program provides a scholarship along with close academic advising and transcript evaluations for students transferring from Colorado Community Colleges. More information about this program can be obtained through the admissions office or on the CSU-Pueblo web site. As part of the application process to CSU-Pueblo, you can also fill out the general application for CSU-Pueblo Institutional Scholarships where one application enters you as an applicant for multiple scholarships. Please contact Student Financial Services at 719.549.2753 for more information about this opportunity.
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| What is the process for admission into the CSU-Pueblo Teacher Education Program? |
Even though you have been admitted to CSU-Pueblo, you must go through a separate process to be admitted to the Teacher Education Program. ED 301: Frameworks to Teaching is the course during which students complete the admission to education process at CSU-Pueblo. It can be taken when you have a cumulative GPA of 2.600 and successfully completed 45 college hours including:
ENG 101 (Composition I)
102 (Composition II) with grades of C or better
MATH 109 (Mathematical Explorations) or math course required by major field. A grade of B or better is required in MATH 109; a grade of C or better is required in MATH 121 (College Algebra), 124 (Pre-Calculus Math), 126 (Calculus & Analytical Geometry), or 221 (Applied Calculus). Students who complete both MATH 109 and MATH 156 (Intro to Stats) prior to admission may be admitted with grades of C or better in both courses.
SPCOM 103 (Speaking & Listening) with a grade of B or better; or, with a grade of C, students can complete an oral proficiency test. |
| Are there education courses I can take before I am fully admitted into the Teacher Education Program? |
Yes! ED 202: Foundations of Education is a perfect course that helps you learn more about the historical, philosophical, and sociological aspects of education as well as the opportunity to observe and tutor in local schools. Also, students can enroll in ED 280: Educational Media and Technology, which prepares students to utilize instructional technology tools required in the Teacher Education Program. |
| What are Field Experience and Student Teaching? |
n order to provide teacher education students with opportunities to apply educational theory to practice, students spend approximately 200 hours in structured field experiences in K-12 schools as a part of their Professional Education courses. In the final semester of the program, students engage in student teaching, where they work with a master teacher all day, every day for a minimum of 14 weeks. By the completion of the teacher education program, students will have spent 800+ hours practicing in the actual classroom!
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| What is the Education Portfolio? |
A portfolio is simply a well-organized collection of items (lesson plans, student work, written reflections, video clips of teaching, etc.) selected to demonstrate a student’s expertise, experiences, and talents as a beginning teacher. The Education Portfolio is used as part of the assessment process for admission into the Teacher Education Program during the ED 301 course, and later for admission and completion of Student Teaching. All portfolios will be created electronically on the Internet.
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| When should I take the PLACE/PRAXIS exam in my area? How do I prepare for it? |
The PLACE (Program for Licensing Assessment for Colorado Educators) or PRAXIS exam, which is required by the state of Colorado to license all teachers, must be successfully completed BEFORE you can student teach. It is best to take it as soon as possible upon completion of courses in the major/teaching area, which is usually 1 or 2 semesters before student teaching. The exam is administered three times each academic year, usually in October, February, and June. In order to sit for the exam, students must submit an application form and test fee well before the date of the test. PLACE/PRAXIS information and registration forms are available in the Teacher Education Program Office, T243, 719-549-2681. CSU-Pueblo offers PLACE/PRAXIS Workshops for all students each semester |
| How big is the need for teachers in my academic area? |
During this decade, the United States is facing an overwhelming teacher shortage: over 2.7 million teachers will be needed during this decade alone! Although all areas of teaching will be greatly impacted by this shortage, highly qualified secondary math and science teachers, special education teachers and bilingual teachers are in greatest demand as well as minority teachers. |
| I already have a Bachelor's degree and would like to teach. What are my options? |
A career in teaching requires very specific training not only in content, but also in the methodologies of effective instruction. In order to become a licensed teacher, you will need to complete the Professional Education Courses that are part of the education minor and pass the state licensure exam, either PLACE/PRAXIS (see question #9). You may also be required to take other specific content courses, depending on what classes you have already completed in your bachelor’s degree. In order to determine exactly what classes you will need to complete, contact the Teacher Education Department at 719-549-2681 to schedule an appointment with a faculty advisor. When you meet with the advisor, bring all prior transcripts with you so they can evaluate which courses you will need to take.
Ideally, completing a teacher education program prior to teaching is by far the best way to prepare you to teach. But in light of the extreme teacher shortage in many areas, there are alternative routes to becoming a teacher if you already have your bachelor’s degree. One such program is the Teacher in Residency Program, in which you obtain a teaching position first, and during your first two years in the classroom, you take courses to complete your teacher education program and become licensed. For more information about this program, contact the Teacher in Residency Program at 719.549.2273. |