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Colleges and Schools

Program Requirements

Students completing the requirements for a major in senior high education will be prepared as competent, respectful, and reflective professionals who are dedicated to serving diverse learning communities. This is a second major only; no student may graduate from North Park University with senior high education as his or her only major. This major leads to teacher licensure and students must complete one of North Park’s state-approved content-area majors: biology, chemistry, economics, English, history, mathematics, physics, and politics and government (political science).

To be admitted to this major, students must be accepted to North Park University and also meet the teacher education program admission requirements.

Major Requirements

Minimum of 35 hours of education courses
120 total credit hours for graduation

Complete the requirements for a content-area major chosen from the following:

Some of these majors may require additional courses to meet the core standards requirements for teacher certification.

Review testing requirements for Illinois Teacher Licensure.

 

Academic Catalog  Core Curriculum

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Course Descriptions

The following descriptions are a sample of courses you may take as an education major. For a complete list of required courses, please review the academic catalog.


This course is an introduction to the teaching profession. Topics covered include historical, philosophical, contemporary, and ethical perspectives on education as well as social and cultural expectations in teaching. In this introductory course, students are informed on the appropriate role of technology; state and national standards; policies governing education at the national, state, and local level; and careers and organizations related to teaching and education. This course also introduces students to state licensure requirements.


Study of the psychological aspects of human behavior and development applied to teaching and learning processes, including learning theories, motivation, and classroom management.


Basic principles of curriculum including, planning, organizing and developing lesson plans in relation to the individual learner, the school, and the society are discussed. Historical developments and recent innovations in school curriculum, lesson planning and preparation, and instructional delivery will be analyzed. Emphasis is on planning and preparation of lesson plans according to the School of Education lesson plan template aligned with the Danielson Domains, edTPA, Illinois Learning Standards and Common Core Standards. Needs of multi-cultural and special needs students are addressed. Electronic professional portfolios will be developed.


This course introduces students to research-based instructional strategies along with basic principles and practices of classroom assessment. Special attention will be given to differentiated instruction, maximizing student engagement and learning, formative and summative assessment practices, and the use of data in classroom decision-making.


A study of the physical, intellectual, emotional, and social development of the young adolescent. Examination of developmental issues that impact the middle and senior high school, its philosophy, and its practices which are responsive to the adolescent, both cognitively and affectively.


This course examines the intercultural and urban dimensions of education with an intentional emphasis on race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and religion. Historical and sociological perspectives as well as pedagogical practices and principles will frame the course to better prepare teacher candidates to understand the dynamics of urban education and prepare them to be effective educators in urban schools. Prerequisite: EDUC 2145.


This course focuses on practices, instructional methods, and professional development central to teaching at the senior high level. Some of the practices include outlining an instructional unit, using backward design for developing lessons, and creating formative and summative assessments. Instructional methods include activating prior knowledge, creating advance and nonlinguistic organizers, integrating analogies, using modeling, demonstrating metacognition, incorporating guided and independent practice, and using various levels of questioning. The role of professional development includes analyzing the lessons of National Board Certified Teachers and learning about organizations affiliated with respective subject areas. Prerequisite: EDUC 2145.


This course prepares candidates to teach science in the middle grades. Candidates will learn about the place of science learning in the middle grades and middle schools. This course will prepare middle grades teachers by focusing on selected science content, along with specific methods and techniques for helping middle grades students develop skills specific to the sciences.


This course prepares candidates to teach social science in the middle grades. Candidates will learn about the place of social science learning in the middle grades and middle schools. This course will prepare middle grades teachers by focusing on selected social science content, along with specific methods and techniques for helping middle grades students develop skills such as reading, discussion, and critical thinking.


As the second literacy method course in the Elementary Education program, this course prepares pre-service teachers to demonstrate the knowledge of integrated approach to theory, literacy instruction, and assessment. It will offer expertise in literacy strategies, differentiated instruction, standard-based literacy lessons, construction of meaning through reading and writing, and developing literacy units. Field experience with the children of the age group will be required for the course.


The purpose of this course is to provide the teacher education candidate with the basic theories and skills necessary to understand the development of literacy in the content areas. One of the basic assumptions of this course is that knowledge of content and study strategies are necessary prerequisites for the teaching of reading and other literacy skills. The strategies developed in the two previous literacy courses will apply to this course. A primary goal of reading instruction is to enable the student to apply literacy skills to learning content area information.



This course focuses on the methods and techniques for mathematics instruction and assessment in the middle grades. Candidates will develop differentiated lessons and implement effective strategies through collaborative planning and peer teaching. This course will emphasize and review specific math content and skills appropriate to middle grades learners as identified in the Common Core State Standards.


Specific methods and materials for teaching middle grades and senior high school subjects: topics and problems of general general instructional media. Basic principles of instruction, preparing for teaching experiences and organizing for instruction. Regular and special populations are included. Music education majors must register for MUS 3408 and 3409 in place of this course.


Survey of the psychology of the identification of, and the methods of instruction for the exceptional child, including the learning disabled, with special emphasis on characteristics and methods of instruction for cross-categorical special education students.


As the first clinical experience course in the Teacher Education Program, this course requires teacher candidates to observe and teacher aide in a classroom in order to demonstrate an understanding of the classroom environment along with instructional and assessment practices. Teacher Aiding experiences include focused reflection on Danielson's Framework for Teaching and edTPA. Candidates take this clinical twice.


Mini-teachers meet regularly with School of Education faculty to share and reflect on the experience and prepare for the edTPA. There will be a minimum of 35 hours of mini-teaching in a local school in connection with methods courses. The student must meet the required grade point average and have a receipt by the School of Education of meeting the Illinois basic skills requirement.


The purpose of this course is to observe and assist a teacher in an ESL school setting for a minimum total of 100 clock hours. The requirements for this course may also be met through certification of three months of teaching experience with ESL students. Only those who have verification by a principal or other administrators of three months of teaching ESL students prior to entering the program may take this for no credit. To be taken at the end of the five-course ESL course sequence.



Supervised observation and teaching in a school and grade level appropriate to the program and licensure endorsement sought by the candidate. The candidates will complete one 60 day (approximately 12 week) student teaching clinical experience. The candidate must meet the required grade and GPA requirement, pass the state content-area test, and be fully admitted into the Teacher Education Program prior to beginning student teaching.


As the capstone course in the teacher education program, this course enables students to create personal syntheses of their educational experiences as university students and as future educators. Students will develop their own philosophy of teaching. Students will assemble professional portfolios and prepare for teacher certification. Part of Professional Term D. Co-requisite: EDUC 4100, 4110, or 4120.