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Lauren Fenenbock

RWS 1311, M/W

Kinley

November 21, 2014

The Building Blocks to Becoming a Teacher

Introduction:

Since I was a teenager, I have always known that I either wanted to work in the

film industry or be an early childhood education teacher. When I first began my

undergraduate studies, I decided to take film courses to see if that was the right career

path for me. Through a series of events, my studies were sidelined and in the interim I

took a job as a teacher’s assistant at a pre-school. Although I am still passionate about

film, my hands-on work at the pre-school led me to realize that I would like to complete

my degree in early childhood education. In order to do so, I believe that it would be

beneficial for me to take a closer look at what it means to be an elementary school

teacher.

If you are an undergraduate student at UTEP and would like to become an

elementary school teacher, you need to apply for admission to the Department of Teacher

Education, which is located within the College of Education. The Education Building is

located at 2300 Randolph Drive, El Paso, TX 79902. The Education Building was

completed in 1970. It has a nine-story tower that is often lit orange at night. The College

of Education’s main goal is to provide students with “an opportunity to attain the

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knowledge, values, and skills” to become a certified teacher (UTEP Undergrad Catalog,

2014). There is only one undergraduate degree offered in the College of Education; it is a

Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies or BIS. A Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies

degree consists of a General Education Core, an Interdisciplinary Major, and a

Professional Education Studies component (UTEP Undergrad Catalog, 2014). Within the

Professional Education Studies component there are three certification levels to chose

from: “Elementary Education (EC-6), Middle Grades Education (4-8), and All-Levels

Special Education EC-12” (UTEP Undergrad Catalog, 2014). In the fall of 2013, the

College of Education had 64 full-time faculty members (About the College, n.d.). During

the 2012-2013 academic year, 342 undergraduate students earned a Bachelor of

Interdisciplinary Studies degree (CIERP, n.d.).

I believe that I am situated somewhere in the middle of the College of Education

discourse community. This is because I have past teaching experience, but I have only

taken one university level Education course. I already know that I love working with

children and that being a teacher is extremely rewarding. It is great being able to help

children learn and grow. I believe that there is nothing more important than educating a

child. However, I don’t know how to decide on some of the specifics such as: choosing a

degree plan, which grade level to teach, where to teach, and if I should go to graduate

school. Through this research paper, I hope to achieve my objective of getting one step

closer to becoming an elementary school teacher. My primary research question is what

do I need to do to become an elementary school teacher? My secondary research

questions are: teaching which grade level will be best suited to my individual strengths

and weaknesses? What are the differences between teaching private and public school?

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Should I specialize in a specific subject rather than a specific grade level? Which

Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies degree plan should I follow? Is it beneficial for me

to get a Master’s degree? Finding answers to all of these questions will help me to decide

if I’m on the right career path.

Literature Review/Background

I began my research by analyzing the booklet, Becoming a Teacher. The very first

sentence states, “New teachers overwhelmingly say they love what they do” (AFT, 2008,

pg. 1). That is a very good way to get people excited about becoming teachers. The

author also uses statements such as “helping children realize their dreams” and “play a

part in improving our society” to sell the teaching profession (AFT, pg. 1). The booklet

advocates to prospective teachers by stating how important teaching is to our society. The

author appeals to the reader’s heartstrings when they state, “teachers directly affect the

lives of the students they teach” (AFT, pg. 4). Who wouldn’t want to have a positive

impact on someone else’s life?

The booklet also has fact-based arguments. Many people think that being a

teacher means you have it easy because you don’t work from nine to five and you get a

summer break. However, neither statement is true. The booklet points out that “teachers

arrive at school before students do” and they “keep working” even after the students have

gone home (AFT, pg. 5). During summer break, many teachers teach summer school or

attend conferences.

Average teacher salaries are also addressed in the booklet. One salary fact that

caught my attention is, “those with master’s degrees make about twice as much as those

with bachelor’s degrees” (AFT, pg. 6). This statement leads directly into my question: is

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it beneficial for me to get a Master’s degree? The El Paso Independent School District

pays new teachers a starting salary of $44,146.96 for the 2014-2015 school year (EPISD,

2014). New teachers that have earned a Master’s degree are eligible to receive a yearly

stipend of $1,000 (EPISD, 2014). When I interviewed a kindergarten teacher named

Debby R., she told me that she does not have a Master’s degree. Although she greatly

values education, she feels like the only reason she would have needed a Master’s degree

is if she had wanted to become a school administrator. Only three out of the eighteen

teachers that I surveyed have earned a Master’s degree.

The most useful takeaway from Becoming a Teacher is that it stated what are

generally the three components of all teacher education programs: “required course work

for the subject and grade level you want to teach; courses on how to teach (called

“pedagogy”), and clinical experience” (AFT, pg. 7). When I analyzed the Bachelor of

Interdisciplinary Studies degree plans I discovered that they include these three

components. My analysis of the different Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies degree

plans also helped me to answer the following questions: which degree plan should I

follow? Should I specialize in a specific subject rather than a specific grade level? The

Elementary Education (EC-6) program has three concentrations, the Middle Grades

Education (4-8) program has six concentrations, and the All-levels (EC-12) Generic

Special Education program has one concentration (UTEP Undergrad Catalog). I did not

spend a lot of time looking at the Middle Grades Education (4-8) degree plan because I

know that I want to be an elementary school teacher, not a middle school teacher.

However, I did learn an important fact by looking at the Middle Grades program. If I

follow one of the Middle Grades Education degree plans, I could specialize in a certain

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subject such as Math or English. If I follow one of the Elementary Education degree

plans, I’m unable to specialize in a specific subject. I will be required to take Teacher

Education courses that will instruct me on how to teach all of the subjects that are taught

in elementary school.

The next question I wanted to look at is: what are the differences between

teaching private and public school? I thought the best way to look into this question

would be to interview a teacher. Debby R. is a kindergarten teacher at a private pre-

school in El Paso, TX. She has been teaching for the last eighteen years. Since Debby R.

works at a private school, she is “allowed a lot of liberty in my teaching style.” She did

try moving from the private school into the public school but did not like it because she

was used to having the freedom to be creative in her classroom and didn’t have to deal

with the bureaucracy that comes with working in a public institution. She also said that

“play is a great way of learning when you are in kindergarten” and she felt that her public

school students were not given enough time to play. However, she did say that had she

began her career teaching at a public school, she probably would have been able to adjust

to it since she wouldn’t have had the private school to compare it to.

During my site observation, I was also able to see an example of the creativity and

freedom Debby R. is allowed at her private school. I was able to watch her teach that

week’s submarine lesson which was about starfish. Debby R. created her underwater

submarine because she loves the ocean and felt “that children are fascinated with sea

creatures” and that it “would lend itself really nicely to a kindergarten curriculum.” Her

submarine helps to get the children excited about science. It also allows the students to

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learn about the world around them by incorporating math, letters, drawing, and writing

into the weekly submarine lesson.

Visiting Debby R.’s classroom also helped to answer my question about which

grade level I would be best suited to teach. Her classroom is full of non-stop activity and

learning. Since most five-year-olds have short attention spans, each lesson was kept brief.

However, Debby R. was able to strengthen many of the concepts her students were

learning by tying different ideas together and reminding the students of previous lessons.

Another great attribute of Debby R.’s teaching style is that if someone makes a mistake,

she doesn’t tell her students that their work is bad, she says “oops” or “don’t forget to

cross the ‘t’.” She is always giving her students positive reinforcement and encouraging

them. She is also very demonstrative with her students and interacts with them on their

level. What I mean by that is, during circle time, she sits with them on the carpet, she

doesn’t hover over them or sit up in a chair away from them. As far as the students’

behavior towards Debby R., most of them participated and paid attention during the

lessons. While doing their individual work, students discussed what they had just learned

without any prompting from their teacher. This shows that the students were engaged and

interested in what they were learning about.

Procedure/Methodology

Data methods selection:

To help me in my research, I chose to collect data about teaching by conducting

an interview with a kindergarten teacher and doing a site observation in her classroom.

This teacher has taught both in a public and private school and therefore, I was able to

ask her about how they differ. I also took a survey of current elementary school teachers

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because I thought that their feedback would be more beneficial to me than asking fellow

Education students who might not yet have real world teaching experiences to draw from.

My final method for data collection was to analyze documents about teaching and the

different Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies degree plans offered by the College of

Education.

Data collection:

I interviewed Debby R. at her home on the afternoon of October 10, 2014. I

recorded the interview, which lasted about thirty minutes. I chose to interview Debby R.

because I worked with her years ago and know first-hand what a wonderful teacher she

is. My interview with Debby R. went extremely well and she gave me a lot to think

about. Besides asking her about the differences between teaching public and private

school, I was also able to ask her how she chose to teach kindergarten, what some of the

best things about teaching kindergarten are, and what some of the difficulties or obstacles

have been and how she has overcome them. In other words, I wanted to find out what

advice she had for a new teacher or what information she wished she had known before

she began her teaching career. A transcript of my interview with Debby R. may be found

in Appendix A.

Unfortunately, I never received feedback from the two elementary school

principals that I contacted (multiple times) to request permission to disseminate my

online survey to teachers at their schools. I sent both principals copies of the survey so

that they could see exactly what I was asking. It was quite disheartening to not receive

responses from them because the survey was short and I would have hoped that the

principals would have been willing to help a future educator. However, I was able to get

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eighteen teachers to fill out my survey by asking elementary school teacher friends to

distribute the web link to fellow colleagues. My survey went “live” on October 16, 2014

and I received my first response on October 27, 2014. The objectives that I hoped to

achieve with my survey were to determine the following: if teaching is a profession with

longevity; if there’s a correlation between years of teaching and teaching a specific grade

level, subject, or section to the enjoyment of being a teacher; if being fluent in Spanish is

important to teaching in El Paso; and to determine how important a graduate degree is to

being a teacher.

Of the eighteen teachers who participated in my survey, eight have taught for 6 to

10 years, five have taught for 11 to 15 years, and two have taught for 16 to 20 years. The

remaining three have either taught for 5 years or less, 26 to 30 years, or 31 or more years.

Sixteen of the teachers teach the following subjects: reading/language arts, math, and

science. Seventeen of the teachers teach social studies, five teach Spanish, twelve teach

art, and one teaches music only. 55.56%, or ten teachers, are bilingual and 44.44%, or

eight teachers, are not. The majority of the teachers, or ten, believed that it is somewhat

important to be bilingual in order to teach at an El Paso public school. The majority of the

teachers, or ten, enjoy teaching a great deal. Six enjoy it a lot, one a moderate amount,

and one doesn’t enjoy it at all. A copy of my survey may be found in Appendix B.

I analyzed the booklet, Becoming a Teacher, which was written by the American

Federation of Teachers. According to their website, it was written in order to provide

“answers to questions about the teaching profession and how to become a teacher”

(AFT). The booklet’s primary audience was high school students who were trying to

decide what career path they would like to follow. Although I’ve already graduated from

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high school, I still believed that this booklet would be helpful to my research. A copy of

the pamphlet may be found in Appendix C.

I also analyzed the following College of Education degree plans: Elementary

Education: EC-6 Generalist, Elementary Education: EC-6 Bilingual Education Generalist,

and All Levels Special Education: EC-12. The university, academic advisors, and

undergraduate students use the degree plans. The university created the degree plans for

undergraduates, along with their advisors, to follow to make sure the coeds take all of the

necessary courses in order to graduate with a Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies

degree. I’m currently following the Elementary Education: EC-6 Generalist degree plan,

but I wanted to compare and contrast it with the other two plans to make sure that I was

following the correct one for me. Copies of all three Elementary Education degree plans

may be found in Appendix D. Appendix E contains copies of three Middle Grades

Education degree plans.

The final document I analyzed was the El Paso Independent School District’s

2014-2015 New Hires Salary Schedule for Teachers, Librarians, and Student Activity

Managers. EPISD uses this schedule to inform future hires on the kind of salary they

would receive if they were to be employed by the district. I used it to see what my

starting salary would be and to find out what the salary increase would be if I had a

Master’s degree. The EPISD salary schedule may be found in Appendix F.

After interviewing Debby R., I thought it would be extremely beneficial for me to

observe her kindergarten classroom. By observing Debby R.’s classroom, I hoped to see

her teaching duties, what the students learned, and their interactions with each other. I

conducted my site observation on the morning of October 15, 2014. I observed the class

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for two hours. During my observation, the classroom consisted of one head teacher, one

assistant teacher, and seventeen students. For a short time, one of the student’s mothers

also stopped by with their dog so that the class could meet the pet. I observed the class

from an empty seat at one of the workstation tables. My site observation heuristic may be

found in Appendix G.

Data coding:

I recorded and then transcribed Debby R.’s interview. This allowed me to both

listen to and read her answers repeatedly. Every time I looked over the transcript, I found

something new to add to my paper. I waited as long as possible before coding my data

from my survey in hopes that I would receive additional responses. I was able to analyze

the responses by using graphing features provided by SurveyMonkey. However, I had to

tabulate each individual response on my own to determine the correlation between years

of teaching and teaching a specific grade level, subject, or section to the enjoyment of

being a teacher. All of my graphs and survey results may be found in Appendix B. I used

the instructions from our document analysis assignment to code the data from Becoming

a Teacher. A copy of the completed assignment may be found in Appendix C. I analyzed

the Elementary Education: EC-6 Generalist, Elementary Education: EC-6 Bilingual

Education Generalist, and All Levels Special Education: EC-12 degree plans by creating

a spreadsheet. The spreadsheet allowed me to do a side-by-side comparison of the

required courses for each concentration. I also included a column displaying the courses

I’ve already received credit for in order to see which requirements I’m still missing. My

spreadsheet may be found at the end of Appendix D. I did not create a spreadsheet for the

Middle Grades degree plans; I only looked at them in order to see what the main

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differences in requirements were from the Elementary Education degree plans. For my

site observation, I filled in the site observation heuristic from the Inquiry into

Disciplinarity module in order to code my data from my site observation. I also took

photos to help me remember what I had observed and to show how colorful Debby R.’s

classroom was. My photos may be found in Appendix G.

Results/Discussion

As a student, I prefer learning about subjects such as history or art to math and

science. However, I know how important it is for students to understand all subjects.

Since the lower grades in elementary schools learn the fundamentals of subjects, I think I

will be better suited to those grades. In fact, it wasn’t until I was in middle or high school

that I began to have difficulty with certain subjects. I loved almost all of my elementary

school teachers and I know how important they were to me. I have fond memories of

being in the classroom and learning from them. I hope to be able to have the same impact

on my future students.

Being in Debby R.’s classroom helped to remind me how much patience, energy,

and creativity I will need to have to be a kindergarten teacher. However, all three of those

qualities are needed no matter what grade level I chose to teach. I definitely know I have

enough patience to be a teacher, I’m just not sure if I still have enough energy. As far as

the creativity goes, I’m sure that the exuberance and curiosity of my students will help

fuel me to continue to learn and explore new methods of teaching. Although it is critical

to give students a strong scaffolding in each elementary grade level, I feel like it is

especially important in kindergarten since that’s when most students learn such things as

how to read, the building blocks of math, and social skills.

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In an ideal situation, I would love to take over Debby R.’s position as the

kindergarten teacher at her private pre-school when she retires. However, since I’m

single, I need health insurance and a retirement plan, neither of which her school

provides. Thus, I plan on working at a public school. However, all of the teachers who

took my survey teach in public schools and for the most part, they thoroughly enjoy

teaching. Unfortunately, since I’m not fluent in Spanish, I’m unable to follow the

bilingual degree plan without adding an additional year to my undergraduate studies.

Thus, my current Elementary Education: EC-6 Generalist degree plan is still the one that

I will follow. I know it would be extremely beneficial to get the bilingual certification,

however, I think it’s more important for me to finally finish my degree. As far as going to

graduate school, I hope to continue my education, but for now, I’m just going to take it

one step at a time.

Conclusion

Although I know that I want to be a teacher, I barely was able to scratch the

surface when it came to definitively deciding on such things as what grade to teach. If I

had all the time in the world, I would have observed a classroom of each elementary

school grade level. I also would have liked to observe a Special Education classroom to

see it firsthand. I also would have liked to be able to answer the following question: what

other jobs are available to Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies degree holders? I think

that it would be really great if I could combine my two passions, education and the

entertainment industry into one job. I think it would be really cool to work for an

educational program such as Sesame Street.

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Even before this project, I would ask my friends who are educators about their

careers, schools, and students. In fact, I asked my friend this evening about how she was

enjoying teaching her new grade level. She used to teach first grade and moved up to

fourth grade this school year. She said she was surprised at how similar it was teaching

these two different grade levels. She also said that she was thinking about even moving

up to middle school, something she never thought that she would want to do. It just goes

to show, that it doesn’t matter how much you enjoy your job or how successful you are,

human beings don’t always like to stay in the same place, they evolve.

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References

American Federation of Teachers. (2008, June 8). Becoming a teacher. Retrieved from

http://www.aft.org/search/site/39-0097?f[0]=bundle%3Adocument

El Paso Independent School District. (2014, June 17). 2014-2015 Salary schedule –

teachers, librarian, and student activity managers – new hires. Retrieved from

http://www.episd.org/employment/teachers_librarians.php

The University of Texas at El Paso. (2014, August). 2014-2015 Undergraduate catalog.

Retrieved from http://catalog.utep.edu/undergrad/college-of-education/

The University of Texas at El Paso. (2014, August). 2014-2015 Undergraduate catalog.

Retrieved from http://catalog.utep.edu/undergrad/college-of-education/teacher-

education/bachelor-of-interdisciplinary-studies/

The University of Texas at El Paso Center for Institutional Evaluation, Research and

Planning. (n.d.). 2013-2014 Interactive fact book. Retrieved from

http://cierpdata.utep.edu/OnlineFactBook/FAC_Faculty_FTE_HDCT_Departmen

t.aspx

The University of Texas at El Paso Center for Institutional Evaluation, Research and

Planning. (n.d.). 2013-2014 Interactive fact book. Retrieved from

http://cierpdata.utep.edu/OnlineFactBook/FAC_Majors_Degree_Department.aspx

The University of Texas at El Paso College of Education. (n.d.). About the college.

Retrieved from http://coe.utep.edu/index.php/2013-09-26-20-22-43/2013-09-26-

20-50-47

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Appendices

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Appendix A

October 10, 2014 Interview with Debby R.

Lauren Fenenbock: What kind of degree do you hold? What did you major in?

Debby R.: I hold a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing & Finance.

LF: So you got an alternative teaching certificate?

DR: I got a teaching certificate, it’s not an alternative, but I went back & I got my

teaching certificate once our daughters were in preschool & I would go back to school at

night & I did receive a teaching certificate for early childhood.

LF: What made you decide to become a teacher?

DR: I love being with children and I realized I wanted to have a profession where I had

the same holidays as my children. I didn’t want to be working when they were off for

Winter Break or for Summer so I decided my love of children plus the same holiday

schedule made since for me to go back and get a teaching certificate.

LF: How many years have you been a teacher?

DR: This is my eighteenth year.

LF: What are some of the lessons you have learned over the years?

DR: I think being a parent has helped me become a better teacher and I think being a

teacher has helped me to become a better parent. So I guess being patient with all

different learning styles and being accepting of all different strengths and just being more

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aware that we all come to the classroom with different backgrounds and different issues if

you will. I guess my goal with the children is despite what level they are to try and get

them to achieve at their highest ability.

LF: Which grade levels have you taught?

DR: Pre-K and Kindergarten.

LF: Which one did you like the best?

DR: Kindergarten.

LF: Why?

DR: Because they’re able to absorb even more in Kindergarten and they are more

independent and that one extra year makes a big difference in what you can expose the

children to.

LF: Which subjects do you teach?

DR: I teach math, reading, science, social studies, we do art in our class, and we have an

underwater alphabet that we go into a make believe submarine once a week. So I teach

about sea life as well.

LF: How did you come up with the underwater submarine?

DR: I myself love the water and love the beach and the ocean and I know that children

are fascinated with sea creatures and I thought that that would lend it self really nicely to

a Kindergarten curriculum.

LF: Do you have a favorite or least favorite subject?

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DR: Not a subject, but I would say that my least favorite thing during the day, during the

month I should say because we only do it once a month is Show & Tell (laughs). It takes

forever and some children want to come and show you their finest possessions, which are

usually electronic devices that I myself don’t own, my children never owned, and not

everyone can enjoy them. It’s mainly for one person so that would be my least favorite

thing is the Show & Tell (laughs again).

LF: Do you have a favorite?

DR: I think my favorite thing to teach is math.

LF: How come?

DR: I think you can use math in your everyday life, you know in so many different ways

and just having a knowledge of numbers and shapes and it just makes your life flow so

much easier. Calendar, patterns, I think it all just flows together. You can teach reading

through math, so I would say math is my favorite.

LF: In your view, what are the differences between teaching public & private school?

DR: I only lasted in a public school twenty-three days. So I’m probably not the right

person to compare the two. But because education was not my degree and I didn’t go

right into teaching as a person in her early twenties, I think I was sort of spoiled because

after I received my teaching certificate I went to work in a private school where I was

allowed a lot of liberty in my teaching style, my creativity, I wasn’t having to teach a test.

The assessments were not the same and yet I felt like our students thrived in that

environment so when I left private and went to public, I felt like I was in a straight jacket

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and again it’s probably because private was my first introduction to the classroom and

I’m spoiled. You know, there’s a lot of red tape in the public school.

LF: Besides teaching for a test and the red tape, were the class size different or subjects?

DR: I had more students. There were a lot of textbooks that were assigned to me, yet that

we never really even used, and again I was only there twenty-three days but when I asked

the other Kindergarten teachers, well when do you use these books, oh we really don’t

use these books, but you have to keep them in your room. I just felt like it was, for that

age group, there wasn’t enough time allowed for play and I feel strongly even now that

play is a great way of learning when you are in Kindergarten. I mean there is academics,

of course, but the children learn valuable lessons through play, through centers, through

dress-up center, you know housekeeping and there wasn’t time for that in a public school.

That wasn’t allotted for, I just didn’t like the um, you know it was a great school. My

children went there, you know from first grade on, but I thought at the Kindergarten

level, it was not the style I was looking for.

LF: Did you pick to be a Kindergarten teacher?

DR: Yes.

LF: How did you decide on that age group versus…?

DR: Probably because when my daughters went to school they would come home

everyday with such wonderful stories of Kindergarten and what they did and they had

such a thirst for knowledge and I thought, that’s the age group that I think is so special

and I actually started teaching the year after my youngest child graduated from

Kindergarten and I went into that same classroom.

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LF: Are you bilingual?

DR: I understand Spanish well and I speak Spanish throughout the day to our custodian

and I might speak the wrong tense every now and then but I certainly understand it and I

can speak well enough to be understood.

LF: How important is being fluent in Spanish to teaching in El Paso?

DR: In a public school, perhaps more so, even though our private school is a community

school and we have lots of different backgrounds, I’ve only had two or three students that

have come into our program only knowing their native language. One of them was a little

girl from South Korea and she did not know any English. She was immersed in English

and then the other two, of course Spanish was their first language and we all got along

well and in a very short timeframe they were speaking English and understanding

everything.

LF: What are some of your favorite aspects of being a teacher?

DR: The innocence of the children, they’re demonstrative at that age, so they love

coming to school, they are just learning social skills and I think my favorite part is to

watch them interact with each other and just get to know one another. That’s my favorite

part.

LF: What are some of the difficulties or obstacles you’ve experienced in your teaching

career?

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DR: I really haven’t had significant difficulties. I can remember one situation where I had

a child of Indian descent and this little girl was young for Kindergarten in the first place

and I try to encourage my students to be what I call brave spellers, which means phonetic

spellers, to sound out what the word might sound like in their mind and write it. It’s more

important as their teacher in my mind to give them the love of writing rather than

focusing exactly on spelling correctly. At five years old, I’d rather them go for it and try

and express themselves and this one particular family was a little bit mortified where the

girl would write out all sorts of wonderful stories and it was all spelled phonetically and

the mother, you know, called me on the phone and said how can you let this come home,

you know, why don’t you correct her work, and I said at the end of the month I will, you

know, right a note to her, these are words you can work on with the correct spelling, but

it’s not my style to mark in red and that would be the only difficulty. I really haven’t had

any difficulties.

LF: Is there any advice or information you wish you had been given when you first

became a teacher?

DR: That’s a good question. Again, because I became a teacher later in life, I think the

advice that I brought with me to my classroom came from friends of mine who were also

parents or my children’s teachers in the elementary school that they went to. I would

watch them, observe them, volunteer in their classrooms and ask them questions, so

really just to be as creative as possible. That would be the main thing, rather that just

sticking by a book, you know, going outside of the box and finding things that the kids

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would be interested in and incorporating them into my teaching, that would be the advice

I sought.

LF: Do you have a Master’s degree?

DR: I do not. I have credit towards, but I did not complete.

LF: How do you think that has affected you positively, negatively, or not really at all?

DR: From a teaching standpoint, of course gaining more education I think is always a

benefit, so that’s you know unknown since I didn’t actually get my Master’s. If I wanted

to go into an administrative, to being an administrator, of course I would have had to

have gotten my Master’s. So again, from a teaching standpoint that’s unknown.

Technology has helped, you know in the seventeen years I’ve taught, different ideas you

get from Pinterest or YouTube or you know all sorts of children’s websites have really

added interest to my classroom. But I’m of the belief that you really don’t even need a

degree to be a good teacher. I don’t think the degree necessarily makes someone a good

teacher. I think it’s the passion they have for children. Their patience, their creativity,

those coupled with education make for a good teacher but not education alone. Does that

answer your question at all?

LF: Yes.

DR: You know what I mean? I know at our preschool very fine teachers that don’t have a

formal degree but they’ve got the passion for children and you know, the excitement

about exposing the children to different things. So, I’m not downplaying the value of

education, I’m just saying that that on it’s own, it doesn’t make for a good teacher.

Fenenbock 23

LF: Are you glad you’re a teacher?

DR: Yes.

LF: Do you wish you were doing anything else?

DR: I have enjoyed my ride, yes. I have enjoyed each year. I love when my alumni come

back and visit me and tell me what they’re doing and tell me certain memories they have

of our class and I always get a kick out of that. I just love keeping in touch with former

students. Yeah, it’s been good. It’s been a good experience for me.

LF: Do you think you are going to continue teaching until you retire or do something else

or…?

DR: That’s hard to know. I do think that I’m leaning towards maybe doing something

else.

LF: Because you’re burnt out or because you want to try new things?

DR: More so because I want to try different things. Teaching is very rewarding

emotionally; it’s also very exhausting. To put into it, to make the classroom the type of

class I want to have requires a lot of time outside of the classrooms. So my free time

during the week and on weekends is limited because of devoting time to my classroom

and while I like the end result, I’m at the stage in my life where I’m a little bit more, want

to be a little bit more selective on how I spend my spare time.

LF: When your kids were still at home and you were also teaching did you have enough

time, I mean I know you had the same vacations as them but were you still able to spend

the type of quality time with them and take care of your job responsibilities?

Fenenbock 24

DR: I feel like I was, you know that would be something you would have to ask my

daughters, but the fact that I worked in a private school gave me a lot of freedom. If I

wanted to attend one of the girl’s spelling bees or field trips or programs I didn’t hesitate

at all to tell my director and there was never a problem. Sorry (had to take a phone

call)…

I might see myself a certain way, you might ask Mike or the girls they might…

LF: they might perceive it completely different…

DR: completely different, so when Shelby gets home you should ask her. I do remember

specifically though, sometimes we would be out shopping and I’d say, “Oh, my kids

would love this” and the girls would say, “Do you mean us or your kids at school?” I do

remember that happening, you know. Yeah, that’s an interesting question, so you would

have to ask them.

LF: Is there anything I haven’t asked you that you think I should or anything you feel like

you want to tell me?

DR: The one thing I will tell you Lauren is that in the eighteen years that I have taught,

the biggest change or the biggest difference I’ve noticed, is the parents. So like years ago,

if I had a conference, I had to say to a parent, we’re working on this with your child,

maybe if it was a behavior issue or whatever, the parents would want to know, okay let’s

be on the same page to nip this in the bud. Now, the parents seem to side with their

children far more easily and want to know who did something to their child to cause them

to behave that way. So I notice a huge change in the parents and it’s not for the positive.

Do you know what I mean? (Had to pause to check on something.)

Fenenbock 25

Parents seem to also want to have their children in all these different enrichments after

school, you know they’re programmed so much that they’re missing out on just the value

of going home and playing. Going outside and playing in the backyard, you know,

because they’re going to soccer and they’re going to baseball and they’re going to music

and they’re going to dance and they’re going to karate and it’s, I don’t know, society has

changed, it’s a faster pace, I’m not sure that’s all been positive for children.

LF: So the parents have changed, have the kids changed also?

DR: In many regards, like what children used to listen to, you know children’s music;

they’re more apt to listen to music more suitable for teenagers because that’s what they

are exposed to. Movies, rather than children’s movies, they’re allowed to see movies that

are maybe PG-13, they’re five year olds, so I do see where they are exposed to many

things via the internet or, you know, different forms of media and it’s not all positive. I

mean there are very few parents now that still have, well there’s a handful that still have

the traditional values. You know, they eat meals together and you can tell the difference

when you see the child, you know, versus the children who are just given an iPad during

mealtime so that they’ll be quiet, be entertained, it’s a different, it’s a different life than it

was eighteen years ago. So I see that as the biggest difference, the way parents parent and

the influence of technology, you know if it’s not monitored properly, to me, it’s negative

versus a positive. Does that make sense to you?

LF: No, it does.

DR: You know, I’m not trying to be an old fogy, but I’m fifty-six years old and I feel like

I’m moving with the times, but why push a five year old, or encourage a five year old to

Fenenbock 26

dress like a twelve year old when they’re five. Let them be kids & I think our society &

technology has sort of pushed them away, you know, it’s shortened the window or closed

the window of being a child and it’s, I don’t think that that’s necessarily the healthiest

way.

LF: Is teaching a profession you would recommend to someone to pursue?

DR: Yes, if someone has a real passion for it. It’s not going to make you a lot of money.

So if I guess, I have to tell you with my own daughters, Carly leaned towards at one time

being a teacher and I didn’t really discourage her, but I told her you know if you could

have a specialty it would help you because teaching is not going to make you a lot of

money. You know, the emotional reward exceeds the financial reward, so if you do have

a passion for children, I would definitely…so I think it’s necessary, I think teachers are,

people undervalue teachers, but you specifically, you love children, I think, you know

what I mean, I think you will be a great teacher.

LF: Do you feel like, I mean I know I’m not going to make a lot of money teaching, but

do you feel like, I guess specifically in El Paso, if that’s your only salary or if you’re

single and you’re a teacher that that’s enough? Or you’ll be able to live?

DR: It depends on what you like to do in your off time or, you know, what quality of life

you want. You’ll have a fine quality of life but it doesn’t lend itself to being able to

travel. Other than you’ll have the time to do it in the Summer and on holidays, but often

times you end up spending a lot of money out of your own pocket to bring interesting

things to the classroom and, you know, it’s not going to pad your wallet well. If you go to

Fenenbock 27

public school though, at least you’ll have a retirement plan, you know what I mean, and I

didn’t do that.

LF: Do you think if you had done that right off you maybe would’ve thought differently?

DR: Quite possibly, yes. Yes. I mean if I would’ve gone public school, I could’ve retired

now with full pension. You know I would’ve put in enough years, so sure, right Mike?

Mike would’ve loved that. (Her husband Mike had walked into the room.) Right Mike?

MR: Well, you wouldn’t have loved your job the same way though.

DR: Well, that’s what I was telling Lauren, who knows because I went in later in life, I

was thirty-three. No, I had Shelby when I was thirty-three. I started at thirty-eight. So

what I’m saying is, had I started out in a public school and never known the difference…

MR: Right…

DR: It might’ve been different…

MR: It might’ve been…

DR: But I started off in a private school with, you know, I’m not saying there weren’t

expectations of me, but it was just a more relaxed atmosphere and I was able to do a lot

more in the classroom on my own than just going by the Texas essential knowledge &

skills, you know what I mean? So, I don’t know, it’s like not knowing, maybe I would’ve

felt very different about it.

LF: But obviously, if you’re been there eighteen years, you are happy?

DR: Oh, absolutely! I really do, I really can say I love; I love what I was doing. I’m at the

point now where I think I’m ready to try something different.

LF: Do you know what you are thinking of trying?

Fenenbock 28

DR: I really don’t, something with people, you know. I have a bookkeeping background

too so I could, you know, maybe do something on the business end, but even if I get out

of teaching, I still will volunteer or do something to be around children. You know

because, it’s fun for me, I like the chemistry there.

Fenenbock 29

Appendix B

Questions About Teaching Elementary School Survey by: Lauren Fenenbock

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/LTWGBWJ I am a Pre-Education major at UTEP. I hope to achieve the following objectives with this survey: 1. To determine if teaching is a profession with longevity. 2. To determine if there is a correlation between years of teaching and teaching a specific grade level, subject, or section to the enjoyment of being a teacher. 3. To determine if being fluent in Spanish is important to teaching in El Paso. 4. To determine how important a graduate degree is to being a teacher. This survey is for research purposes only. The results of this study will only be used for academic purposes. If you have any questions about the survey, please feel free to e-mail me at: lsfenenbock@miners.utep.edu Thank you for participating in my survey!

Fenenbock 30

Answer Options Response Percent

Response Count

5 years or less 5.6% 1 6 to 10 years 44.4% 8 11 to 15 years 27.8% 5 16 to 20 years 11.1% 2 21 to 25 years 0.0% 0 26 to 30 years 5.6% 1 31 or more years 5.6% 1

Fenenbock 31

Answer Options Response

Percent Response

Count Pre-Kindergarten 0.0% 0 Kindergarten 22.2% 4 First Grade 33.3% 6 Second Grade 22.2% 4 Third Grade 33.3% 6 Fourth Grade 11.1% 2 Fifth Grade 5.6% 1

Fenenbock 32

Answer Options Response Percent

Response Count

Reading/Language Arts 88.9% 16 Math 88.9% 16 Science 88.9% 16 Social Studies 94.4% 17 Spanish 27.8% 5 Art 66.7% 12 Physical Education 0.0% 0 Other (please specify) 5.6% 1

Fenenbock 33

Answer Options Response Percent

Response Count

Traditional Monolingual Class 50.0% 9

English as a Second Language 16.7% 3

Dual-Language 44.4% 8 Gifted & Talented 33.3% 6 Special Education 16.7% 3 Other (please specify) 0.0% 0

Fenenbock 34

Answer Options Response

Percent Response

Count Yes 55.6% 10 No 44.4% 8

Fenenbock 35

Answer Options Response

Percent Response

Count It is absolutely essential. 11.1% 2 It is very important. 22.2% 4 It is somewhat important. 55.6% 10

It is not at all important. 11.1% 2

Fenenbock 36

Answer Options Response

Percent Response

Count Two-year college graduate (Associates Degree)

0.0% 0

Four-year college graduate (Bachelors Degree)

33.3% 6

Some graduate credits 38.9% 7 Master's completed 16.7% 3 Credits beyond master's 11.1% 2 Ph.D. (Ed.D) completed 0.0% 0

Fenenbock 37

Answer Options Response

Percent Response

Count A great deal 55.6% 10 A lot 33.3% 6 A moderate amount 5.6% 1 A little 0.0% 0 Not at all 5.6% 1

Fenenbock 38

Appendix C

Becoming a Teacher | I

Becoming a Teacher

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Fenenbock 39

New teachers overwhelmingly say they love what they do. Th ey say it allows them to contribute to society and help others. And they would choose teaching again as a career, if they had the choice. If you have a genuine interest in helping children realize their dreams, and want to play a part in improving our society, then read on to fi nd out how to become a teacher!

Becoming a Teacher

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Fenenbock 40

2 | AFT Teachers

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Fenenbock 41

Why teach? PAGE 4

What do teachers do? PAGE 5

How much do teachers earn? PAGE 6

How do I become a teacher? PAGE 7

What can I do now to prepare for a teaching career? PAGE 8

Where can I fi nd teacher education programs? PAGE 10

Is there fi nancial aid available to help me become a teacher? PAGE 12

Table of Contents

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Fenenbock 42

4 | AFT Teachers

Why teach?

Most teachers will tell you that teaching has many rewards. For starters, teachers directly aff ect the lives of the students they teach. Th ink about how much time students spend in school; most of that time is spent with a teacher. For some, teachers are among the most memorable people in their lives. Likewise, some students make a big impression on their teachers; it is gratifying for a teacher to watch a student develop and achieve academi-cally, socially and—eventually—professionally. You may hear this often, but it’s true: Teachers are directly responsible for educating future generations.

Beyond the satisfaction of preparing students for successful lives, teachers have a stimulating job that requires making quick decisions, dealing with interesting people from a variety of backgrounds and experiences, mastering and conveying essential and often complex subject matter, and advocating both for children and for quality education.

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Fenenbock 43

Becoming a Teacher | 5

What do teachers do?

Just because you’ve been taught by many teachers doesn’t mean you know what it takes to be a teacher. Teachers are responsible for many things that happen inside and outside a classroom. Th eir primary job is to instruct students and facilitate learning, which is hard work. It requires engaging with students in spe-cifi c subject areas using a variety of teaching techniques, main-taining a safe and orderly classroom, developing lesson plans, assessing student progress, and interacting with parents and other members of the community. And that’s just the beginning!

The school day and beyond: Generally, teachers arrive at school before students do, to prepare for the day’s lessons. During regular school hours, teachers facilitate learning, instruct and supervise students. When students leave at the end of the school day, teachers keep working. Th ey plan for the next day. Th ey meet with parents, principals and other teachers. Th ey evaluate student work—homework, tests, projects and papers. Many are also involved in other school-based activities, such as coaching a sports team, supervising a club or leading

the school band.

Most students are on summer break from mid-June until late August. Although teachers aren’t teaching every day during this time, many still work—teaching summer school or participating in professional development conferences, trainings, or fellowships in order to increase their skills and knowledge.

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Fenenbock 44

6 | AFT Teachers

How much do teachers earn?

Districts pay most public school teachers based on their level of teaching experience. Many receive additional pay based on the amount of education they have beyond a bachelor’s degree. In many districts, those with master’s degrees make about twice as much as those with bachelor’s degrees. Average salaries are always changing, but the average teacher salary in the 2006-07 school year was $51,009. It takes teachers about 14 years to reach the average salary level.

Of course, salaries can vary a lot depending on where you teach; some places cost more to live than others.

Among state averages in 2006-07, the highest average teacher ■salary was $63,640, while the lowest was $34,039.

Th e average beginning teacher salary in 2006-07 was $34,229. ■

A few teachers—in some of the highest paying districts in ■states like California, Michigan, New York and Pennsylvania;

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Becoming a Teacher | 7

and with more than 25 years of experience, advanced degrees and additional school responsibilities—make over $100,000.

For more information on teachers’ salaries, benefi ts and other trends, visit www.aft.org/salary.

How do I become a teacher?

Teacher education programs: Each state sets its own requirements for becoming a teacher. Th e process for meeting these requirements is called “licensure” or “certifi cation.” College or university teacher education programs prepare teacher candidates to meet the state’s requirements. In general, all teacher education programs include three components: required course work for the subject and grade level you

want to teach; courses on how to teach (called “pedagogy”); and clinical experience, which is many times referred to as “student teaching.”

Certifi cation: Once you successfully complete your teacher education program, you still will need to become certifi ed or licensed in the state in which you want to teach. Nearly all public schools and some private schools require teachers to be certifi ed. Every state certifi es its own teachers, so the require-ments vary from state to state. Generally, however, you must complete an accredited education program, with a major in the subject area you plan to teach, and you must pass a state test such as the widely used PRAXIS exam or a basic-skills test. Once you are certifi ed, you are initially qualifi ed to teach in that state’s public schools. Most licenses and certifi cates are granted on a “provisional” basis, which means they are valid for a certain amount of time—most of them between three and fi ve years. In order to qualify for a “permanent” certifi cate or license, each state has additional requirements, such as obtaining a

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Fenenbock 46

8 | AFT Teachers

higher degree, completing additional course work or taking another test. For certifi cation information in your state, visit www.aft.org/tools4teachers/becoming.htm#licensure.

Reciprocity: Teachers certifi ed at an accredited college or university in one state may be allowed to transfer their teaching certifi cate to another state. Th is is known as “reciprocity.” Usually, a state will require teachers who were licensed elsewhere to meet any local requirements for certifi cation within a specifi ed period of time. For information about reciprocity, visit www.ncate.org/public/reciprocityGraduates.asp?ch=154.

What can I do now to prepare for a teaching career?

If you want to learn more about the teaching profession, start by asking a teacher you know and admire about how he or she became a teacher and why. In addition, many teacher education programs require appli-cants to have a high grade point average, to have taken classes in the liberal arts, and to submit an application.

While you are in middle or high school, there are ways you can prepare for a college-level teacher education program, including:

Take challenging courses to be ready for ■college-level work and study;

Take either the SAT or ACT college entrance ■exams;

Consider where you will attend college; and ■

Th ink about what you would like to teach. ■

Choosing what to teach, or what fi eld to teach in, is probably the most important decision to make once you decide to become a teacher.

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Becoming a Teacher | 9

Th ink about what age students you would enjoy teaching. Also consider the type of content or subjects you want to teach. If you think you would like to teach a variety of subjects, you might enjoy teaching elementary-age students. If you would prefer to specialize in a subject like physics, psychology or Spanish, you might enjoy teaching middle school or high school students.

Supply and demand: Also consider the relative demand for teachers in a particular subject. Some subjects have signifi cant shortages of teachers, but a few subjects actually have an over-supply of teachers. Nationally, subjects such as mathematics, bilingual education, chemistry and special education need more certifi ed teachers. Elementary education, French language and English language arts, for example, have a balanced supply of teachers—there aren’t too many and there aren’t too few. A few subjects have too many teachers, including health educa-tion, physical education, dance education and social studies.

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Fenenbock 48

10 | AFT Teachers

Keep in mind that these categories are based on national averages. Th e local and regional supply of teachers for certain subjects can vary signifi cantly. For detailed information about teacher supply and demand, by fi eld and region, see the most recent Job Search Handbook for Educators, published by the American Association for Employment in Education, or visit www.aaee.org to order a copy.

Where can I fi nd teacher education programs?

College and universities: To be a teacher, you will need a college degree. Typically, larger colleges and universities will off er four- or fi ve-year programs that lead to certifi cation in fi elds like elementary education, secondary education, spe-cial education or English language learners. Th ese programs provide the most direct and comprehensive path to a teaching career. Some people attend a two-year college, then transfer into a teacher education program at a four-year college; how-ever, not every two-year college meets the requirements of a four-year college.

Online: Also, some colleges and universities off er online cours-es that prepare teacher candidates. Due to fast growth of online courses, you should carefully research any online program to verify its quality before you decide to enroll.

Alternative certifi cation programs: Depending on location and need, other options may be available for you to become a teacher. Alternative certifi cation programs like Teach for America, and various local teacher fellowships or teacher corps programs, prepare people to be teachers, but vary in terms of quality. Th e best alternative teacher preparation pro-grams provide potential teachers with the basic subject-matter content and rudimentary instructional delivery skills they need. However, these programs also condense years of prepa-ration into a short time period and may not work for every-body. Most alternative certifi cation programs require at least a

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Becoming a Teacher | 11

bachelor’s degree. For a list of high-quality alternative teacher preparation options, visit www.ncate.org/public/AlternateRouteList.asp?ch=2.

Picking a program: Regardless of the path you choose to be-come a teacher, keep the following in mind when researching teacher education programs:

Accreditation: 1. Th e program should be accredited by one of the major accrediting institutions in the United States. Most state licensing offi ces will not recognize your degree or training unless it was completed at an accredited institution.

Fit:2. Th e program should provide you with course work in areas you might want to teach—i.e., fi nd a school that has the same focus as you do. For example, some schools may have a better reputation in secondary education than in elementary; it is important to choose a program that fi ts you and your teaching aspirations.

Clinical program:3. Th e program should provide a strong clini-cal experience (often called “student teaching” or “mentored teaching”). It is vital for you to practice your skills and knowl-edge in a real classroom setting with real students. A good clinical experience is not just one with a long timeframe; it also must include professors and courses that help you build and refl ect on your experience in the classroom.

Certifi cation data:4. Find out how graduates of the program do on state-administered certifi cation tests and what percent-age of graduates receive certifi cation overall. Th is information indicates how well the program will prepare you to pass any state’s certifi cation or licensing standards.

Reciprocity:5. Finally, check into reciprocity agreements your certifying state has with other states. For example, getting certifi ed in New York means you have reciprocity with over 30 other states. Some states have reciprocity with more states, and others with fewer states. Th is is an important consider-ation if you are not sure where you will be settling.

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12 | AFT Teachers

For help deciding where to attend college, and for more infor-mation about diff erent types of teacher education programs, visit www.aft.org/tools4teachers/directory.htm.

Is there fi nancial aid available to help me become a teacher?

Becoming a teacher takes years of college and lots of hard work. Th e fi nancial costs can be high. Th e good news is that there are more opportunities than ever for teachers-in-training and new teachers to reduce their fi nancial burden.

Loan forgiveness: Many college students take on debt in the form of loans. Some fi nancial relief, called “loan forgiveness,” is available if you plan to teach in certain subjects or in schools designated as low-income. Under the Federal Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program, teachers may be eligible for forgiveness of up to $5,000 if they teach for fi ve years in low-income schools and meet other requirements, and up to $17,500 if they teach in certain specialty areas such as math, science and special educa-tion. You can learn more about these programs at www.aft.org/tools4teachers/federal-programs.htm.

Other incentives: Many states off er their own fi nancial incen-tives to attract talented people to teaching. Th ese come in the form of grants, loan forgiveness and other fi nancial incentives for committing to teach, often in high-needs areas. For a com-plete list of programs, state by state, visit www.aft.org/tool-s4teachers/loan-forgiveness.htm.

This pamphlet touches on the basics of what you should know about becoming a teacher. To learn more, ask a teach-er and visit www.aft.org/tools4teachers/becoming.htm.

12 | AFT Teachers

For help deciding where to attend college, and for more infor-mation about different types of teacher education programs, visit www.aft.org/tools4teachers/directory.htm.

Is there financial aid available to help me become a teacher?

Becoming a teacher takes years of college and lots of hard work. The financial costs can be high. The good news is that there are more opportunities than ever for teachers-in-training and new teachers to reduce their financial burden.

Loan forgiveness: Many college students take on debt in the form of loans. Some financial relief, called “loan forgiveness,” is available if you plan to teach in certain subjects or in schools designated as low-income. Under the Federal Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program, teachers may be eligible for forgiveness of up to $5,000 if they teach for five years in low-income schools and meet other requirements, and up to $17,500 if they teach in certain specialty areas such as math, science and special educa-tion. You can learn more about these programs at www.aft.org/tools4teachers/federal-programs.htm.

Other incentives: Many states offer their own financial incen-tives to attract talented people to teaching. These come in the form of grants, loan forgiveness and other financial incentives for committing to teach, often in high-needs areas. For a com-plete list of programs, state by state, visit www.aft.org/tools4 teachers/loan-forgiveness.htm.

This pamphlet touches on the basics of what you should know about becoming a teacher. To learn more, ask a teach-er and visit www.aft.org/tools4teachers/becoming.htm.

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Item no. 39-009706/2008

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Document Analysis

Document Name: Becoming a Teacher

1. Purpose

Analysis:

The booklet, Becoming a Teacher, was written by the American Federation of

Teachers. The AFT is a union for professional teachers. According to their website, it

was written in order to provide “answers to questions about the teaching profession

and how to become a teacher.” It seems that the primary audience is current high

school students who are trying to decide what career path they would like to follow.

However, I believe that college students and people looking to start a new career

could also be part of the booklet’s target audience. Since the AFT published this on

their website, their members are the possible secondary audience.

Evaluation:

I believe the author’s purpose is very clear and understandable. The

introduction is upbeat and extremely positive. The very first sentence states, “New

teachers overwhelmingly say they love what they do.” That’s a very good way to get

people excited about becoming teachers.

2. Writing roles (all writing communicates)

Analysis:

Which of the following roles do you think the writer intended for this document?

• Teaching – The booklet teaches students by giving a brief overview of what it

means to be a teacher.

Fenenbock 53

• Selling (sometimes, a writer needs to sell an idea, even) – The booklet tries to sell

students on becoming teachers by giving a summary of current teacher salaries

and financial aid info. The writer also uses such statements such as “helping

children realize their dreams” and “play a part in improving our society” to sell

the teaching profession.

• Advocating – The booklet advocates to prospective teachers by stating how

important teaching is to our society.

Evaluation:

The intended roles support the purpose of the document by giving the audience

background on what it means to be a teacher (teaching), some hard numbers on salaries

(selling), and stating the importance of teaching (advocating). Since this booklet’s

purpose is to give preliminary information on becoming a teacher, I don’t think the writer

needed to include more roles.

3. Types of arguments

Analysis:

The booklet contains many arguments on why the reader should become a

teacher. The writer tries to appeal to the reader’s sympathy, or pathos. An example of this

type of argument from the booklet is when the writer states, “teachers directly affect the

lives of the students they teach.” I believe the purpose of this kind of argument is to pull

at the heartstrings of the reader. Who wouldn’t want to have a positive impact on

someone else’s life?

The booklet also has fact-based arguments. Many people think that being a

teacher means you have it easy because you don’t work from nine to five and you get a

Fenenbock 54

summer break. However, neither statement is true. The booklet points out that “teachers

arrive at school before students do” and they “keep working” even after the students have

gone home. During summer break, many teachers teach summer school or attend

conferences.

The booklet also states facts on average teacher salaries and what the general

requirements are for becoming a certified teacher. One salary fact that caught my

attention was, “those with master’s degrees make about twice as much as those with

bachelor’s degrees.” Unfortunately, the booklet did not go into what goes into getting

your master’s degree. I plan on doing more research on that. Something that will

definitely be a useful takeaway from the booklet is that is stated what are generally the

three components of all teacher education programs: “required course work for the

subject and grade level you want to teach; courses on how to teach (called “pedagogy”),

and clinical experience. All three of these components make up my current degree plan.

The booklet also discusses what high school students need to do to prepare for

applying to college and how to pick the right teacher education program. Neither one of

those currently apply to me.

Evaluation:

I believe the writer made strong claims for why one should become a teacher.

However, the writer did not go very deeply into specifics. This booklet is great for a high

school student trying to decide on their career. However, for someone in my position, it

would have been much more helpful if the writer went into more detail with each of the

topics or gave specific examples or anecdotes from teachers. Or, at least, additional

Fenenbock 55

website links or other helpful resources on the subject. This booklet is a good jumping off

point, which is probably the writer’s intention for the piece.

4. Structure/Organization

Analysis:

The booklet has a tidy structure. The table of contents clearly lays out all of the

questions the booklet will be answering:

• Why teach?

• What do teachers do?

• How much do teachers earn?

• How do I become a teacher?

• What can I do now to prepare for a teaching career?

• Where can I find teacher education programs?

• Is there financial aid available to help me become a teacher?

Each question (or topic) is then broken-down into sub-sections or bullet points.

Evaluation:

The information has been organized in a straightforward manner. This allows the

reader to either read the entire booklet or read only the sections that interest them.

5. Function

Analysis:

After reading the booklet, the writer wants the reader to know the basics about

becoming a teacher. If the teaching profession interests the reader, then the writer also

Fenenbock 56

wants the reader to learn more about becoming a teacher by asking a teacher or visiting

the AFT website. The booklet may also be archived as a point of reference when the

reader is either deciding on which university to attend or finally deciding to become an

education major.

6. Document Design

Analysis:

The design of the document is bright and cheery. It has several colorful photos of

smiling teachers and students in classrooms. The design is meant to grab the reader’s

attention. The introduction and table of contents make the booklet easy to pick up and

scan to see if the content will interest the reader. The reader will need to reference the

document multiple times if they decide to check out the referenced websites or go over

any of the requirements to becoming a teacher.

Evaluation:

The document design is appropriate for the intended audience. Although I found

the booklet online, I could see it being handed-out at a high school or college campus

career fair. Since the title of the booklet is Becoming A Teacher, the reader knows

immediately what the writer will be discussing.

Fenenbock 57

Appendix D

UTEP Elementary Education Degree Plans

Elementary Education (ELED) : EC-6 Generalist 120 hours

FRESHMAN YEAR JUNIOR YEAR UNIV 1301 or 2350 Sem. Crit. Inq. 3 ENGL 3305 Children's Literature (Prerequisite: ENGL 1312) 3

ENGL 1311 Exp. Eng. Comp. 3 MATH 3305 Proportion & Algebra (Prerequisite: MATH 2303) 3

ENGL 1312 Res. & Crit. Writ. 3 EDT 3371 Education Technology 3COMM 1301 Pub. Spkng. 3 TED 3330 Ed. & Comm. Applied Critical/Ped. 3

HIST 1301 Hist. of US to 1865 3 HSCI 4201 Hlth. Ed. For Elem. Sch. Teachers (Prerequisite: Junior standing) 2

HIST 1302 Hist. of US since 1865 3 KIN 4201 PE for Elem. Schools (Prerequisite: Junior standing) 2

Social/Behavioral Sciences: (select one) ANTH 1301, LING/ANTH/ENGL 2320, ECON 1301,2303, 2304, GEOG 1310, SOCI 1301, PSYC 1301

3 ENGL 4354 Writ. Proc. of Children (Prerequisite: ENGL 1312) 3

GEOL 1313 and GEOL 1103 Intro. to Phys. Geol. & Lab 4 PSCI 3304 Phys. Sc. II (Prerequisite: PSCI 2303) 3

BIOL 1303 and BIOL 1103 Intro. Biology & Lab 4

STAT 1380 Desc. & Inf. Stat. (Prerequisite: MATH 0311)

3 *BED 4340 Prin. of Bil/ESL Ed.

(Prerequisite to all 4000 level BED courses and ECED 4335)*SPED 3310 Spec. Ed. Gnrl. & Sped. Set. 3

SOPHOMORE YEAR *ECED 4335 Lang. & Lit. in the Early Years (Prerequisite: BED 4340) 3

POLS 2310 Intro. to Pol. 3POLS 2311 Am. Gov. & Pol. 3 SENIOR YEAR Humanities: (select one) ENGL 2311, 2312, 2313, 2314, 2318, HIST 2301, 2302, PHIL 1301, 2306

3 *BED 4343 or LING 3308 Shelt. ESL Inst./Teach. Engl. Spkrs. of Other Lang. (Prerequisite: BED 4340/ENGL 1312)

3

Visual/Perfom. Arts: (select one) ART 1300, ARTH 1305, 1306, ARTS 3320, DANC 1304, MUSL 1321, 1324, 1327, THEA 1313, FILM 1390

3 *ECED 4353 Play Development in Early Child 3

ANTH 1302, CHIC 3301, 3311, 3339 (select one) 3 *ECED 4359 Child Thinking in Early Years 3

MATH 2303 Number Concepts *ELED 4309 Social Science Ed. in Elem. Schools (Prerequisite: BED 4343) 3

(Prerequisite: MATH 0311) *ELED 4310 Teaching Math in Elem. Schools (Prerequisite: BED 4343) 3

MATH 2304 Geom. & Measurements *ELED 4311 Teaching Science in Elem. Schools (Prerequisite: BED 4343) 3

(Prerequisite: MATH 2303) *RED 4341 Asst. Tch. Rdg. (Prerequisite: ECED 4335) 3

ECED 2330 Intro.Early Childhood Educ. 3 This course must be taken the semester prior to Student Teaching

EDPC 2300 Dev. in Yng. Child & Youth 3 STUDENT TEACHING (Field-based) Fall/SpringPSCI 2303 Phys. Science I (Prerequisite: MATH 0311)

3 *ECED 4393 Intern. in Early & Primary Gr. I 3

(Prerequisite: RED 4341)*ECED 4394 Intern. in Early & Primary Gr. II 3Must be taken concurrently with ECED 4393

A maximum of 66 semester hours, limited to freshman and sophomore-level work, may be transferred from two-year institutions

30 hrs

27 hrs

3

The University of Texas at El Paso

COLLEGE OF EDUCATIONBachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies

OFFICIAL DEGREE PLAN

Name :__________________________ E-Mail: ______________@miners.utep.edu ID#: 8______________Recommended Course Sequence

32 hrs 31 hrs

*Classes marked with an asterisk require admission to Teacher Education

Revised March 5, 2012

3

3

Apply for Admission to Teacher Education

Fenenbock 58

Elementary Education (ELED) : EC-6 BED Generalist 120 hours

FRESHMAN YEAR JUNIOR YEAR UNIV 1301 or 2350 Sem. Crit. Inq. 3 ENGL 3305 Children's Literature (Prerequisite: ENGL 1312) 3

ENGL 1311 Exp. Eng. Comp. 3 MATH 3305 Proportion & Algebra (Prerequisite: MATH 2303) 3

ENGL 1312 Res. & Crit. Writ. 3 EDT 3371 Education Technology 3

COMM 1301 Pub. Spkng. 3 HSCI 4201 Hlth. Ed. For Elem. Sch. Teachers (Prerequisite: Junior standing) 2

HIST 1301 Hist. of US to 1865 3 KIN 4201 PE for Elem. Schools (Prerequisite: Junior standing) 2HIST 1302 Hist. of US since 1865 3 ENGL 4354 Writ. Proc. of Children (Prerequisite: ENGL 1312) 3Social/Behavioral Sciences: (select one) ANTH 1301, LING/ANTH/ENGL 2320, ECON 1301,2303, 2304, GEOG 1310, SOCI 1301, PSYC 1301

3 SPAN 3312 Pedagogical Issues in Spanish (Prerequisite: SPAN 2302 or 2304 or departmental placement exam) 3

GEOL 1313 and GEOL 1103 Intro. to Phys. Geol. & Lab 4 PSCI 3304 Phys. Sc. II (Prerequisite: PSCI 2303) 3

BIOL 1303 and BIOL 1103 Intro. Biology & Lab 4 BED 3344 Parent & Community Adv. in BED 3

STAT 1380 Desc. & Inf. Stat. (Prerequisite: MATH 0311)

3

*BED 4340 Prin. of Bil/ESL Ed.(Prerequisite to all 4000 level BED courses)

SOPHOMORE YEAR *SPED 3310 Spec. Ed. Gnrl. & Sped. Set. 3

POLS 2310 Intro. to Pol. 3POLS 2311 Am. Gov. & Pol. 3 SENIOR YEAR Humanities: (select one) ENGL 2311, 2312, 2313, 2314, 2318, HIST 2301, 2302, PHIL 1301, 2306

3 *BED 4343 or LING 3308 Shelt. ESL Inst./Teach. Engl. Spkrs. of Other Lang. (Prerequisite: BED 4340/ENGL 1312)

3

Visual/Perfom. Arts: (select one) ART 1300, ARTH 1305, 1306, ARTS 3320, DANC 1304, MUSL 1321, 1324, 1327, THEA 1313, FILM 1390

3 *BED 4345 Biliteracy Development (Prerequisite: BED 4340) 3

ANTH 1302, CHIC 3301, 3311, 3339 (select one) 3 *ECED 4353 or 4359 Play Dev./Child Thinking in Early Years 3

MATH 2303 Number Concepts *BED 4309 Bil. Social Stud. Ed./Prim. Grades (Prerequisite: BED 4343) 3

(Prerequisite: MATH 0311) *BED 4310 Teaching Math/ Dual Lang. Classroom (Prerequisite: BED 4343)

3

MATH 2304 Geom. & Measurements *BED 4311 Teaching Science/ Dual Lang. Classroom (Prerequisite: BED 4343) 3

(Prerequisite: MATH 2303) *RED 4341 Asst. Tch. Rdg. (Prerequisite: BED 4345) 3

ECED 2330 Intro. Early Childhood Educ. 3 This course must be taken the semester prior to Student Teaching

EDPC 2300 Dev. in Yng. Child & Youth 3 STUDENT TEACHING (Field-based) Fall/SpringPSCI 2303 Phys. Science I (Prerequisite: MATH 0311)

3 *BED 4393 Intern. Dual Language Educ. I 3

(Prerequisite: RED 4341)*BED 4394 Intern. Dual Language Educ. II 3Must be taken concurrently with BED 4393

A maximum of 66 semester hours, limited to freshman and sophomore-level work, may be transferred from two-year institutionsRevised March 5, 2012

3

3

Apply for Admission to Teacher Education

30 hrs

27 hrs

3

The University of Texas at El Paso

COLLEGE OF EDUCATIONBachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies

OFFICIAL DEGREE PLAN

Name :__________________________ E-Mail: ______________@miners.utep.edu ID#: 8__________Recommended Course Sequence

32 hrs 31 hrs

*Classes marked with an asterisk require admission to Teacher Education

Fenenbock 59

All Levels Special Education: EC-12 120 hours

FRESHMAN YEAR UNIV 1301 or 2350 Sem. Crit. Inq. 3 EC-6 Emphasis 4-8 Emphasis

ENGL 1311 Exp. Eng. Comp. 3 ENGL 3305 Child Lit. (Prerequisite: ENGL 1312)

ENGL 3306 Young Adult Lit. (Prerequisite: ENGL 1312)

3

ENGL 1312 Res. & Crit. Writ. 3 MATH 3305 Prop. & Algebra (Prerequisite: MATH 2303)

MATH 3308 Prop. & Algeb. Reasoning (Prerequisite: MATH 2303)

3

COMM 1301 Pub. Spkng. 3 3

HIST 1301 Hist. of US to 1865 3 3

HIST 1302 Hist. of US since 1865 3Social/Behavioral Sciences: (select one) ANTH 1301, LING/ANTH/ENGL 2320, ECON 1301,2303, 2304, GEOG 1310, SOCI 1301, PSYC 1301

3 3

GEOL 1311 Prin. of Earth Sciences I 3 3

GEOL 1312 Prin. of Earth Sciences II 3 3

STAT 1380 Desc. & Inf. Stat. (Prerequisite: MATH 0311)

3 3

3

3

SOPHOMORE YEAR POLS 2310 Intro. to Pol. 3 30 hrs

POLS 2311 Am. Gov. & Pol. 3 EC-6 Emphasis 4-8 EmphasisHumanities: (select one) ENGL 2311, 2312, 2313, 2314, 2318, HIST 2301, 2302, PHIL 1301, 2306

3 3

Visual/Perfom. Arts: (select one) ART 1300, ARTH 1305, 1306, ARTS 3320, DANC 1304, MUSL 1321, 1324, 1327, THEA 1313, FILM 1390

3 3

ANTH 1302, CHIC 3301, 3311, 3339 (select one) 3 3

MATH 2303 Number Concepts 3

(Prerequisite: MATH 0311) *ELED 4309 Soc. Sc./Elem (Prerequisite: BED 4343)

*MSED 4309 Soc. Stud/ Mid. (Prerequisite: BED 4343)

3

MATH 2304 Geom. & Measurements *ELED 4310 Teach. Math/Elem (Prerequisite: BED 4343)

*MSED 4310 Teach. Math/Mid. (Prerequisite: BED 4343)

3

(Prerequisite: MATH 2303) *ELED 4311 Teach. Sci./Elem. (Prerequisite: BED 4343)

*MSED 4311 Teach. Sci./Mid. (Prerequisite: BED 4343)

3

EDPC 2300 Dev. in Yng. Child & Youth 3 *RED 4341 Asst. Tch. Rdg. (Prerequisite: ECED 4335/BED 4345)

*RED 3342 Content Area Lit. (Prerequisite: BED 4340)

3

PSCI 2303 Phys. Science I (Prerequisite: MATH 0311) 3

PSCI 3304 Phys. Sc. II (Prerequisite: PSCI 2303)

3 3

3

A maximum of 66 semester hours, limited to freshman and sophomore-level work, may be transferred from two-year institutions

*SPED 3345 Lang. Reading for Special Learners

*SPED 4340 Transitional Ed. For Learners w/ Special Needs

STUDENT TEACHING (Field-based) Fall/Spring

SENIOR YEAR

*BED 4343 or LING 3308 Shelt. ESL Inst./Teach. Engl. Spkrs. of Other Lang. (Prerequisite: BED 4340/ENGL 1312)

*SPED 4330 Diagnosis and Placement

ENGL 4354 Writ. Proc. of Children (Prerequisite: ENGL 1312)

TED 3330 Ed. & Comm. Applied Critical/Ped.

30 hrs

The University of Texas at El Paso

COLLEGE OF EDUCATIONBachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies

OFFICIAL DEGREE PLAN

Name :__________________________ E-Mail: ______________@miners.utep.edu ID#: 8_______________Recommended Course Sequence

30 hrs 30 hrs

*Classes marked with an asterisk require admission to Teacher Education

JUNIOR YEAR

*SPED 3310 Spec. Ed. Gnrl. & Sped. Set.

*ECED 4335 or BED 4345 Lang. & Lit. in Early Yrs./Bil. Devel. (Prerequisite: BED 4340; BED 4345 if pursuing suppl. cert.)

*BED 4340 Prin. of Bil/ESL Ed. (Prerequisite to all 4000 level BED courses and ECED 4335)

*SPED 3327 Teaching Stu. w/ Mild Disability

*SPED 3340 Students w/ Severe & Profound Dis.

Revised March 5, 2012

3

3

Apply for Admission to Teacher Education

*SPED 4365 Organizational & Management/ Special Ed.

*SPED 4393 Intern. In Special Ed. I (Prerequisite: RED 4341)*SPED 4394 Intern. In Special ed. II Must be taken concurrently with SPED 4393

Fenenbock 60

Courses EC-6 Generalist EC-6 BED EC-6 Special Ed Courses I've Taken UNIV 1301 or 2350 ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔

RWS 1301 ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔

RWS 1302 ✔ ✔ ✔ COMM 1301 ✔ ✔ ✔ HIST 1301 ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔

HIST 1302 ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔

GEOG/ANTH/SOCI 1310 ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔

GEOL 1311     ✔   GEOL 1312     ✔   GEOL 1313 ✔ ✔ ✔

GEOL 1103 ✔ ✔ ✔

BIOL 1303 ✔ ✔ ✔

BIOL 1103 ✔ ✔ ✔

STAT 1380 ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔

POLS 2310 ✔ ✔ ✔ POLS 2311 ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔

HIST 2302 ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔

MUSL 1327 ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔

ANTH 1302, CHIC 3301, 3311, 3339 ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔

MATH 2303 ✔ ✔ ✔ MATH 2304 ✔ ✔ ✔ ECED 2330 ✔ ✔ EDPC 2300 ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔

PSCI 2303 ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔

ENGL 3305 ✔ ✔ ✔ MATH 3305 ✔ ✔ ✔ EDT 3371 ✔ ✔ TED 3330 ✔   ✔ HSCI 4201 ✔ ✔ KIN 4201 ✔ ✔ ENGL 4354 ✔ ✔ ✔ SPAN 3312   ✔ PSCI 3304 ✔ ✔ ✔ BED 3344   ✔ BED 4340 ✔ ✔ ✔ SPED 3310 ✔ ✔ ✔ ECED 4335 ✔ ✔ BED 4343 or LING 3308 ✔ ✔ ✔ BED 4345   ✔ SPED 3327     ✔ SPED 3340     ✔ SPED 3345     ✔ SPED 4330     ✔ SPED 4340     ✔ SPED 4365     ✔ ECED 4353 ✔ ✔ ECED 4359 ✔ ELED/BED 4309 ✔ ✔ ✔ ELED/BED 4310 ✔ ✔ ✔ ELED/BED 4311 ✔ ✔ ✔ RED 4341 ✔ ✔ ✔ ECED/BED/SPED 4393 ✔ ✔ ✔ ECED/BED/SPED 4394 ✔ ✔ ✔

Fenenbock 61

Appendix E

UTEP Middle Grades Education Degree Plans

Middle Grades Education Generalist (4-8): Generalist 120 hours

FRESHMAN YEAR JUNIOR YEAR

UNIV 1301 or 2350 Sem. Crit. Inq. 3 ENGL 3306 Young Adult. Lit. (Prerequisite: ENGL 1312) 3

ENGL 1311 Exp. Eng. Comp. 3 PSCI 3304 Phys. Sc. II (Prerequisite: PSCI 2303) 3

ENGL 1312 Res. & Crit. Writ. 3 MATH 3308 Proportn. & Algebrc. Reasoning I (Prerequisite: MATH 2303)

3

COMM 1301 Pub. Spkng. 3 HIST 3317 Hist. of TX since 1821 3

HIST 1301 Hist. of US to 1865 3 TED 3330 Ed & Comm. Applied Critical/Ped. 3

HIST 1302 Hist. of US since 1865 3 ENGL 4354 Writ. Proc. of Children (Prerequisite: ENGL 1312) 3

Social/Behavioral Sciences: (select one) ANTH 1301, LING/ANTH/ENGL 2320, ECON 1301,2303, 2304, SOCI 1301, PSYC 1301

3 MATH 3309 Proportn. & Algebrc. Reasoning II (Prerequisite: MATH 3308)

3

STAT 1380 Desc. & Inf. Stat. (Prerequisite: MATH 0311)

3 POLS 4313 SW Bord. Polit. (Prerequisite: POLS 2310 & 2311) 3

GEOL 1311 Prin. Earth Sc. I 3GEOL 1312 Prin. Earth Sc. II 3 *BED 4340 Prin. of Bil/ESL Ed.

GEOG 1310 Cultural Geog. 3 (Prerequisite to all 4000 level BED courses and RED 3342)

*RED 3342 Content Area Literacy (Prerequisite: BED 4340) 3

SOPHOMORE YEAR *SPED 3310 Spec. Ed. Gnrl. & Sped. Set. 3

POLS 2310 Intro. to Pol. 3

POLS 2311 Am. Gov. & Pol. 3 SENIOR YEAR

Humanities: HIST 2301 World. Hist. to 1500 3 *BED 4343 or LING 3308 Shelt. ESL Inst./Teach. Engl. Spkrs. of Other Lang. (Prerequisite: BED 4340/ENGL 1312)

3

ANTH 1302, CHIC 3301, 3311, 3339 (select one)

3 *MSED 4309 Soc. Stud. Ed/Mid. Gr. (Prerequisite: BED 4343) 3

MATH 2303 Number Concepts *MSED 4310 Tch. Math/Mid. Gr. (Prerequisite: BED 4343) 3

(Prerequisite: MATH 0311) *MSED 4311 Tch. Sci./Mid. Gr. (Prerequisite: BED 4343) 3MATH 2304 Geom. & Measurements *RED 4341 Asst. Tch. Rdg. (Prerequisite: RED 3342) 3(Prerequisite: MATH 2303) This course must be taken the semester prior to Student Teaching

EDPC 2300 Dev. in Yng. Child & Youth 3 STUDENT TEACHING (Field-based) Fall/SpringVisual/Perfom. Arts: (select one) ART 1300, ARTH 1305, 1306, ARTS 3320, DANC 1304, MUSL 1321, 1324, 1327, THEA 1313, FILM 1390

3 *MSED 4393 Internship in Interm/Middle Grades I 3

BIOL 1303 Introductory Biology 3 (Prerequisite: RED 4341)PSCI 2303 Phys. Science I (Prerequisite: MATH 0311)

3 *MSED 4394 Internship in Interm/Middle Grades II 3

ESCI 1301 or ASTR 1307 Env. Sci/Ele. Astro. 3 Must be taken concurrently with MSED 4393

A maximum of 66 semester hours, limited to freshman and sophomore-level work, may be transferred from two-year institutions

33 hrs

3

Apply for Admission to Teacher Education

Revised March 5, 2012

3

21 hrs

33 hrs

3

The University of Texas at El Paso

COLLEGE OF EDUCATIONBachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies

OFFICIAL DEGREE PLAN

Recommended Course SequenceName :__________________________ E-Mail: ______________@miners.utep.edu ID#: 8__________

33 hrs

*Classes marked with an asterisk require admission to Teacher Education

Fenenbock 62

Name: ________________________E-mail:_____________@miners.utep.edu ID# 8______________________

FRESHMAN YEAR JUNIOR YEARUNIV 1301 or 2350 Sem. Crit. Inq. 3 PSCI 3304 Phys. Sci. II (Prerequisite: PSCI 2303) 3ENGL 1311 Exp. Eng. Comp. 3 ENGL 3306 Young Adult Lit. (Prerequisite: ENGL 1312) 3ENGL 1312 Res. & Crit. Writ. 3 ENGL 3351 Dyn. Lang (Prerequisite: ENGL 1312) 3

COMM 1301 Pub. Spkng. 3 ENGL 3352 Rdg. & Writ. Nonfic. (Prerequisite: ENGL 1312) 3

HIST 1301 Hist. of US to 1865 3 ENGL 3353 Read./Resp./Lit. (Prerequisite: ENGL 1312) 3HIST 1302 Hist. of US since 1865 3 TED 3330 Ed & Comm. Applied Critical/Ped. 3

Social/Behavioral Sciences: (select one) ANTH 1301, LING/ANTH/ENGL 2320, ECON 1301,2303, 2304, SOCI 1301, PSYC 1301

3 HIST 3317 Hist. of TX since 1821 3

STAT 1380 Desc. & Inf. Stat. (Prerequisite: MATH 0311)

3

GEOL 1311 Prin. Earth Sc. I 3 *SPED 3310 Spec Ed Gnrl & Sped Set 3

GEOL 1312 Prin. Earth Sc. II 3 *RED 3340 Lang. Arts in Midlle Gr. 3

ANTH 1302 Intro-Cultural-Anthropology 3 *BED 4340 Prin. of Bil/ESL Ed.

(Prerequisite to all 4000 level BED courses and RED 3342)

SOPHOMORE YEAR *RED 3342 Content Area Literacy (Prerequisite: BED 4340)

3

POLS 2310 Intro. to Pol. 3

POLS 2311 Am. Gov. & Pol. 3 SENIOR YEAR Humanities: HIST 2301 World. Hist. to 1500 3 HIST 3 hrs. Upper Div (3300-4300) 3

MATH 2303 Number Concepts 3 ENGL 4354 Writ. Proc. of Children (Prerequisite: ENGL 1312)

3

(Prerequisite: MATH 0311) POLS 4313 SW Bord. Polit. (Prerequisite: POLS 2310 & 2311)

3

MATH 2304 Geom. & Measurements (Prerequisite: MATH 2303)

3 *BED 4343 or LING 3308 Shelt ESL Inst./Teach. Engl.

HIST 2302 World Hist. since 1500 3 (Prerequisite: BED 4340/ENGL 1312)

EDPC 2300 Dev. in Yng. Child & Youth 3 *RED 4341 Asst Tch Rdg (Prerequisite: RED 3342)

Visual/Perfom. Arts: (select one) ART 1300, ARTH 1305, ARTH 1306, ARTS 3320, DANC 1304, MUSL 1321, 1324, 1327, THEA 1313, FILM 1390

3 This course must be taken the semester prior to Student Teaching

PSCI 2303 Phys. Science I (Prerequisite: MATH 0311) 3 *MSED 4309 Soc Stud Ed/Mid Gr (Prerequisite: BED 4343) 3

GEOG 1310 Cultural Geog. 3 STUDENT TEACHING (Field-based) Fall/Spring*MSED 4393 Internship in Interm/Middle Grades I(Prerequisite: RED 4341)*MSED 4394 Internship in Interm/Middle Grades IIMust be taken concurrently with MSED 4393

A maximum of 66 semester hours, limited to freshman and sophomore-level work, may be transferred from two-year institutionsRevised March 5, 2012

3

Middle Grades Education (4-8): English LA RED Social Studies 120 hours

Apply for Admission to Teacher Education 3

COLLEGE OF EDUCATIONBachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies

OFFICIAL DEGREE PLAN

The University of Texas at El Paso

33 hrs

3

Recommended Course Sequence33 hrs

3

3

30 hrs

24 hrs

*Classes marked with an asterisk require admission to Teacher Education

Fenenbock 63

Middle Grades Education (4-8): Math/Science

FRESHMAN YEAR JUNIOR YEAR UNIV 1301 or 2350 Sem. Crit. Inq. 3 PSCI 2303 Phys. Science I (Prerequisite: MATH 0311) 3

ENGL 1311 Exp. Eng. Comp. 3 BIOL 1304, 1104 Human Biology & Lab. 4

ENGL 1312 Res. & Crit. Writ. 3 PSCI 3304 Phys Sc II (Prerequisite: PSCI 2303) 3

COMM 1301 Pub. Spkng. 3 MATH 3308 Conc Alg (Prerequisite: MATH 2303) 3

HIST 1301 Hist. of US to 1865 3MATH 3300, 3303, or 3304 (select 1) Hist. of Math/Fund. Numb. Thry/Fund. Geo. Standpt. (Prerequisite: MATH 1411/ MATH 1411 & 3308/ MATH 1508 & 2304)

3

HIST 1302 Hist. of US since 1865 3 TED 3330 Ed & Comm. Applied Critical/Ped. 3

Social/Behavioral Sciences: (select one) ANTH 1301, LING/ANTH/ENGL 2320, ECON 1301,2303, 2304, SOCI 1301, PSYC 1301

3

MATH 1411 Calc. I (Prerequisite: MATH 1508) 4 *RED 3342 Content Area Literacy 3

GEOL 1313, 1103 Intro. to Phys. Geol & Lab 4 *SPED 3310 Spec. Ed. Gnrl. & Sped. Set. 3

GEOL 1314, 1104 Intro. to Hist. Geol & Lab 4 *SIED 3330 Integ. & Alt. Rep. Basic Science. 3CHEM 1305, 1105 General Chemistry & Lab (Prerequisite: MATH 1508 or MATH 1411)

4 *MTED 3330 Iinteg. & Alter. Rep. of Math Prin. 3

SOPHOMORE YEAR SENIOR YEAR

POLS 2310 Intro. to Pol. 3 MATH 4302 Fund Math Concepts (Prerequisite: MATH 3308) Offered only in Spring semester

3

POLS 2311 Am. Gov. & Pol. 3 *BED 4343 or LING 3308 Shelt. ESL Inst./Teach. Engl. 3Humanities: (select one) ENGL 2311, 2312, 2313, 2314, 2318, HIST 2301, 2302, PHIL 1301, 2306

3 (Contact ARC Center for prerequisite override)

STAT 1380 Desc. & Inf. Stat. (Prerequisite: MATH 0311)

3 *MSED 4310 Tch Math/Mid Gr (Prerequisite: BED 4343) 3

MATH 2303 Number Concepts *MSED 4311 Tch Sci/Mid Gr (Prerequisite: BED 4343) 3(Prerequisite: MATH 0311) *RED 4341 Asst Tch Rdg (Prerequisite: RED 3342) 3

MATH 2304 Geom. & Measurements This course must be taken the semester prior to Student Teaching

(Prerequisite: MATH 2303) STUDENT TEACHING (Field-based) Fall/Spring

Visual/Perfom. Arts: (select one) ART 1300, ARTH 1305, 1306, ARTS 3320, DANC 1304, MUSL 1321, 1324, 1327, THEA 1313, FILM 1390

3 *MSED 4393 Internship in Interm/Middle Grades I 3

EDPC 2300 Dev. in Yng. Child & Youth 3 (Prerequisite: RED 4341)

ESCI 1301 or ASTR 1307 Env Sci/Elem. Astro. 3 *MSED 4394 Internship in Interm/Middle Grades II 3BIOL 1303, 1103 Intro. Biology & Lab 4 Must be taken concurrently with MSED 4393

A maximum of 66 semester hours, limited to freshman and sophomore-level work, may be transferred from two-year institutions

The University of Texas at El Paso COLLEGE OF EDUCATIONBachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies

OFFICIAL DEGREE PLAN

Recommended Course SequenceName :______________________________ E-Mail: ________________@miners.utep.edu ID#: 8__________________

37 hrs 31 hrs

21 hrs

120 hours

3

Apply for Admission to Teacher Education

Revised March 5, 2012

*Classes marked with an asterisk require admission to Teacher Education

31 hrs

3

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Appendix F

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Appendix G

October 15, 2014 Kindergarten Site Observation

Site Observation #1 Location: Debby’s kindergarten classroom

Date: 10/15/2014 Time: 9:50 a.m. to 11:50 a.m.

# People at Site (demographic info.): 17 students, 1 teacher, 1 aide

Observations • 9:50 a.m. – 10:02 Circle

time – teacher introduces me to class

• “Gap” “social skills” looks people in the eyes

• 6 – six roll a hoop and make a loop. What rhymes with loop? Soup, goop, boop – make believe

• Israeli dance – zamar ati. Counting, coordination, exercise, culture

• 10:02 – 10:10 student does show & tell with her dog Cinnamon (dachshund). “Is Cinnamon rambunctious?”

• 10:10, back to circle time • Melody claps • Camilla, “catch of the day”

month, spell, syllables, in October. Count the days, patterns of days. Sing days of the week, with emphasis on current day. “Today is Wednesday” then in Spanish. “Hoy es miercoles” Hebrew “Yom revi’i”

• Weather, meteorologist, go outside, sunny

• Popsicle stick for total of school days, then count by fives. What coin counts by five? Nickel

• Nail polish remover, chemical. “Bad reaction”

• Sit on your letter • Bundle of popsicles for

days of school • Money chart • 10:26 snack – leader and

helper – oranges and cereal. Asks where oranges grow for correct blessing over fruit.

Reflections • Teacher participates in

everything, sits in circle, dances

• Aide puts schoolwork in take home folders.

• Majority of students follow along & are smiling, only a few need reinforcement

• First students are excited, but slowly calm down

• Still a teaching moment, litter. Pet. Low voices. If you have two dogs and I have three, how many do we have all together?

• Lots of noise & activity • Hugs & kisses • Most kids participate &

pay attention • Positive feedback • Watch my mouth, thumbs

up, yahoo • Kavod • For the most part, students

ignore me, smile • Ask permission to get

water • Sounds out or points • Interruption from aide • Lots of action words • “Stealing her thunder” “I

know you know.” Student doesn’t get upset

• “Tappuach” apple • Considerate when student

complains about toothache • During snack, students ask

me questions & also interact with each other. “Chalk shock”

• Five, smart, “f o u r are four”

• Up & around & close it – O

Post-observation Reflections

• You need lots of energy to teach kinder

• Lots of activity • Short lessons,

attention span • Ties things together,

remember • Very demonstrative • Aide helps to prep

room, next activity, & paperwork to take home

• Submarine lesson helps to get kids excited about science. Also helps with math, letters, drawing, writing, & learning about the world around us.

• Teacher & aide confer with each other on students progress

• While doing individual work, students discuss what they just learned on their own (shows that they are engaged & interested in what they are learning)

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• 10:40 – word bank – write five different words on five different cards – four, like, October, white, the

• 10:50 – potty break • 10:55 – Junie B. Jones,

story time – can sit wherever they want

• Moves Junie B. to watch out because she says stupid & dumb

• What’s a fib? • 11:03 – half the class goes

into the submarine, 1/3 does writing, & 1/3 the class does math with Ms. Lynn

• Sea creature of the week – starfish (at end of year each child will have an individual sea creature alphabet book - index)

• Each child has to state a fact about a starfish (compound word, not a fish, no gills) before going to a table to do individual work. Draw starfish & then write 2 sentences.

• 11:29 – half of the class goes to gym & other half goes into the submarine

• Everyone has their own bank

• If someone makes a mistake, doesn’t say bad, says oops, or don’t forget to cross the “t” – great, nice

• Doesn’t just read, discusses capital letters.

• If the grammar in the story is incorrect, she restates it correctly. “Mybrain” migraine

• Aide asks student to be quiet (shh)

• Envious of baby brother • I’m trying to do my best.

That’s all I want you to do, your best.

• Blue & green group • Hands go in your lap.

Beauty shop