The School of Education is pleased to announce new programming opportunities for School of Education students.
Middle School Education Specialization
Currently, there are two paths to becoming a middle school teacher in New Jersey. One is to earn certification as a secondary (7-12) teacher with middle school topics included in the teacher preparation curriculum. The second path is to receive elementary (K-6) certification then take the middle school Praxis exam to demonstrate subject matter mastery.
Seeing the need for more opportunities and emphasis on middle school-level education, TCNJ has developed a specialization in middle school education that will be part of the secondary program and will focus specifically on preparing students for the unique rewards and challenges of teaching the middle grades. Students seeking the middle school specialization will take no additional courses but will have special sections of existing courses and field experiences that will be primarily devoted to middle school curriculum and instruction. Interested students should contact Professor Eileen Heddy at heddy@tcnj.edu.
Model Urban Middle School
A partnership between TCNJ and Trenton’s Kilmer Middle School is designed to create a “model urban middle school” – one that employs best practices in middle school, including an emphasis on developmental needs, team planning, and student-centered learning. A team of TCNJ professors is collaborating with Kilmer teachers and administrators to redesign the school in preparation for a September 2015 launch.
TCNJ has had a successful Urban Education option for several years. As part of that 5-year program which leads to certification as well as a Master’s degree, students receive the preparation needed to succeed as a teacher in urban elementary schools. The new middle school initiative (described above) will have the option of an urban emphasis in its traditional four-year program. Interested students should contact Professor Eileen Heddy at heddy@tcnj.edu.
Sustainability in Education Minor
In concert with the NJ School Boards Association commitment to promote sustainability in schools, the TCNJ School of Education is developing an undergraduate specialization in Sustainability Education. Our initiative will allow students to enroll in specialized courses and field experiences to learn more about how to teach children to address the challenges of diminishing resources in today’s world. In addition, we’re developing an interdisciplinary 5-course minor in Sustainability Education to develop content knowledge and teaching skills to give our pre-service teachers the tools to grow green students and schools. We will arrange field experiences and internships with schools and school districts that are implementing NJ’s new curriculum for sustainability education. Interested students should contact Dr. Lauren Madden at maddenl@tcnj.edu.