FAQs
Registration
Be prepared! Look at DegreeWorks and put a list together of classes you are interested in taking the next semester. You should also be thinking long-term, you can think about what the next Block will look like, how many concentration courses you still need, and what general education (GLOBE) requirements are left. Plan your timeline to student teaching so you know what檚 in front of you. You should also put questions together, like what kind of career you檙e thinking about, concerns about time to graduation, or if you檙e thinking education might not be for you (that檚 totally ok!).
DegreeWorks is your best tool to check what courses you still need, and the Registration portal is how you檒l search for courses. Each semester our Graduate Assistants offer registration sessions to help students navigate all of the tools available to students as well as to talk about the actual registration process. Check for your registration time ticket and make a note on your calendar of when your registration period opens. The main resource is you! Prepare, prepare, prepare.
All students who have earned 69 or more credits will be assigned a grad check hold once, this usually occurs during the junior year. This hold is lifted only after students meet with their advisor to talk about registration and program completion plans. If you have a pre-grad check hold, you should be thinking about student teaching, completing your program, and participating in commencement!
Practicum & Field Placements
Practicum offers teacher candidates the opportunity for an extended, deep level of engagement during a field experience. It檚 more than an observation as teacher candidates engage in the planning and implementation of an instructional lesson and assessment of student learning.
Field placements are school-based experiences associated with your education coursework that provide you with opportunities to explore and reflect on your content, professional, and pedagogical knowledge and skills in a variety of classroom settings. The School of Education plans for scaffolded field experiences that start off with early field experiences that are primarily focused on active observation then practicum experiences, which, as stated above, are deeper levels of engagement field experiences, and end with the capstone student teaching semester.
Make sure you review specific course requirements for each field experience. Review all materials and guidance provided by the Office of Field Experiences prior to attending a field placement, whether that is an early field experience or a practicum experience.
We place student teachers at schools and districts within a 50 mile radius of 第一吃瓜网. Each student will have two placements. Students are responsible for their own transportation, which may include walking, using public transportation, driving their own vehicle, or carpooling with other students headed to the same school. More information about student responsibilities can be found on our Student Teaching webpage.
Certification & Exams
Each class will build on previous knowledge working towards the requirements of your certification area. While we do not specifically offer courses focused on your certification exams, you will have the knowledge and experiences to do well on the exams.
We recommend taking advantage of the provided by NYSTCE.
You檒l start by creating a TEACH account and getting fingerprinted. As you move towards completing your program, you檒l want to schedule your certification exams and request your certification recommendations. Once your degree is conferred and your certification recommendations are entered, you檒l apply for your certification in TEACH. The full process is outlined on our Teacher Certification webpage.
This depends on each individual. Using your coursework, personal notes, experiences in the field, and the free study guides provided by NYSTCE, study until you feel confident about the materials included in each exam. We recommend taking the exams as close to finishing your coursework as possible.
We recommend taking the exams as close to finishing your coursework as possible, but we also know that scheduling the exams around student teaching and other student activities can be tough! You檒l want that work for you based on your schedule and your needs.
As you near the end of your program, you檒l hear these words tossed around so it檚 important to know what each one is.
- Commencement / Graduation = the ceremony to celebrate the completion of your degree program
- Graduate, as in, 渨hen you graduate� = completing your degree program
- Degree conferral = your program completion has been certified by the Registrar檚 Office and you have a final transcript and diploma
- Certification recommendation = what 第一吃瓜网 submits to confirm we recommend you for certification within your program area(s)
Graduate Assistants
Graduate Assistants in the School of Education are typically full-time 第一吃瓜网 students in an education Master檚 program. They go through an application process and serve in the role for one year. Graduate Assistants receive a stipend and a tuition waiver as part of their compensation. They help with field placements, attend observation sessions during field placements, and they assist with assignments within the Dean檚 Office.
Incoming or continuing graduate students can go through the application process in the spring semester for the following academic year. Typically graduate assistant positions are posted in early January and can be found on .
Master’s Degrees
You檒l want to choose a Master檚 program related to your initial certification area(s). According to NYS, there are two requirements to move towards a professional certification. The first is that you attend an . The second is that you earn 12 semester hours (credits) in the Graduate Coursework Content Core. The Graduate Coursework Content Core is met through one of the following qualifications (more information can be found on TEACH檚 website):
- You have already been issued a Permanent or Professional certificate.
- You earn a Master檚 degree after earning an early childhood education, childhood education, or students with disabilities initial certificate.
- If the Master檚 degree results in a college recommendation.
- If the Master檚 degree is in a related area to the initial certificate.
- The Master檚 degree is in a specific pedagogical area.
Generally, yes. The Master檚 degree needs to be related to your initial certification to count towards your professional certification. You檒l be responsible for justifying how your chosen Master檚 program is related to your initial certification if it isn檛 directly related to it.
Obtaining a Master檚 degree from an accredited institution is important for certification in NYS, most regional schools and all SUNY institutions are fully accredited. When you attend courses at these institutions, there is no indication on transcripts how those courses were offered, whether it was in-person, hybrid, or online.
Some online programs are offered nationally, or internationally, and you檒l want to check to see what accreditation they hold. Accreditation should include regional accreditation (such as Middle States Commission on Higher Education or New England Commission on Higher Education) as well as a recognized education program accreditation (such as CAEP or AAQEP).