DEPARTMENT OF TEACHING AND LEADERSHIP
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
PITTSBURG STATE UNIVERSITY
PROFESSIONAL TEACHER – INITIAL EXPERIENCE
SYLLABUS
Fall, 2011
Course Title: TCHL 825 Professional Teacher-Initial Experience
Credit Hours: 3 Hours
REQUIREMENT: Admission to the Master of Arts in Teaching Program; Employed in an
accredited Kansas School District
Office: 12345 West 95 Street Suite 204
Lenexa, KS 66215
Seminars: 5:00 – 7:50 Metro Center
Mondays: August 29, September 26,
October 24, November 28,
December 12
Office Phone: 913-529-4487 Ext 225
Office Hours: M-F 8:00 – 4:30 by appointment
Instructor: Mr. Tom Petz
E-Mail: tpetz@pittstate.edu
I.
Professional Teacher – Initial Experience: Course Description
The Professional Teacher – Initial Experience will provide a background of
knowledge and offer experiences, related to the realities of practice in American
schools, and effective teaching. Specifically explored in the knowledge base will
be:
1. the principles of effective teaching including curriculum
construction, educational trends, teaching challenges, lesson planning,
instructional techniques and professionalism:
2. the educational foundations of American schools including national
educational goals, the school’s role in the American way of life, social and
ethnic changes in education school law, school policies and procedures, and
the administrative organization of the school system;
3. the purposes, students, and programs of the American school with emphasis
on the theories of learning associated with secondary education including
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classroom management, special programs, adolescent characteristics,
communication, cultural influences on learning, and effective relationships
with students, staff, and parents;
4. The theories of evaluation including the uses of educational tests, assessment
system components, test development, parental/student communication and
techniques of using evaluative information, as well as teacher self-assessment.
Experiences in the classroom, general discussion in the seminars, student-assessment, and
mentor evaluation will support the development of the Pittsburg State Teacher Training
Knowledge Base:
A. Professional Characteristics
The teacher candidate will demonstrate specific attitudes and behaviors that illustrate a
commitment to a dependable and professional demeanor, an underlying belief system that
all students can learn, specific efforts that foster collaborative/caring relationships, and
attitudes which foster life-long learning.
B. Relationships with Students
The teacher candidate will demonstrate specific attitudes and behaviors that portray a
caring relationship with students, a positive rapport developed through enthusiasm, high
student expectation, empathy, and promotion of learning extending beyond the
classroom.
C. Instructional Planning
The teacher candidate will demonstrate specific attitudes and behaviors that denote a
strong knowledge base, an understanding of learning theory, an approach to outcomesbased instructional planning, an integrated lesson design, and a variety of instructional
strategies that provide opportunities for all students to learn.
D. Instruction
The teacher candidate will demonstrate specific attitudes and behaviors that provide
active student-centered instruction characterized by clarity, variety, and flexibility.
E. Classroom Management
The teacher candidate will demonstrate specific attitudes and behaviors that promote an
orderly, safe classroom environment conducive to learning by providing clear rules and
procedures that are taught, monitored and consistently reinforced.
F. Evaluation
The teacher candidate will demonstrate specific attitudes and behaviors that establish fair
expectations, provide for multiple assessment opportunities, monitors progress in a timely
fashion, provides feedback through multiple means, and collaborates with others to meet
the needs of all students.
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II. Professional Teacher – Initial Experience: Purpose The purpose of the initial professional
teacher is to provide the teacher with the opportunity to study and reflect upon experiences
during the first year of teaching with the aim of evolving a set of values, principles and skills
which will guide future teaching situations.
III. Professional Teacher – Initial Experience: Objectives – Derived from the knowledge
base objectives, the overall objectives are:

To develop in the teacher candidate an understanding of the purposes, administrative
organization, and operation of the basic educational programs of the school system;

To promote in teacher candidates an ethical, constructive and caring orientation towards
all students and the profession of teaching;

To provide teacher candidates with experiences and a body of specialized knowledge that
will prepare them to meet the needs of a diverse population of learners;

To guide each teacher candidate in the assessment of his/her teaching strengths and
weaknesses;

To support the development of teacher candidates from one of a survival to mastery to
impact;

To encourage in teacher candidates the development of an understanding of the
importance with effective lesson planning, instruction, management and assessment;

To provide teacher candidates with a body of research – based knowledge associated with
effective lesson planning, instruction, management, and assessment;

To develop in the teacher candidates a number of behavior tendencies involved in
performing as a competent professional educator as associated with Pittsburg State’s
knowledge base;
In essence, the Professional Semester will strive to develop caring, competent, and committed
teachers through the study of practice in the daily functions of an effective teacher.
IV. Professional Teacher – Initial Experience: Instructional Resources


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Wong, Harry and Wong, Rosemary, The First Days of School, Mountain View, CA:
Wong Publishing, 1998.
Jones, Fred, Tools for Teaching, New York, Longman, 2000.
Payne, Ruby K, A Framework for Understanding Poverty, Highlands, TX, aha! Process
Inc., 2005
Kansas Special Education Process Handbook (www.ksde.org, then go to “Divisions”,
then Special Education Services, and then the Handbook)
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V. Professional Teacher – Initial Experience: Course Design
The course work is designed to be integrated with first year teaching. During the seminars,
various instructional models and techniques will be discussed. A number of class requirements
may apply to several different course objectives. It should also be noted that changes and / or
adjustments may be made at the discretion of the instructor to meet class needs or individual
school district schedules.
Modules:
 Initial experiences, orientation to teaching school, first days of school
 Initial experiences, professional responsibility, planning, preparation
 Initial experiences, classroom environment
 Initial experiences, school law
 Initial experiences, collaborative teaching strategies
 Initial experiences, appraising student progress
 Initial experiences, summative experience, self-assessment
V. Professional Teacher – Initial Experience: Evaluation
Course Requirements:
Attendance and participation during seminars
Submission of work samples as related to the above modules
Several self-assessments and mentor/cooperating teacher formative assessments will take place.
As assessed by the university coordinator, the teacher candidate should show adequate
achievement and/or progress during the teaching experience in teaching behaviors associated
with the PSU Knowledge Base.
Course Evaluation:
Attendance and Participation:
20 percent
Work Samples:
20 percent
Mentor Assessment
20 percent
University Supervisor Assessment: 40 percent
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