DEPARTMENT OF CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION
SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
PITTSBURG STATE UNIVERSITY
PROFESSIONAL TEACHER:
SYLLABUS
SPRING 2010
Course title: CURIN 849 Professional TeacherCulminating Experience
Credit Hours:
3 hours
PREQUESITE: Admission to the Master of Science in Teaching Program
Acquisition of a mentor who consents to participate for
Two years
Instructor: Dr. Lowell Martinie
Office: 12345 West 95 Street
Lenexa, Kansas 66215
Office Phone: 913-529-4487
E-mail: lmartini@pittstate.edu
I.
Office Hours: By Appointment
COURSE DESCRIPTION
A. The Professional Semester will provide a background of
knowledge and offer experiences related to the realities of
practice in the American school and effective teaching. Specifically
explored in the knowledge base will be:
1. the principles of effective teaching including curriculum
construction, educational trends, teaching problems, lesson
planning,instructional techniques and professionalism:
2. the educational foundations of the American school 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 elementary and secondary education
including classroom management, special programs,
communications, cultural influences on learning, and
effective relationships with students, staff and parents;
4. the theories of evaluation including the use of educational
tests, assessment system components, test development,
parental/student communication, techniques of using
evaluative information, 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 which illustrate a commitment to a
dependable and professional demeanor, an underlying belief system that all students can learn, specific efforts that
fostered collaborative/caring relationships and attitudes which foster life-long learning. (Indicators 1-15)
B. Relationships with Students
The teacher candidate will demonstrate specific attitudes and behaviors which portray a caring relationship with
students, a positive rapport developed through enthusiasm, high student expectation empathy, and promotion of
learning extending beyond the classroom. (Indicators 16-21)
C. Instructional Planning
The teacher candidate will demonstrate specific attitudes and behaviors which denote a strong knowledge base, an
understanding of learning theory, an approach to outcomes-based instructional planning, an integrated lesson
design, and a variety of instructional strategies which provide opportunities for all students to learn.
(Indicators 22-28)
D. Instruction
The teacher candidate will demonstrate specific attitudes and behaviors which provide active student-centered
instruction characterized by clarity, variety, and flexibility. (Indicators 29-52)
E. Classroom Management
The teacher candidate will demonstrate specific attitudes and behaviors which promote an orderly, safe classroom
environment conducive to learning by providing clear rules and procedures which are taught, monitored and
consistently reinforced. (Indicators 53-60)
F. Evaluation
The teacher candidate will demonstrate specific attitudes and behaviors which establish fair expectations, provide for
multiple assessment opportunities, monitor progress in a timely fashion, provide feedback through multiple means,
and collaborate with others to meet the needs of all students. (Indicators 61-68)
II.
PURPOSE OF THE CULMINATING PROFESSIONAL TEACHER
(YEAR TWO)
The purpose of the culminating professional teacher is to provide the teacher with the
opportunity to study and reflect upon teaching experiences with the aim of evolving a set of
values, principles and skills which will guide future teaching situations.
III.
PROFESSIONAL TEACHER 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;
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To guide each teacher candidate in the assessment of his/her teaching strengths
and weaknesses;
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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 of human relationships among students, teachers, administrators
and parents;

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 behavioral tendencies
Involved in performing as a competent professional educator as associated with
Pittsburg State’s knowledge base;

To promote communication and close liaison between the Kansas City, Kansas
School system and Pittsburg State University;
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.
INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCES
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.
Fisher, L. Schimmel, D. and Kelly, C. Teachers and the Law, New York:
Longman, 1998.
Haberman, Martin, Star Teachers of Children in Poverty, Kappa Delta Pi,
Indianapolis, Indiana.
Kansas Association of School Boards, The School Law Handbook Second Edition,
Topeka, KS 1998
V.
TEACHING STRATEGIES
During the seminars, various instructional models and techniques will be
demonstrated. Teaching models used will be Hunter’s Direct Instruction,
Cooperative Learning, Kagan, lecture, role-playing, simulation, games, and wholeclass/small group discussion. Instructional techniques used will be overhead
transparencies, anticipatory sets, checks for understanding, guided practice, closure,
panel discussion, guest speakers, modeling, video-tapes, peer teaching, essay
writing, outside reading, cases studies, critiques, questioning power point
presentations, IDL and email communication.
VI.
PROFESSIONAL TEACHER EVALUATION
The final grade will be determined by performance on written assignments,
participation in seminar readings and discussion, quizzes, and field assignments. All
written assignments should be typed (except for Orientation Checklist), show
professional insight, and turned in before or on specific dates. Evaluation of
assignments will center on professional insight, content, neatness, spelling and
grammar. Late assignments will be evaluated on an individual basis.
Several self-assessments and mentor 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 the 68 teaching
behaviors associated with the PSU Knowledge Base.
VII.
COURSE DESIGN
It should be mentioned that even though each course has its own objectives and
requirements, the course work is designed to be integrated with the teaching and
student teaching experience.
.
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 school district schedules.
MODULES:
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Culminating
Culminating
Culminating
Culminating
Culminating
Culminating
Culminating
experiences,
experiences,
experiences,
experiences,
experiences,
experiences,
experiences,
first days of school
professional responsibility, planning, preparation
expand teacher strategies, classroom management
school law, special education, self-assessment
cooperative learning, learning styles
assessment, rubric construction, PORTFOLIO
teaching as a profession, future trends .self-assessment
CLASS ATTENDANCE
Attendance at all sessions is important because it provides a unique
opportunity to gain insights into the profession of teaching. When a student
does miss for reasons other than explained below, he/she does so at the risk
of jeopardizing his/her academic standing. When an absence is to occur, the
student should call the university coordinator. When this is not feasible,
attention should be given to this matter as soon as possible after the absence.
Weather Conditions:
In the event of hazardous driving conditions, individual guidelines should be
consistent with the policy of the individual district in which the teacher is
assigned. Driving should be governed by the careful assessment of the road
conditions in the area where you live as well as those conditions known to
exist in the area.
Emergency Reasons:
Unavoidable absences such as health, death in the immediate family,
and other emergency cases should be reported to the university
coordinator and will be considered excused. Other “extenuating”
circumstances should be thoroughly discussed with the university
coordinator before the anticipated absence. It should be noted that
dental appointments and other non-emergency appointments should
be scheduled at other times. Also, absences should NOT occur as the
result of field trips, coaching or extra- curricular school activities.
When there is an obvious violation of infraction of any of the above policies,
a general review of the student’s progress will be made. As a result of this
review, the final evaluation of the teacher candidate’s performance and
progress will be affected, depending upon the degree and intensity of the
violation.