Professional block courses are held in the first nine weeks of the semester.  In the remaining five weeks, students complete SEDU575 Secondary Field Experience in an appropriate public school classroom.

Students attend Field Experience Monday through Friday from approximately 8:00am to 11:30am.  Beginning and ending times of the field will vary according to the public school schedule.  Students are expected to be present from the start of the school day to the natural break in the public school schedule at or around 11:30am.

The following courses comprise the Professional Block:

• SEDU306 Content Literacy in the Middle and Secondary Schools
• SEDU381 Measurement and Evaluation in Secondary and Middle Classroom
• SEDU491 Professional Performance for Middle and Secondary Schools
• The appropriate instructional techniques course:
• SEDU565 Instructional Techniques for Secondary English
• SEDU571 Instructional Techniques for Secondary Mathematics
• SEDU572 Instructional Techniques for Secondary Science
• SEDU573 Instructional Techniques for Secondary Social Studies
• SEDU574 Instructional Techniques for Modern Foreign Languages
• SEDU575 Secondary Field Experience

Sequence

Students may enroll in Professional Block as a first semester Junior, second semester Junior or first semester Senior.  It is essential to choose a semester that will not conflict with required courses in a student's specialty.

In addition to the thirteen credit Professional Block, students may enroll in another course in General Education, the Specialty area, SEDU383, or SPED330, offered afternoons or evenings.  Maximum course load is 18 credits.

Eligibility

To enroll in Professional Block, students must have:

• Teacher candidacy status
• Completed eighteen credits of the Specialty area
• Completed SEDU271 Education in a Multicultural Society
• Completed SEDU383 Educational Technology and Computer Literacy, or be enrolled to take this course in the afternoons or evenings in the same semester as the Professional Block
• Achieved passing scores on the Praxis I Reading, Writing, and Mathematics Tests
• At least a 2.80 QPA

Prior to beginning Field Experience, students must test negative for TB as well as obtain a clear record from the criminal record check and child abuse clearances.