Important Notice
As of October 2021, the Middle School (grades 4-8) certification route will be closed in the fall of 2022 for new or transfer students. Current students who are already enrolled in the 4-8 ELAR, Social Studies, or Mathematics pathways will be supported to finish their degrees successfully. For more information, please contact the Department Chair, Dr. Leslie Loughmiller at lesliell@stedwards.edu.
Guide Students to a Positive Future
Earning a secondary school teaching certificate allows you to make a difference in students lives at the critical transition from childhood to the responsibilities of young adult life.
Teaching 7-12 grade
A high school teaching certification allows you to teach grades 7 through 12. High school teachers play an instrumental role in shaping students' lives as they mature and consider options for after graduation. This program prepares prospective high school teachers to educate and guide students toward college and other endeavors as they prepare to navigate "the real world."
To obtain a High School teaching certification, you must major in one of the following disciplines and complete the appropriate secondary teaching licensure exams.
Learning Goals
Professors in the teacher education department place emphasis on instructional strategies that promote student learning and positive student behavior.
The Texas Teacher Evaluation and Support System (T-TESS) Standards serve as a foundation for our teaching methods. InTASC standards outline what teachers across all content and grade levels should know and be able to do to ensure every K-12 student is prepared to enter college or the workforce in today’s world.
Outcomes
Students completing the Secondary Certification (Grades 7-12) will be awarded a BA degree in their major. Upon graduation and successful completion of the appropriate licensure exams, students will be recommended for Texas Grades 7-12 Teacher Certification.
STEM, Foreign Language, English as a Second Language (ESL) and special education teachers are currently in high demand. A significant number of teachers in these fields are expected to reach retirement age from 2012 to 2022. Job opportunities are therefore projected to increase in these fields.
Graduates also pursue careers as:
- Career and technical education teachers
- Special education teachers
- Instructional coordinators
- Adult education coordinators in private and corporate settings
- College and University professors
- School and career counselors
- Social workers
- Childcare workers
Outside the Classroom
Volunteering and service learning, in partnership with local and community-based organizations, are valuable experiences when preparing future educators for long and successful careers.
Education enrichment opportunities allow you to:
- Engage in classroom-based learning experiences
- Design assessment, planning, and instructional strategies
- Explore a wide range of classroom settings
- Work with children with a range of moderate learning and behavioral challenges
Service Learning Opportunities
You are required to complete five to ten hours of service learning in public, charter, private, or parochial school classrooms as directed by course instructors.
Clinical Field-Based Experiences
Educational immersion is a hallmark of our curriculum. Field-based block courses give you hands-on experience in community classrooms, exposing you to an environment in which you'll eventually teach. As a result, you will enter the classroom with realistic expectations and sound methods of behavior management and teaching pedagogy.
The block-course program enables you to build strong relationships with mentor teachers and creates a pipeline for you to find work after graduation. Our students are highly sought after and top-of-mind candidates at partnering schools. Students have received job-offers even before their student teaching requirements have been completed.
Student Teaching
Prior to becoming student teachers, you must complete 80 to 120 hours of teaching experience in one-on-one, small-group and whole-class settings. Field work will help you implement theories taught in professional development courses and apply knowledge learned in your major.
"Our students build strong relationships with mentor teachers, learn how to teach in authentic settings, and gain valuable practice working with K-12 pupils in the classroom" - Steven Fletcher, PhD, Associate Professor of Secondary Education.
Meet the Faculty
Our distinguished faculty members are scholar-practitioners with years of classroom experience and creative passions of their own. They stay active in the field and bring their expertise to the classroom.
Those of us who teach, and want to teach, know that it is demanding, hard work. It also can be fun and joyful. In the Department of Teacher Education, we prepare new educators who will have a positive and lasting impact on the learning lives of their students. Faculty in the School of Education model lifelong learning and foster critical and creative thinking in professional interactions.
“[The students] courage and willingness to critically examine their developing teaching skills reflects not just my work with them but the way in which St. Edward's University approaches a liberal education." — Steven Fletcher, PhD, Associate Professor of Secondary Education