English Education Handbook
As a major in the English Education sequence, you are required to be knowledgable about all of the information contained in this handbook. All requirements are subject to change by the Illinois State Borad of Education.
For more information, please contact Ryan Gray.
The English Education program at Illinois State University prepares candidates to become successful secondary English language arts teachers in diverse classrooms. It also provides on-going professional development for certified classroom teachers. Our students learn how research and theory support best practices in the teaching of English and gain valuable experiences in applying these ideas to rural, urban, and suburban classrooms. The program provides hands-on experiences through numerous partnerships with communities, schools, and teachers. The program enhances professional growth for teachers at every stage of their careers.
The program emphasizes five core areas of theoretical and practical knowledge.
- Teaching and learning for democracy
- Respect for the diversity of learners in literacy learning environments
- Teaching an expanding canon through multiple pedagogical approaches
- Composition emphasizing writing as a rhetorical process
- Classroom research and reflective practice
English Education Information
Important information (deadlines, events, procedures, etc.) is sent out on a regular basis to your ISU Email account. You should check your ISU email account on a weekly basis, at the very least. You may also redirect ISU email to a personal email account, or email us to have a different email address added to the English Education Listserv. You are held responsible for any failure to notice and/or respond to e-mails from faculty and staff. Failure to respond may result in disciplinary action.
Admission
Admission to the English Education sequence is limited and is based on space availability and the competitiveness of the applicant pool.
Continuance Requirements
A 3.0 GPA in the major, C or better in all required major courses, and adherence to all application procedures and deadlines is required for admission to Professional Studies and Student Teaching. Admission to Professional Studies and Student Teaching is limited and competitive. Deadlines and information about application forms and procedures for admission to Professional Studies and Student Teaching are available from the Center for Teacher Education and on the English Department Website, and are strictly enforced.
To continue in the English Education program, a student must meet the Professional Based Assessment requirements through the College of Education. These consist of Gateway 1, 2, and 3. In the event a student transfers from the English Education program, s/he relinquishes membership in a particular cohort of teacher candidates. Should that student seek readmission, continuance will proceed according to application deadlines for student teaching, not affiliation with the previous cohort. Students who depart and subsequently return to the English Education program should expect to delay graduation by at least one semester.
Sequence of Coursework
The sequence of English methods, courses Psychology 215, and Curriculum and Instruction (C&I) courses must be followed. There are no exceptions to pre-reqs or to the sequence of the following courses:
- C&I 212 and PSY 215 , followed by; (PSY 215 can be taken the semester before C&I 212)
- C&I 214 and 216 , along with 216.04 , followed by; (C&I 289.75 is a combination of C&I 214 and 216), A C or better in PSY 215 is required for enrollment in C&I 216 and 216.04.
- English 296 , followed by;
- English 297 , (The State Content Test must be taken before enrollment) followed by;
- Student Teaching (STT 399.09)
This sequence takes 5 semesters to complete. English 296 and 297 may not be taken together.
(This sequence will vary if you are participating in the Professional Development School [PDS] program.)
Gateway Requirements
Completion of Gateway 1 is required prior to enrollment in C&I 214, 216, or 289.75. Gateway 1 includes the Basic Skills Test. This test should be taken by the end of the fall semester of your sophomore year. If you are a transfer student, you should take it as soon as possible during your first semester at ISU.
Completion of Gateway 2 is required prior to enrollment in student teaching. The State Content Test in Language Arts, required in Gateway 2, must be completed and passed before you can enroll in English 297.
Endorsements/Minors
In addition to your required course of study, you may choose to fulfill requirements for additional state endorsements, which allow you to teach in additional areas. Endorsements frequently earned by our graduates include the following: middle school, foreign language, theater, and Teaching English as a Second Language (TESOL). Satisfying requirements for endorsements include either completion of a minor or completion of select courses. In addition, a student must pass the state content test associated with the endorsement. If you wish to add the middle school endorsement, which will change your certification from grades 9-12 to 6-12, you must complete two additional courses, C&I 233.01 and PSY 302 . These courses may be taken at any time. Realize that if you choose to fulfill requirements for a state endorsement, your graduation date will be delayed.
If you have any questions on the endorsements, contact the English Education Academic Advisor.
Clinical Placements
You are required to complete a certain number of clinical observation hours for English 296 and 297. You must attend these clinical hours at the assigned location. Not all of the locations are in Bloomington-Normal, so you will need to arrange transportation . Failure to complete your clinical hours will halt continuance in the program. For clinical experiences associated with English 296 and 297, leave open a 3-4 hour block of time at least two days per week for your clinical observations.
If you have already been confirmed for student teaching, you may complete the clinicals for ENG 297 at that school.
You are required to complete over 100 hours of clinicals prior to student teaching. Clinical Hours are distributed as follows:
C+I 212: 20 Hours
C+I 214: 10 Hours
C+I 216: 45 Hours
C+I 289.75: 55 Hours (Combines C+I 214 and 216 into one 6 hour course)
English 296: 10 Hours
English 297: 15 Hours
EAF 228, 231, or 235: 10 Hours
Seventy-five hours of clinical observation are required prior to the start of English 296.
It is the student’s responsibility to arrange transportation to and from clinical sites. You are not to skip any class to take part in a clinical experience. Clinicals must be done out side of scheduled coursework.
Student Teaching
You will apply for student teaching three semesters prior to the student teaching semester. You will be notified about a mandatory application meeting that you MUST attend. Failure to attend this meeting will make you ineligible to apply for student teaching. Failure to attend the informational application meeting or to complete application materials will result in disciplinary action. To be admitted to this meeting, you must show proof of enrollment in or credit for C&I 216 (289.75 will substitute for 216).
When you apply to student teach, you may indicate preferences for your placement. These preferences in no way guarantee placement at these schools. If you turn down the first placement offered to you, we are not required to arrange another. You will NOT be placed at any high school you attended.
It is recommended that you have grades of "B "or better in all English courses. As an example, if you received a "C" in American Literature, but still have a 3.0 GPA, you should consider retaking an American Literature course. Be aware that school administrators and staff frequently reject student teaching applicants who don't meet this GPA requirement. Your student teaching may be delayed a semester if your academic record does not meet the standards of school personnel. Schools are beginning to turn down student teaching applicants who don't meet this GPA requirement, a practice that is only going to increase.
All major and general education requirements must be completed prior to student teaching. Students are not allowed to take any other classes while they are student teaching.
The time commitment required for student teaching is so great, that you should not be working part time while you are student teaching.
It is the student’s responsibility to provide his/her transportation to and from the school site.
Certification
Completion of English Education program requirements fulfills state requirements for certification as a 9 – 12 Language Arts teacher, an Illinois Type – 09 certificate. This certificate enables you to teach English, Speech, and Journalism.
Be advised that certification requirements can change at any time according to mandates of the State Teacher Certification Board or the Illinois legislature. Advising you receive will reflect these mandates and may, with little notice, necessitate changes in a student’s course of study.
Foreign Language Requirement
All English Education majors MUST complete a foreign language at the 115 (second year part I) level. This can be done either at ISU or at a community college.
Career Fair, Professional Issues Seminar, IATE
You are required to attend the Career Fair during your senior year. Prior to student teaching, you must return to ISU for 2-3 days to attend the Professional Issues Seminar. You must also attend the IATE and CITE conferences as part of ENG 296 and 297.
Additional Program Requirements
During your final three semesters in the English Education program, you will be required to attend local and state events central to your success as a teacher professional. In the context of ENG 296 and ENG 297, events will include participation in the annual convention of the Illinois Association of Teachers of English (IATE) and ISU’s Conference for Illinois Teachers of English (CITE). A week prior to student teaching, you must return to ISU for a two-day Professional Issues Seminar. Failure to attend both days will delay your student teaching one semester.