Secondary teacher candidates major in a content area and secondary education. Teacher candidates will be eligible for K-12, 5-12 or 7-12 certification depending upon their content major.
Certification in New Hampshire qualifies the teacher candidate to teach in a specific content area. Prospective secondary teachers may major in any of the following: Chemistry, Applied Physics, English, French, History, Latin, Mathematics, Natural Science, Fine Arts or Spanish and major in secondary education.
Candidates must successfully pass Praxis Core Academic Skills Test (ETS) and Praxis II (subject test) or equivalent exams. Candidates will complete four clinical experiences in one of each of the following grade groupings: middle school and high school.
Students considering studying abroad must decide by the end of the fall sophomore year. It is critical for planning purposes.
Secondary teacher candidates take required core courses, content courses and required education courses. Refer to the Online College Catalogue for more information, including course descriptions.
Content Knowledge/Academic
Secondary teacher candidates major in Secondary Education and double major in a content area (e.g. mathematics, history, English). Secondary teacher candidates complete core (general education) requirements, major content courses, and secondary education courses.
In addition to courses, candidates complete clinical and assessment requirements. Assessment requirements include both internal (NHTCAP) and external (Praxis or equivalent) measures. Candidates must successfully pass Praxis Core Academic Skills Test, Foundations of Reading, and Praxis II (multi-subject tests) or equivalent exams such as MTELs. Refer to the Testing Requirements for Certification Instruction Packet for details of testing requirements and due dates for tests.
Clinical Practice (Field Experiences)
The Teacher Education Program at Saint Anselm College has adopted a clinical practice model. Teacher education candidates have multiple and diverse clinical placements across settings and grade levels. Candidates will complete a clinical experience in a middle school and a high school. Candidates will also experience a variety of school settings (e.g. urban, suburban, and Catholic schools).
During each clinical experience, students take an active, participatory role in an assigned classroom. The clinical placements are embedded in education courses with correlating assigned projects and experiences intended to connect theoretical foundation with practical application. Prior to their clinical capstone experience, students will have completed multiple experiences and more than 100 hours in classrooms.
Secondary Education Requirements
Secondary education majors have two advisors, one in their content major and one in education. Students are required to meet with their academic advisors in their content department to select appropriate courses for their content major and core requirements. Students also meet with their academic advisor in the Education Department to develop a plan of study to meet course, clinical, and assessment requirements for their secondary education major. Students should bear in mind that most content courses have prerequisites.
Upon successful completion of requirements, candidates are eligible for NH licensure to teach in one of the following areas:
- French K-12
- Latin K-12
- Music K-12
- Spanish K-12
- Visual Arts K-12
- English Language Arts 5-12
- Social Studies 5-12
- Applied Physics 7-12
- Chemistry 7-12
- Life Science 7-12
- Mathematics 7-12
Students majoring in French or Spanish and secondary education are required to successfully complete a study abroad or immersion program for at least one semester (or equivalent summer program) in order to receive a teaching license. The purpose is to develop linguistic competency and cultural appreciation. If this is not a viable option, an immersion experience in the target language is required. Information on study abroad opportunities and/or immersion programs is available in the Study Abroad Office.
During advising meetings, an individualized plan of study will be developed for each student. Refer to the plan of study for the timing of the courses. In addition to core and content requirements, the following secondary education major courses are required:
- PY 203 Adolescent Psychology (before ED 322)
- ED 240 - Principles of Teaching and Learning (clinical)
- ED 322 - Inclusion, Equity, and Diversity in Education (clinical)
- ED 340 - Curriculum and Assessment in Teaching
- ED 432 - Clinical Capstone: Supervised Student Teaching (counts as 3 courses) (capstone clinical)
- ED 440-445 Methods of Teaching in content area specific to the major