Program Structure
The MIT program is a full-time, two-year, professional teacher preparation program. There are six 10-week quarters, including two quarters of student teaching.
During the first year, approximately one-fourth of program time is spent in the field observing and working with K–12 students. The remaining time is devoted to on-campus seminars, workshops and lectures. During the second year, candidates spend nearly 70 percent of their time directly involved in K–12 schools. Candidates are expected to carry no other academic credit during the six program quarters and to avoid outside employment during the two quarters of full-time, daily student teaching.
Candidates will also complete a Master’s Project which provides the opportunity to intensively explore current research on a teaching related topic of keen interest to the student.
At Evergreen, a student’s transcript for each quarter of work is comprised of a narrative evaluation written by the faculty member, a self-evaluation written by the student and a course description. The faculty’s narrative evaluation always concludes with a list of “credit equivalencies” — a list of subjects covered during the quarter and the number of credit hours assigned to each subject. These are intended to translate interdisciplinary studies into credits and course titles earned at other institutions.
In keeping with the interdisciplinary nature of the Master in Teaching program, topics are interwoven throughout the curriculum, and include:
- Social, Historical and Philosophical Foundations of Education
- Learning Theories and Child/Adolescent Development
- Educational Research
- Design and Issues of Assessment
- Curriculum Development and Thematic Lesson Planning
- Washington Essential Academic Learning Requirements and Grade Level Expectations
- Instructional Strategies for Diverse Learners
- Integrating Special Needs Students into the Regular Classroom
- Approaches to Classroom Management
- Educational Technology
- School Law, Educational Policy and Professional Ethics
- Content Area Pedagogies
Year one
In year one, the 2009–10 cohort students will meet three days a week on the Olympia campus during the regular academic calendar year and spend an average of one day a week observing and participating in curriculum development and guided teaching in K–12 schools.
During fall quarter of year one each student completes structured observations in elementary, middle and secondary school classrooms in urban, rural and suburban settings.
Two Year Program Outline:Year one
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Summer Between Years One & Two
* complete any needed subject-matter coursework prior to the beginning of year two student teaching
The timing and format of Master’s Papers is dependent on the decisions of the faculty in each cohort. Some years, work on projects may continue during the summer.
Year two
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*Master in Teaching students are responsible for finding transportation to and from field sites and other program-related activities.
Year Two
Teacher candidates in the Master in Teaching program benefit from two full-time, 10-week, student teaching experiences. Consistent with our goals for graduate-level teacher preparation, the winter quarter is provided between the two student teaching assignments for personal reflection, continued growth in classroom teaching knowledge and skills, attention to professional activities and development of a professional growth plan.
The two student teaching internship placements are at different grade levels and in different schools, providing a well-rounded exposure to teaching in subject endorsement area/s with a variety of public school students. Candidates will be placed in classrooms where cooperating teachers have been identified by school districts as appropriate mentors for our teacher candidates. One student teaching placement is generally in a diverse, urban setting.
The first student-teaching experience begins in late August or early September in accordance with the public school calendar. This model is based on research indicating that having a student teaching experience in the opening weeks of the school year contributes positively to the success of a first-year teacher.
The second student-teaching assignment generally begins in early spring and continues toward the end of the academic year. With this second student-teaching opportunity, candidates will be able to (a) build upon previous teaching experiences, (b) gain an understanding of how teachers organize the curriculum in the closing months of the school year and (c) make comparisons between different school settings and grade levels.
The narrative evaluation of student-teaching performance is based on the Evergreen faculty supervisor’s observations in combination with the assessment of the cooperating classroom teacher. We use a nationally recognized assessment methodology that we have adapted for pre-service teacher education as well as the required Washington Evidence-Based Pedagogy Assessment Instrument. As required by the state of Washington, candidates must demonstrate a positive impact on their students’ learning.