The Franklin College Teacher Education Program is a field-based program that is standards based, performance-driven and assessment conscious and prepares teachers who are competent, caring decision makers. It is an outgrowth of the liberal arts structure of the college which provides depth of content knowledge via the rich and rigorous liberal arts curriculum.

Students who enroll in the secondary education program will be eligible for a license which qualifies them to teach at the middle/junior and senior high school levels (grades 5-12). The student completes a teaching major and a sequence of courses in professional education including extensive field experiences. All course work and field internships align with Indiana’s developmental standards. Additionally, candidates complete course work and field internships in compliance with a minimum of one set of specific content standards required by the state of Indiana.

The instructional teaching content areas available at Franklin College include:

• World Languages: French or Spanish
• English/Language Arts
• Mathematics
• Physical Education with Health K-12
• Science: Life Sciences or Physical Sciences
• Social Studies: Historical Perspectives; Government and Citizenships plus one of: Psychology, Sociology or Economics

Secondary education students may also add a teaching minor in one of the following:

• Spanish
• French 

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Departmental Highlights

The Franklin College teacher education programs prepare teachers for the many opportunities in education today and in the future. Graduates of the program are expected to demonstrate the qualities of competent, caring practitioners. Completion of the program allows graduates to be recommended for initial teacher licensure by the state of Indiana and any state with an interstate agreement arranged by the National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification (NASDTEC).

Education courses begin in the freshman year, with field experiences beginning in the sophomore year. Field experiences are structured to provide candidates with progressive teaching responsibility each semester prior to student teaching. Field experiences encompass a variety of grade levels and diversity in both school settings and ability range.

Franklin College is one of only 700+ teacher education programs in the country that are accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). The program is also accredited by the Indiana Department of Education.

Practical Experience

The Franklin College program is recognized for the many opportunities students have to work in a variety of classroom settings. Future elementary and secondary teachers will experience over 1,000 hours in actual classroom time. This is accomplished through month-long January Winter Term internships, course-required field experiences, and student teaching.

In addition to field experiences in a wide variety of local schools (both public and private), special partnerships exist with urban and diverse school districts for the purpose of preparing teachers for diverse settings.

Opportunities

Franklin College teacher education graduates have established an outstanding tradition of employment success immediately after graduation. The Education Department works together with the Office of Career Services to help graduates maintain this impressive job placement rate. Individual counseling as well as workshops in résumé and portfolio building, career searching, and interviewing skills are provided for education students.

Franklin College participates annually with several central Indiana private colleges and universities in the Teacher Candidate Interview Day, an opportunity for Indiana and out-of-state school districts to interview new teachers.