English, B.A. with a Concentration in Teacher Education

In addition to offering students a strong academic background in English studies, the undergraduate major in English with a teacher education concentration, offered through the College of Arts and Sciences , provides students the knowledge and skills found in the liberally educated person who is interested in a career in teaching English at the secondary level.

Students take a variety of courses in literature and rhetoric, exploring theory and analysis within each discipline.  With an emphasis on diverse authors from around the globe, the literature courses will prepare students with knowledge of a wide range of genres and styles.  The rhetoric courses are grounded in theories of composition and rhetorical structure, and there is an emphasis on writing for varied purposes and contexts and modalities.  Additionally, students in the English Teacher Education program are prepared with knowledge of reading and writing pedagogy to prepare them to teach English language arts at the secondary level.

Teacher Licensure

This program, approved by the Illinois State Board of Education, prepares students for the Initial Secondary License to teach Secondary English. An additional endorsement in teaching English in middle school may be obtained by students who successfully complete three additional hours of methods related to the middle school and pass the licensure content test. Students should contact their advisor for specific course requirements.

Students will have to pass an Illinois State Board of Education teaching license examination in Subject-Matter Knowledge through the Illinois Licensure Testing System, the current Illinois-approved assessment for teacher licensure.

Students must meet other requirements for licensure through approved programs listed in the Licensure of Teachers and Other School Professionals  section in the catalog.

Program Expected Student Outcomes

Graduates from the BA in English Program are expected to:

1. Create texts in various genres and situations while demonstrating understanding of rhetorical concepts. 
2. Employ critical reading methodologies to understand, interpret, analyze, and respond to texts in their formal (stylistic), contextual, and rhetorical complexity.
3. Demonstrate knowledge of key disciplinary theories and concepts by applying them to a variety of texts and situations. 
4. Develop productive research questions and methods, and then locate, evaluate, organize, and integrate sources appropriate to the writing situation and task.

Additionally, graduates from the BA in English Teacher Education Program are expected to:

5. Plan coherent, relevant, standards-aligned, antiracist/antibias, and differentiated instruction that incorporates theories, research, and knowledge of English content.

Admission to English Teacher Education

In addition to meeting all University admissions requirements for undergraduate students, applicants must meet the following requirements to continue in the program:

1. have a cumulative G.P.A. of 2.75 or higher in all lower division courses applied to the degree program;
2. submit a word-processed essay not to exceed 300 words explaining why the applicant wishes to be a teacher; and
3. complete EDUC - 2310 Foundations of Education (3) (or equivalent) with a grade of “B” or better.

All candidates for Illinois teacher licensure at Governors State University are required to submit to a criminal background check prior to their initial field experience in the schools. For more information on this testing contact the Coordinator of Clinical Experiences and School Partnerships. Consult with your advisor for information concerning the related GovState policies and procedures.

Student Progress

The faculty monitors and evaluates student progress continually. The section, the Licensure of Teachers and Other School Professionals, in this catalog provides a general description of the standards used to evaluate student progress. A more detailed statement of the standards and processes followed by the secondary education faculty is available in the Secondary Education Student Handbook, including adherence to professional dispositions, ability to design a safe and equitable learning environment, plan accessible and developmentally appropriate instruction, and create research-informed assessments.

Conditional Continuation

The faculty may permit a student to continue conditionally. In such cases, faculty reviews of the student’s records to identify evidence that the student will likely be successful in the program. The status of all students allowed to continue conditionally is reviewed by the faculty each term, and the students are informed in writing of the conditions necessary for them to be transferred to good standing status. When such conditions are met, the student is informed in writing of the transfer to good standing status. A student may not be admitted to student teaching without being in good standing.

Admission to Student Teaching

Before enrolling in EDUC - 4999 Student Teaching: Senior Capstone (12) , an application for admission to student teaching must be submitted to the Director of Educator Preparation, Accreditation, and Assessment in the College of Education and Human Development. The student teaching application must be submitted in the fall term at least 9 months prior to a fall student teaching placement, and in the spring term at least 9 months prior to a spring student teaching placement.  Students will be notified of due dates at the beginning of the term in which the applications are due. (Student teaching is not offered in the summer term). This application for student teaching will certify that the student applying has or will have met the following requirements:

• completed general education requirements with a G.P.A. of 2.75 or higher, each with a grade of “C” or better;
• completed ENGL 4570, ENGL 4575, and ENGL 4580, each with a grade of “B” or better;
• completed professional education course requirements, except student teaching, including 100 clock-hours of field experience with a G.P.A. of 3.0 or higher, with a grade of “C” or better in each course;
• must have completed methods courses no more than three years prior to the commencement of student teaching;
• must have no more than six hours (at the discretion of the advisor) remaining to be completed in the major, with a G.P.A. of 3.0 or higher, and completing all courses with a grade of “C” or better;
• met all state requirements applicable to areas of student teaching assignments as outlined in the “Illinois Program for Evaluation, Supervision, and Recognition of Schools, Part I, Subject G: Staff Qualifications”;
• must have met the licensure content test benchmark score as indicated in the student teaching policy (see CEHD student portal); and
• receive a positive recommendation from the Secondary Education Student Progress Committee.