Education - Frequently Asked Questions
The Hanover College Education Department offers an Elementary Education Major, Certification for Elementary Education Teacher Certification for grades K – 6, and more than fifteen Secondary Education Certification programs for Grades 5 – 12, as well as K-12 Visual Arts and K – 12 Physical Education and Health.
When can I start taking Education courses? Students can take EDU 221 - Foundations of Education or EDU 230 - Critical Issues in Education at any time. The quarter-credit, entry-level EDU 101 - Inquiry in Education course should not be taken before Winter term in your first year. Upper level classes may not be taken until one has applied for/ been accepted into one of the Education Department programs.
I want to teach outside of Indiana, is it a problem to get teacher certification at Hanover? At Hanover College, students are given several choices for a career in Education.
• Elementary Education: Students can choose to major in Elementary Education and minor in a supported liberal arts area (with or without completing the certification program to be licensed as a classroom teacher).
• Secondary Education: Students complete their major course of study in an approved liberal arts area and also complete the certification program to be licensed as a teacher for grades 5 to 12.
NOTE: It is better to go to another state as a certified and licensed teacher. Another state may have different required teacher placement exams or may require that all licensed teachers take a state history course. Another state may only grant a K-3 teacher's license to a Hanover graduate who is certified to teach K-6 in Indiana. However, Hanover College graduates who successfully complete the elementary or secondary certification programs will all qualify for an Indiana teacher's license.
When do I apply to the Education program at Hanover College? The best and earliest time to complete application is Fall term of your sophomore year. Students can apply anytime thereafter, but may be delayed in their Education coursework. The Application includes two recommendations from Hanover faculty, a minimum 2.5 grade point average, a 1,000-word essay, and a passing score on the Praxis 1 or PPST (see details below). The Teacher Education Committee reads and votes upon all applications.
When do I have to take the PRAXIS teacher placement exams? The PRAXIS I or PPST must be taken and passed for acceptance into the Education program (Fall term of the sophomore year). The PPST is a general skills exam (reading, writing, and math) available through many university campuses or at a Sylvan Learning Center. These could actually be taken as early as the first year at Hanover College. The PRAXIS II should not be taken before student teaching. Both the Praxis I and the Praxis II exams are required as part of the application for an Indiana teacher's license. The Campus Career Center and Newby Hall house some test guides. More information about the Praxis tests is found on the Educational Testing Service website, www.ets.org/praxis.
How early in Education coursework am I exposed to a real classroom? All Education courses including entry-level courses (Foundations of Education and Critical Issues) require field experience in real classrooms or with real children/adolescents. Students will have at least 100 hours of classroom experience before 14 full weeks of student teaching for certification completion.
Do I have an opportunity to be in urban school setting? Hanover College teacher candidates can choose to do their 14 weeks of student teaching in an urban school in Louisville, Cincinnati, or Indianapolis. All teacher education candidates complete a three-day urban school experience following their student teaching.
What is the placement rate for Hanover's certified graduates? Of the Hanover College teacher education program graduates from 2004-2007, more than 80% were hired to teach in public or private schools beginning the fall after their graduation. Other graduates chose to work for entities like the Boys and Girls Club, continue on to graduate school, pursue opportunities in business, coach at the college level, teach abroad (Japan ), work as teaching assistants, or work at a childcare center or preschool. Bravo to ALL of them!
If you need additional information, feel free to contact:
Judith C. Roberts
(812) 866-7394
robertsj@hanover.edu
Deborah Hanson
(812) 866-7393
hanson@hanover.edu
Adam Howard
(812) 866-7392
howard@hanover.edu
Kay L. Williams
(812) 866-7395
willkay@hanover.edu