Professional Teaching Certificate

The Professional Teaching Certificate (P.T.C.) is an 18 credit-hour program designed for teachers, teaching assistants and career changers who are interested in acquiring practical expertise in the knowledge and skills of highly effective teachers. Upon completion of the program, students will have achieved the professional competencies associated and aligned with the Interstate Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (InTASC).

The Professional Teaching Certificate (P.T.C.) is designed for teachers, teaching assistants and career changers who are interested in acquiring practical expertise in the knowledge and skills of highly effective teachers. Upon completion of the Professional Teaching Certificate program, students will have achieved the professional competencies associated and aligned with the Interstate Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (InTASC). Professional competencies refer to qualities that effective teachers need to acquire, develop and master. Specifically, they relate to building human relationships, working with diverse learners and using instructional technology effectively.

They include

• Knowledge (factual accuracy, conceptual understanding, etc.)
• Skills (speaking, writing, reading, listening, etc.)
• Pedagogy or performance (rapport with students, instructional strategies, managing transitions, use of technology, personal confidence, etc.)
• Dispositions (attendance, respect, responsibility, initiative, judgment, attire in clinical settings, honesty, collaboration skills, emotional coping strategies, reflection and self-awareness, etc.)

Students who earn the Professional Teaching Certificate will

• Be an effective part of an educational team within a creative learning environment.
• Be able to understand the political, social and cultural contexts of education.
• Be able to differentiate instruction to meet the needs of all learners and create a positive learning environment.
• Be able to meet the challenges of elementary or secondary teaching by designing and implementing an effective classroom management plan.
• Be able to use assessment data to improve instruction and learning.
• Be able to access and integrate current and appropriate technologies as instructional tools.
• Be able to utilize research to inform curriculum design and instructional practice.