Geology Teacher Certification Coordinator:

Overview of Program

Program Admission

Individuals wishing to receive an Initial Secondary Teaching Certificate to teach Earth and Space Science or Environmental Science at the middle or high school levels should apply for admission to NIU. Students may not be admitted to the Initial Teacher Certification program until they are enrolled at NIU. Admission to the university or to a degree program does not necessarily constitute acceptance into the Geology certification programs. If prospective teacher candidates are not admitted to a Geology certification program, they cannot take the requisite certification courses in the program nor will they be recommended by NIU for licensure.

Certification requires the minimum of a baccalaureate degree or 32 upper division credit hours. Certification may be obtained concurrently or after successful completion of a degree program. Students may pursue certification under four student classifications.

Undergraduate: Student is seeking certification and a first baccalaureate degree. Normally, the degree will be the Bachelor of Science in Geology and Environmental Geosciences: Earth Science Education Emphasis.
 
Postgraduate: Student already holds a baccalaureate degree, but has chosen to pursue certification as an undergraduate. If the first degree is in another area, a second baccalaureate degree may also be sought.  Students often select this option when they do not have a geology degree and need to take undergraduate level geoscience courses, usually electing to obtain a B.S. in Geology concurrently. It is possible to switch status from post-graduate to either student-at-large or graduate student.

Graduate: Student has been admitted to the graduate program and is concurrently pursuing both certification and an advanced degree.  It is not necessary to complete the degree before completing the teacher certification program. One advantage of being either a graduate student or student-at-large is that either graduate or undergraduate courses may be taken to meet some requirements.
 
Student at Large: Student is pursuing certification as a graduate student, but has not been admitted to a degree program.  Students elect this option when they are unsure of whether or not they wish to pursue a Masters or if they don't have time to complete the lengthy application process for admission to a graduate program before starting certification course work. It is always possible to switch status from student-at-large to graduate student if admitted to the graduate program.

Application for admission to the certification program must be made, in writing, to the Department of Geology and Environmental Geosciences. The application packet may be downloaded here. Due to the additional courses required for certification, the regular undergraduate program is very difficult to complete in eight semesters.  Therefore, prospective students should immediately consult the Geology Certification Coordinator. Early advising may significantly shorten the amount of time required to complete both the degree and certification.

General Information on Teacher Certification in Earth and Space Science or Environmental Science

Time Frame 

The certification program takes two years. In the first year, all students are required to do two clinicals followed by a third clinical and student teaching in their second. The clinicals take place in both Middle and High schools and begin as simple observational opportunities transitioning to direct participation and interaction with the students in a cooperating teacher's classroom. We do this because we want our teaching candidates to be fully prepared when they enter the profession and to verify that they really want to be a secondary teacher before they commit to all the necessary certification coursework.

State Requirements

·    Before entering any classroom in the State of Illinois, all prospective teachers must take and have a negative result on a Tuberculosis Skin Test. http://www.teachercertification.niu.edu/teachercert/tcp_ttr.shtml

·    Before entering any classroom in the State of Illinois, all prospective teachers must undergo a Criminal Background Check.  http://www.teachercertification.niu.edu/teachercert/tcp_cbc.shtml

·    Before entering the second clinical, all prospective teachers must pass the Illinois State Basic Skills Test. http://www.teachercertification.niu.edu/training/ct_int.shtml or http://www.icts.nesinc.com/

·    Before entering the third clinical, all prospective teachers must pass the Illinois State Content Test. http://www.teachercertification.niu.edu/training/ct_int.shtml or http://www.icts.nesinc.com/

·    After completing student teaching and all certification coursework, all prospective teachers must pass the Illinois State Assessment of Professional Teaching (APT) Test. http://www.teachercertification.niu.edu/training/ct_int.shtml or http://www.icts.nesinc.com/

·    One of the following:  BA, BS, MA, MS, PhD or 32 upper division credit hours in subject matter

·    One state approved three-hour Educational Psychology course (i.e. at NIU EPS 406 or 508)

·    One state approved three-hour Special Education course (i.e. at NIU TLSE 457)

·    Proof that all the Illinois State Teaching standards have been met

In order to meet this Illinois State mandate, all the science certification programs at NIU now require the development of an electronic portfolio. This link directs you to a sample electronic portfolio. You may choose to present the material in a different fashion but the format must be mutually agreed upon by you and your teacher certification coordinator and must be readable on all major computer platforms (windows, mac and unix). http://jove.geol.niu.edu/programs/teach_cert/Portfolio.zip

NIU Course Requirements

·    In order to pass the Illinois State’s content exam, a certain level of interdisciplinary science is required. Therefore, we require eight 200 level or above credit hours in each of biology, chemistry and physics (i.e. at NIU BIOS 208, 209, 210, 211; CHEM 210, 211, 212, 213 and PHYS 210, 211).

Below is the list of courses that the teacher candidates will take that will provide the evidence that they have met the state standards. This is the evidence that they include in their portfolio. The numbers in parentheses are credit hours.

·    EPS 406 (3) and TLSE 457 (3) The Education Psychology and Exceptional Student courses mandated by the State of Illinois.

·    GEOL 201 (1) and ILAS 201 (1) These two classes are linked and provide guidance and structure to your first clinical. (20 hours of observations in both middle and high schools.) Applications may be found here: http://jove.geol.niu.edu/programs/teach_cert/Instructions201Application.doc

·    GEOL 301 (1) and ILAS 301 (1-2) Second semester clinical (50 hours of observations in both middle and high schools). Note that passing the Basic Skills test is a pre-requisite for this course series.

·    GEOL 401  (1) This is the fall placement in the room where the teacher candidates will be doing their student teaching. This allows the teacher candidates to get to know both the students and the cooperating teacher. (60 hours of observations.) Note that the Content test must be passed before or during this course and prior to student teaching.

·    GEOL 487 (7-12) Student teaching completed during the spring of the second year. (10 weeks of fulltime teaching.) Note that the Illinois State Content test must be passed in order to be allowed to student teach.

·    GEOL 482 (1) Transition to professional teaching. (Also known as the portfolio course.) This course will help the teacher candidates to polish their portfolio, develop a resume and successfully obtain a teaching position. This course will also help them to prepare for the APT test which is taken after completion of the certification program but before the start of your first professional teaching job.

·    GEOL 429 (3) Inquiry-based field experiences specific to the geological and space sciences.

·    GEOL 475 (2) Science across time and culture. Course designed to meet specific Illinois State Professional Teaching Standards.

·    GEOL 483 (3) Science methods I (interdisciplinary).

·    GEOL 495 (3) Science methods II (physical sciences only).

·    GEOL 484 (2) Use of technology in modern science classrooms.

Total hours for certification only:  27-32

Individual students may have some courses on their transcripts or life experiences that may be substituted for specific coursework as described above. For example, if a teacher candidate is also an active substitute teacher, then he or she might be able to have the 201 clinical waived. This is determined on a case by case basis by the Teacher Certification Coordinator and the Committee for Teacher Preparation and Development (CTPD).

Updated 8-22-07

Geology Teacher Certification Homepage

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