Teacher Education Program
The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford is a student-focused and inclusive educational community dedicated to the education of students in a world of rapid political, economic, scientific, and cultural change. The Education Program seeks to provide pre-service teachers with specific content knowledge and sound pedagogical strategies enabling them to become responsible and productive citizens of a globally connected and sustainable world who value and embrace diverse perspectives and are innovative facilitators of learning.
The Education Program accomplishes this by:
- helping students acquire communication, information-gathering, critical thinking skills and technological proficiency.
- requiring education students to follow Pitt-Bradford's General Education curriculum requirements, the same requirement for all majors. This ensures every student graduates with an appreciation and understanding of the many other fields of study that affect our understanding of the human experience.
- promoting collaboration among classmates, faculty, and master teachers and administrators in area school districts.
- providing cross-curricular collaboration within our program and with area school districts.
- providing field based experiences through the entire education curriculum.
- designing culturally affirming, relevant and sustaining learning experiences that will foster real world experiences.
- demonstrating the code of ethics required of educators.
The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford provides program completers with a foundation for lives that are both professionally fruitful and personally satisfying. See more information here with model code of ethics for educators, and learn about our conceptual framework.
The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford is a student-focused and inclusive educational community dedicated to the education of students in a world of rapid political, economic, scientific, and cultural change. The Education Program seeks to graduate Early Level (PK-4) teachers who have sound pedagogical and content knowledge, and who demonstrate competencies in theory and practice in education that prepare them to become responsible and productive citizens of a globally connected and sustainable world who value and embrace diverse perspectives and are innovative facilitators of learning in a diverse world.
The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford is a student-focused and inclusive educational community dedicated to the education of students in a world of rapid political, economic, scientific, and cultural change. The Education Program seeks to graduate Health and Physical Education teachers who have sound pedagogical strategies and knowledge of theories and practices to help them promote health, physical activity and wellness in PK-12 settings. We prepare our graduates to become responsible and productive citizens of a globally connected and sustainable world who value and embrace diverse perspectives and are innovative facilitators of learning in a diverse world.
The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford is a student-focused and inclusive educational community dedicated to the education of students in a world of rapid political, economic, scientific, and cultural change. The Education Program seeks to graduate Middle and Secondary school teachers who have content knowledge, sound pedagogical strategies, knowledge of the history and structure of middle and secondary schools and demonstrate competencies of theory and practice in education that prepare them to become responsible and productive citizens of a globally connected and sustainable world who value and embrace diverse perspectives and are innovative facilitators of learning in a diverse world.
Almost all courses with an EDUC or HPEDU prefix have a field component of some kind. You will begin observing classrooms and work your way up through teacher's aide experiences and ultimately into teaching experiences. For every class that has a field component, you are required to have clearances and to wear a name badge. For information about the clearances, click on the Required Clearances page. To get a name badge, use this form.
Professional attire and appearance are expected at all times. No visible tattoos, no tongue, eyebrow, lip or nose piercings and no unnatural hair colors (blue, green, pink, purple, etc.) are acceptable for Pitt-Bradford teacher candidates when they go to schools. Men should wear slacks, shirt and tie. Women should select comparable clothing. Avoid tight-fitting garments and low-cut tops. Health and Physical Education majors can wear appropriate attire for physical education classes in the gym. Name badges must be worn at all times.
For courses that have a large field requirement (20 hours or more), Jody Randolph will make arrangements for a placement. This form, Placement Form for Students, must be completed and turned in at 152 Swarts Hall, or it may be emailed to Jody.
When writing lesson plans, students are required to use the Education Program's lesson plan template:
Lesson Plan Rubric
Lesson Plan Template
The Early Level (PreK-4) Methods courses are arranged in blocks. Please see the Early Level Methods Block Handbook for information.
Here are some forms used during the Early Level Field Blocks:
Classroom Management Menu
Condensed Supervisor Lesson Observation
Cooperating Teacher Field Block Evaluation
Cooperating Teacher Lesson Observation
Professional Dispositions Inventory
Supervisor Lesson Observation
Students in the Health and Physical Education Program will take Methods of Teaching Physical Education during the fall semester, completing 75 hours with a physical education teacher. During the spring semester, students will take Methods of Teaching Health, which has a 75 hour field requirement and is completed with a health teacher. Please see the Health and Physical Education Program Handbook for more information.
Students seeking certification in Secondary Education will take Secondary Methods during the fall semester and Literacies Across the Middle and Secondary Curriculum during the spring semester. Please see the Handbook for Secondary Program for more information.
For information on Student Teaching, go to the Student Teaching page.
When students enroll in the first education course with a field experience, they must submit copies of the required clearances to Jody Randolph in 152 Swarts Hall. The three required clearances are: PA Child Abuse Clearance, PA State Police Criminal Record Check, and the FBI Federal Criminal History Record. The FBI clearance must be obtained through the PA Department of Education's mandated system. Students must keep originals of all clearances so they are available when requested by school district personnel. According to the PA Department of Education, students who are working in schools as part of required field experiences are NOT considered to be volunteers. Do not select volunteer as an option when applying for your clearances.
The PA Child Abuse clearance can be obtained online here. An account will have to be created, and the $13 payment can be made online. When you are asked to select the reason for the clearance, choose "School Employee Governed by Public School Code 111." Often times, the clearance can be printed quickly.
To obtain the PA State Police Clearance go here and click on "Submit a New Record Check." The cost for this clearance is $22.
The FBI clearance must be obtained through IDEMIA. Click here to register. Once you get to the page, click on "Digital Fingerprinting." After you get to the next page, you can enter 1KG6RT as the service code, then click on GO. Fingerprinting can be done at The Guidance Center, 110 Campus Drive in Bradford, but you must register first. The cost for this clearance is $26.20, and payment is made at the time of fingerprinting.
As long as you are continuously enrolled in courses at Pitt-Bradford, you will not need to renew your clearances unless they become more than five years old. If you are not enrolled in classes at Pitt-Bradford for two or more consecutive semesters, you will be required to submit new clearances upon return to the Education Program. Please note this is Pitt-Bradford's policy. However, some school districts may request updated clearances for field placements in their buildings.
Please contact Ms. Randolph if you have any questions about applying for clearances.
Tips
Be prepared for field experiences in almost every EDUC course. Do you have a car? If not, become familiar with the public transportation that is available in Bradford with the Area Transportation Authority. Keep in mind that when it comes time for student teaching during your last semester, you will need transportation because at least one placement will be outside of the Bradford area.
Freshman Year
- Obtain clearances.
- Order a name badge.
- Check out the Suggested Course of Study and the Advising Form for your specific major.
You must maintain at least a 3.0 GPA for admission into a certification program and for PA certification.
Sophomore Year
- Prepare for a basic skills exam (PAPA, CORE, SAT or ACT). Passing the three modules (mathematics, reading and writing) in any of these options is a requirement for admission into a certification program. Effective March 2016, scores can be combined from different testing vendors. If this is done, composite scores cannot be used. (This requirement has been waived until July 8, 2025 by Act 55 of 2022 signed into law by Governor Wolf on July 8, 2022.)
- Obtain three letters of recommendation for your admission application.
- Prepare a career goals statement.
- Have a Tuberculin Test (TB test) administered. The results are good for two years.
- How's your GPA? Remember, it must be at least 2.8 for provisional or 3.0 for full admission.
Junior Year
- If you are planning to begin education methods courses in the fall term, your application for admission is due by April 1.
- If you are planning to begin education methods courses in the spring term, your application for admission is due by December 1.
- How's your GPA?
Senior Year
- Prepare for PECT or PRAXIS II exams.
- If you plan to student teach during the fall term, your Application for Student Teaching will be due in early March.
- If you plan to student teach during the spring term, your Application for Student Teaching will due in early October.
- Check out the Student Teaching page.
Websites
The following links can be useful for Education Program students:
Children's Literature LibGuide
Curriculum Resource Center LibGuide
EdHeads Community for Math and Science Activities
ETS Core Assessment and Praxis Test Information
PAPA and PECT Exam Information
Pennsylvania Department of Education
Seneca Highlands Intermediate Unit 9