Elementary Education teacher candidates are thoroughly prepared with coursework and field experience that allows them to earn an Illinois Professional Educator License to teach in grades 1-6.
Field Experience:
Teacher candidates typically complete a minimum of 200 hours of practical classroom experience prior to student teaching. They begin their field experiences during their freshman year at Blackburn College, and each successive field experience assignments builds on the candidates’ knowledge and acquired classroom skills. The pre-clinical experience takes place the semester before candidates student teach. Ideally, the pre-clinical takes place at the same site as the candidate’s student teaching assignment. This provides candidates one full academic year under the guidance of a mentor teacher in partner school districts.
Career Placement Rates:
Exceptional number of teacher candidates prepared in the prior academic year have found teaching jobs in area schools.
State Required Exams:
These are the state exams required for teacher candidates:
- Content Area Test (required before student teaching)
- edTPA (taken during student teaching)
Blackburn student teachers are well-prepared for the edTPA (Teacher Performance Assessment). Almost all passed on their first attempt, and scored an average of 10 points higher than the state’s passing requirement.
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Faculty Members
