Teacher Education – Middle Childhood

The B.A. licensure in Middle School Education is offered in partnership with Lourdes University. Faculty from Lourdes University teach all the education coursework on Tiffin University’s campus. 

Students earn degree requirements from Tiffin University while also earning licensure requirements from Lourdes University. This partnership offers you the strengths of two universities, with the opportunity to learn from experienced faculty from both universities. 

This program will provide you with a Bachelor of Arts degree and the necessary coursework to become a licensed middle school teacher for grades 4-9. Middle school teachers earn credentials in 2 of the following content areas: social studies, math, English Language Arts, and science. 

• Nationally accredited (CAEP, 2022) 

• Consistent rating of “Effective,” Ohio’s highest ranking for teacher preparation programs 

• Field experiences range from one-day observations in the first education courses to 15-weeks during student teaching 

The middle childhood program for grades four through nine helps teacher candidates learn how to engage young adolescents in active and purposeful learning, which is challenging, exploratory, integrative and relevant in an environment that is safe, inclusive and supportive of all. 

The curriculum is based on contemporary research and the most current standard requirements of the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP), Ohio Department of Education and Workforce (ODEW), the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM), the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) and the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA). 

PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION TRAINING 

• The licensure in Middle School program leads to state licensure within Ohio to teach grades 4-9 in two identified content areas. 

• Courses are taught by professionals working within the field who have earned state licensure in the area in which they teach. 

• You’ll gain professional experience in the school setting – starting with your first education course. 

• Field experiences and clinical hours are built into each semester of the program. 

• The program offers field experiences in a variety of teaching environments, including public, private, rural and urban settings. 

• Tiffin University schedules special events for our TU students to mentor middle school-aged students, to build community and to model educational experiences. 

• TU’s Education Club and education events connect you to campus and help build close community. 

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Clinical and field experiences are incorporated throughout all four years of the student experience. The work builds upon prior knowledge and gets more hands-on as you continue in the field. You’ll move from observing classes to building and teaching lessons within a variety of classroom settings, using knowledge gained from your content and education coursework.

Within your program, you’ll build a strong foundation of knowledge in your two chosen subject areas (i.e. Science, English, Language Arts, History, or Mathematics), making connections between theory and practice. You’ll gain insights into student development (psychology/sociology) and learning styles and needs. You’ll learn about assessment, accommodations, modifications, diversity and integration of technology within unit planning.

At the end of your program, you’ll carry away career-ready skills, including:

• Lesson planning
• Assessment
• Time management
• Communication
• Organization
• Classroom Management
• Collaboration
• Differentiation

Experiential learning is the essence of teaching. Without the experiences of being in the classroom observing and teaching, you would be ill prepared mentally, emotionally and academically to teach in a real-world setting.

During your program, you’ll practice lessons in your college classroom on your peers, work with peers to build unit plans and assessments and engage in discussions around scenarios to help prepare you for the classroom setting. You’ll then take what you’ve learned and teach these lessons to students in the grades 4-9 setting as a classroom leader.

Bringing Knowledge to Practice

• You’ll gain professional experience in the school setting – starting with your first education course.
• Students can be placed in different schools settings, such as urban, suburban, rural, private or public schools.
• You’ll take a course focusing on diversity along with a course that introduces you to challenges within the inclusion and special needs setting.
• You may volunteer to work in local schools, libraries and community education programs.
• You’ll have the opportunity to tutor students within the Tiffin University community.
• You’ll use an e-Portfolio as a digital repository for your work in content area courses and in your education work at Lourdes University.
• The Education Club provides you opportunities to meet other students and participate in various activities and events.

CURRICULUM

Competency Core

• COM130 Oral Communication & Presentation – 3 hours
• ENG141 Rhetoric and Introductory Research Writing [Composition] – 3 hours
• ENG142 Rhetoric and Academic Writing (w) [Composition] – 3 hours
• MAT181 College Algebra – 3 hours
• MAT273 Applied Statistics I – 3 hours
• EDU151 Technology In Learning  – 1 hour
• EDU251 Technology & Pedagogy for Learning – 1 hour
• EDU351 Technology, Pedagogy, & Content Knowledge for Learning – 1 hour
  • [EDU151/251/351 combined fulfill CIS requirement]
• NAT130 Foundations for Healthy Living  – 3 hours

Total – 21 hours

Culture Core

• EDU216 Multicultural and Social Issues in Education – 3 hours

Total – 3 hours

Dragon Education core

• DEC100 Engage – 3 hours
• DEC200 Explore – 3 hours
• DEC300/320 Connect – 3 hours
• DEC400/420 Impact – 3 hours
• DEC400L Impact ePortfolio  – 1 hour

Total – 13 hours

History Major

• CUL250 Cultural Geography – 3 hours
• ECO222 Principles of Microeconomics – 3 hours
• HIS122 Research for History (w) – 3 hours
• HIS231 Creating a Nation (w) – 3 hours
• HIS242 US History 1865 to 1945 (w) – 3 hours
• HIS267 Challenges of Global Leadership: US History after 1945 (w) – 3 hours
• HIS303 Dawn of Humankind (w) – 3 hours
• HIS320 Ohio History – 3 hours
• HIS323 The Emerging West (w) – 3 hours
• HIS410 The Interconnected World (w) – 3 hours
• HIS425 Historiography (w) – 3 hours
• POL201 Political Geography – 3 hours
• POL391 Comparative Political Systems – 3 hours

Total – 9 hours

Professional education requirements

• EDU100 Foundations of Education or EDU 101 Education Bridge (1 hr) – 3 hours
• EDU230 Survey of Special Needs Education – 3 hours
• EDU250 Educational Psychology and Human Development – 3 hours
• EDU319 Classroom Management for Middle Childhood & AYA Education  – 3 hours
• EDU329 Differentiated Instruction & Assessment – 3 hours

Total – 15 hours

Reading core Requirements

• EDU220 Reading Comprehension Skills, Strategies and the Writing Process in Inclusive Classrooms – 3 hours
• EDU221 Content Area Reading and Writing – 3 hours
• EDU324 The Role of Phonics and the Foundation of Reading and Writing – 3 hours
• EDU335 Reading Diagnoses and Assessment – 3 hours

Total – 12 hours

middle school Requirements

• EDM235 Middle Childhood Curriculum, Instruction & Assessment  – 3 hours
• EDM250 Middle Childhood Methods & Field Experience I – 3 hours
• EDM351-356 Middle Childhood Methods and Field Experience II – 3 hours
• EDM490 Middle Childhood Student Teaching – 12 hours

Total – 21 hours

Sub-total – 124 hours

SECONDARY FIELD OF STUDY: CHOOSE ONE FIELD

Secondary Field of Study courses will be used to fill General Education Requirements. Students must choose secondary field of study when they declare their education major in order to avoid taking courses that do not fulfill graduation requirements for their major or secondary field of study.

Language arts

• ENG313 Theoretical Approaches to Reading and Writing  – 3 hours
• One of the following: – 3 hours
  • ENG360 American Poetry (w)
  • ENG361 British Poetry (w)
• ENG422 World Literature (w) – 3 hours

Total – 9 hours

mathematics

• MAT185 Quantitative Reasoning – 3 hours
• MAT271 Geometry for Middle School Teachers – 3 hours
• MAT275 Pre-Calculus – 3 hours
• MAT370 Teaching Mathematics in Middle School (w) – 3 hours

Total -12 hours

science

• BIO210 General Biology I + BIO210L Lab – 4 hours
• NAT114 Survey of Science – 3 hours
• NAT205 Earth Science – 3 hours
• NAT201 Physical Science – 3 hours
• SCI370 Integrated Science for Teachers – 3 hours

Total – 16 hours

Total for the degree w/Secondary field of study: 137-143 hours

SAMPLE COURSES

Middle Childhood Curriculum, Instruction & Assessment (EDM235) – Building on the general concepts presented in EDM210 Education for Young Adolescents, this course begins to bridge the gap between content and practice. The course examines middle childhood curriculum and provides an in-depth review of the Ohio Academic Content Standards. The course introduces instructional models and elements of assessment theory in support of curriculum development and effective teaching. Students have opportunities to plan, teach, assess and reflect on lessons for young adolescents that are developmentally appropriate and inclusive. 

Middle Childhood Methods & Field Experience I (EDM250) – Provides students with opportunities to learn and practice the skills and competencies of effective teaching at the middle childhood level. This course will examine various instructional methods used to teach young adolescents in all four curriculum content area and reading. The course includes a field experience in a middle childhood setting.

Language Arts and Social Studies Methods and Field Experience II (EDM351) – Provides students with opportunities to learn and practice Middle Childhood pedagogy in your licensure areas (language arts and social studies). Students will engage in all elements of the Teacher Performance Assessment, including planning instruction and assessment, instructing and engaging students in learning, assessing student learning and final retrospective reflection. The course includes an extensive field experience in a Middle Childhood setting for both of your licensure areas. This course must be passed with a C+ or better. Falling below a C+ will result in the need to retake the course.

FORMAT

On Campus – Offered in a 15-week semester format with start dates in January and August

Education is a growing field and due to COVID many teachers have decided to retire, creating many openings within the middle school environment. This program will provide you with a Bachelor of Arts degree and the necessary coursework to become a licensed middle school teacher for grades 4-9. Middle school teachers earn credentials in 2 of the following content areas: social studies, math, English Language Arts, and science.

WHERE TU GRADS HAVE WORKED

• Cleveland Metropolitan School District
• Horizon Science Academy
• Indianapolis Private Industry Council Inc.
• Ohio Virtual Academy
• Renhill Group Inc.
• Springboro Community City Schools
• Tiffin Inc.
• Toledo Public Schools
• Vermilion Local Schools
• Warren County Educational Service Center
• Winchester Public Schools

Learn about Tiffin University’s online Master of Education programs