Teacher Education Unit

The Conceptual Framework for Teacher Education at the University of Minnesota Crookston includes these essential components:

Pedagogical Paradigm: Learner-Centered

Teacher educators at the University of Minnesota Crookston keep student learning and meaning-making at the forefront of our curriculum, relationships, and practices. We recognize our responsibility to create environments and experiences that help students discover and construct knowledge for themselves.

Conceptual Framework: Themes

Our Unifying Themes guide our curriculum and integrate our institutional student learning competencies and core values, Professional Educators Licensing and Standards Board (PELSB) standards, academic knowledge bases, dispositions, field experiences, student teaching, and assessments of student learning.

• Focus on the Nature of Learners
  The developmental characteristics of the learner, temperament, learning styles, motivations, knowledge, skills, attitudes, experiences, and cultural context are central to facilitating learning.
• Create a Motivating Environment
  Creating motivating and challenging environments, developing responsive relationships, encouraging students’ active engagement in learning, and using inquiry learning strategies to increase students’ motivation to learn are at the heart of productive and positive teaching and learning environments.
• Demonstrate Content Expertise
  Academic subject matter standards inform what teacher education candidates need to know, understand, and be able to do. Teachers need to connect ideas to one another and apply them to real-world problems.
• Build Partnerships
  Building communities of learning, both in the classroom and beyond the classroom, are critical to maintaining professional partnerships and collaborations. Continual interaction and shared responsibility between and among members of our learning communities is essential in the preparation of highly qualified beginning teachers.
• Reflect as a Practitioner
  Developing reflection skills is a complex process which requires continuous analysis of ones’ teaching and the effect on the individual. Reflective practitioners demonstrate a sustained commitment to learning, questioning, and discovery

Basic Requirements

1. Teacher Education Admission
   • Teacher Education Application
   • Process of Monitoring and Assessing Candidates (Checkpoints)
      
2. MN Teacher License Examinations (MTLE)
   • Directions on how to register for MTLE
   • What tests do I need to take?
     • Basic Skills (Reading, Writing, Math) Information (p. 1-2)
     • Pedagogy Tests
       • Agricultural Education (p. 8)
       • Early Childhood Education (p. 8)
       • Elementary Education (p. 8)
     • Contest Tests
       • Agricultural Education (p. 9)
       • Early Childhood Education (p. 10)
       • Elementary Education (p. 10)
          
3. Code of Ethics for Minnesota Teachers
    
4. Program Requirements
   • Agricultural Education
   • Early Childhood Education (Birth to 3rd Grade)
   • Elementary Education
      
5. Appeals Form

Resources

• Teacher Education Handbook: for students, faculty, and staff
• Minnesota Department of Education
• Professional Educators and Licensing Standards Board (PELSB)

Get in the classroom

1. Field Experiences Requirements - Observational and Practicum (PDF)
   Field experiences play a critical component in the preparation and continuing development of teacher candidates in the content, pedagogical knowledge, skills, and dispositions.  At U of M Crookston, the teacher candidates’ field experiences are frequent, begin early and continue throughout their licensure program.  All candidates are engaged in two different levels of field experiences prior to student teaching.  Each field experience provides candidates with different levels of responsibilities and opportunities to apply, integrate and demonstrate content knowledge and pedagogical knowledge, skills, and dispositions.
2. Student Teaching Requirements (PDF)
   Student teaching courses are culminating experiences for the pre-service teacher. These intensive, on site, all day, placements provide the opportunities and expectations for students to grow and develop into successful, beginning teachers. In Minnesota, success in student teaching indicates that the candidate has demonstrated achievement in knowledge, dispositions, and performance as presented in Minnesota Rules, 8710.2000, Standards for the Effective Practice for Teaching, and Minnesota Rules, 8710.3000 – 8710.8080 Content-Specific Standards.
   
   Unit Rule 8705.1010 STANDARD 11 (2).  For candidates seeking an initial professional license, the unit must provide a minimum of 12 full-time weeks, or the equivalent number of weeks where the candidate is participating in at least 80 percent of the contracted school week, of face-to-face student teaching.
    
3. Student Teaching Application (DOCX)
   • Summer and Fall Semester Student Teaching: due first Friday of February
   • Spring Semester Student Teaching: due first Friday of October
      
4. Clinical Experience Handbook
   • Clinical Experience Handbook (Field Experience and Student Teaching) (PDF)
   • Agricultural Education Student Teaching Handbook (PDF)
      
5. Student Teaching Evaluations (formative and summative) - available at Student Teaching Canvas site
6. Student Teaching Syllabi - available at Student Teaching Canvas site
7. edTPA Information and Forms - available at Student Teaching Canvas site
8. Minnesota Code of Ethics for Teachers

Get licensed to teach

1. How to apply for your teacher licensure (PDF) - updated August 2023
2. Information on Tiered Learning (PDF)
   • Tier Licensing Applications

Forms

1.  Application Forms
   • Teacher Education Admission Application Form (DOCX)
   • Appeals Form (PDF)
   • Liability Insurance Forms (PDF)
      
2. Clinical Experience Forms (Field Experiences and Student Teaching)
   • Student Teaching Application Form (DOCX)
   • Student Teaching: Disposition Appraisal Form (DOCX)
   • Practicum Experiences: Disposition Form (DOCX)
   • Field Experience Documentation Form (DOCX)
   • Student Teaching Evaluation Forms (formative and summative) – available at Student Teaching Canvas site
      
3. Handbooks
   • Teacher Education Handbook: for Candidates, Faculty, and Staff (PDF)
   • Clinical Experience Handbook: Field experience and Student Teaching (PDF)
   • Agricultural Education Student Teaching Handbook PDF)
      
4. Program Requirements Forms
   • Early Childhood Education: Birth – 3^rd Grade (PDF)
   • Elementary Education: K – 6^th Grade (PDF)
   • Secondary Education (5^th – 12^th Grade)
     • Agricultural Education (PDF)
     • English Education - Communication Arts & Literature (PDF)
     • Work-Based Learning Endorsement (9^th – 12^th Grade) (must also hold or qualify for an initial teacher)

Resources

1. Minnesota Code of Ethics for Teachers 
2. Minnesota Department of Education
3. Professional Educators and Licensing Standards Board (PELSB)
4. Minnesota Chapter 8705, Teacher Preparation Programs
5. Minnesota Chapter 8710, Teacher Professional Licensing
6. 2022 Minnesota Statutes 122A, Teachers and Other Educators

The U of M Crookston Teacher Education Unit is accredited by the Minnesota Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board (PELSB).  To ensure continuous program (PERCA) and unit-level approvals, the Teacher Education Unit is required to complete two reviews with PELSB:

Unit Level On-Site Review

Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board (PELSB) conducts on-site visits every 5 – 7 years to ensure accuracy and completeness of the self-study report and to verify the institutional/unit’s compliance to the standards of Minnesota Rules Part 8705.1000 subpart 2 – 10.  The U of M Crookston Teacher Education Unit’s last on-site review was in fall 2018.  The Teacher Education Unit received full continuing approval effective until June 30, 2024.  The next on-site review will be scheduled for the spring of 2024, in compliance with the standards of Minnesota Rules Part 8705.1010 subpart 1 – 6.

Institutional/Unit On-Site Review

Program Effectiveness Report for Continuing Approval (PERCA) Review

PERCA review is required and completed biennial to provide evidence to PELSB and public that licensure programs are compliant to established standards and produce graduates who have mastered the competencies needed to be effective beginning teachers.  The U of M Crookston Teacher Education Unit is on an even year review cycle (i.e. June 2016, June 2018, June 2020, June 2022, June 2024, etc.).  The PERCA report is submitted by October prior to the June expiration year.  This allows the opportunity for two reviews by the Program Review Panel (PRP) if needed (February and April).  Submission by December assures the opportunity for one review by the PRP if needed (April).  

PERCA 2021 Review

For additional information on enrollments and completion rate, refer to the Title II Reports.