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ENGLISH TEACHING

BOISE STATE UNIVERSITY

For those who want information about earning teaching certification for secondary school English.

Helpful Websites:

National Council of Teachers of English

BSU College of Education

Idaho State Department of Education

Announcements for English Teaching Students:

NWP: Beginning in summer 2005, BSU will establish the Boise State Writing Project, affiliated with the National Writing Project, to offer professional development for teachers of all subjects K-12 who teach writing. The Director is Dr. Jeffrey Wilhelm.

PDS: English Education faculty are establishing a "Professional Development School" (PDS) partnership site with language arts teachers at West Junior High in Boise. The idea of the PDS is for interns, teachers, and professors work collaboratively to improve the achievement of West's students. Interns are selected for this placement, and English Education faculty supervise. If you are interested, see Dr. Robbins or Dr. Wilhelm.

Advising: Dr. Robbins and Dr. Wilhelm take turns offering general advising to English teaching students. See us for information that your regular academic advisor does not know. In the Fall, see Dr. Wilhelm. In the Spring, see Dr. Robbins.

Praxis II: The state now requires you to pass the Praxis II test #0041 "English Language, Literature, and Composition: Content Knowledge" with a score of at least 158. BSU requires your completed score before approval to student teach, so take it early in your block II semester. You must also pass the Praxis II in any additional endorsement areas you wish to teach (e.g. minor endorsements), meeting the same qualifying score as majors in the subject.

ENGL 301 (501) Teaching Writing, and 481 (581) Lit for Jr. and Sr. High have been combined within two consecutive class periods. This gives us an opportunity to better integrate reading and writing instruction. If you have taken one of the courses but not the other, request a permission number from the instructor.

Comprehensive Literacy: The state requires language arts teachers K-8 to complete the Comprehensive Literacy course and/or test. If you know you want to teach high school, it's not required. If you're not sure, or you know you want to teach in the middle grades (6-8), you should take the course (at BSU it's ED-LTCY 340). Because Comprehensive Literacy is not required for 6-12 certification, you can even take it after you have been hired in a middle school or junior high. But if you can take it now, you will have it done.

About Teaching Certification in English

The English Teaching emphasis is intended to prepare you to teach secondary school English language arts, grades 6 - 12. When you complete university requirements for English teaching, you also complete state requirements for an Idaho teaching certificate. A teaching certificate allows you to teach in public secondary schools in Idaho, and a teaching certificate from Idaho will often transfer to other states.

You may earn Idaho teaching certification in English either by meeting the undergraduate English Teaching emphasis degree requirements, or by enrolling in BSU after earning a Bachelor's degree in English at any accredited college or university and completing teaching certification requirements. If you have a bachelor's degree in another subject besides English but wish English to be your main teaching subject, you may also earn an English teaching certificate but you are likely to be asked to take additional English courses.

Questions and Answers

Q: Does an Idaho state teaching certificate guarantee me a teaching job?

A: No, but it does qualify you to apply for and hold teaching positions in public secondary schools.

Q: If I want to teach in a private school, do I need a teaching certificate?

A: Probably not. Most private schools do not require you to hold a state teaching certificate, although your preparation to teach your subject(s) might be a factor in that school's hiring and accreditation. (Private schools generally pay less than public schools.)

Q: What if I want to teach in grades lower than grade 6?

A: You should be in Elementary Education.

Q: What if I want to teach college English?

A: You do not need a teaching certificate, but you will probably need a doctoral degree in English. (Community Colleges sometimes hire teachers with Masters degrees, but that is becoming less common where candidates with Ph.D.'s are available.)

Q: Can I teach secondary school English if I earn a minor instead of a major in English?

A: Yes, if you have earned a minor teaching "endorsement" or certificate in English, you may be hired to teach it--provided you have a major teaching certificate in another subject and you have passed the Praxis II in English with a score of at least 158. Click on "About Minor Teaching Endorsements" for more information.

Q: Can I be a teacher if I have broken the law?

A: Possibly. When you apply to go out in the schools for block I, one line on the application form asks: "Have you ever been adjudicated guilty in a court of law of an offense other than a minor traffic violation?" This rule, like the fingerprint check required by the state at the time of certification, is to ensure that people who could be a danger to children and schools do not become teachers. If you have been found guilty, you should set up an appointment with the Director of Field Placements in the College of Education, 426-1991, Education 222. Your conference may begin an appeal process by which you can explain your circumstances. As a result, you might be allowed to proceed towards certification.