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Teacher Education Program


Director: Faculty:
Alex Urbiel (SSHS) Michael Bitz (SSHS)
Carole Bowman (SSHS)
Brian Chinni (SSHS)
Anne DeGroot (SSHS)
Ellen Kaiden (SSHS)
Cherrie Kassem (SSHS)
Elvira Katic (SSHS)
Richard Langheim (SSHS)
Frances Shapiro-Skrobe (SSHS)
Tilahuan Sineshaw (SSHS)

Resources: Related Information:

Middle School Certification Website
Center for Learning and Instruction (CLI) and Office of Student Teaching Placement
Provisional Teacher Program

Career Paths

About the Program

The Teacher Education Program at Ramapo College of New Jersey is offered through the School of Social Science and Human Services which is fully certified by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. The Ramapo program is approved by the New Jersey State Department of Education under the standards established by the National Association of State Director of Teacher Education and Certification. Teacher preparation candidates are prepared to become student oriented teachers who design high quality learning activities to meet a broad spectrum of learning styles and learning needs.

Ramapo College is located ideally for access to field experience opportunities. Many outstanding urban, suburban, and rural school districts are within a reasonable distance from the college and are most generous in their efforts to support high standards in teacher preparation.

Ramapo College Office of Teacher Education Handbook (PDF)
TE Program Application Checklist (PDF)

Mission - Vision

The Ramapo College of New Jersey Teacher Education and Certification Program is committed to the preparation of teachers who are highly competent in their academic disciplines and instructional skills.  Our program, aligned with the New Jersey Professional Standards for Teachers, and nationally accredited by the Teacher Education Accreditation Council (TEAC) prepares students at the undergraduate and post-baccalaureate level to be teachers who model reflective, innovative behavior while demonstrating love and enthusiasm for life-long learning.  The Teacher Education and Certification Program at Ramapo College seeks to ensure that teachers are prepared to communicate effectively, establish productive relationships, and respond to the needs of individual learners, and teaching profession, and the greater community in a fair, equitable manner.  Finally, our program emphasizes the needs of a democratic society.  We are preparing teachers to be leaders in the effort to make the world a safer, more compassionate, and more productive place where respect for all life, for our environment, and for the dignity and diversity of all people will be common priorities.

New Jersey Professional Teaching Standards

  1. Subject Matter Knowledge.  Teachers shall understand the central concepts, tools of inquiry, structures of the discipline, especially as they relate to the New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards, and design developmentally appropriate learning experiences making the subject matter accessible and meaningful to all students.
  2. Human Growth and Development.  Teachers shall understand how children and adolescents develop and learn in a variety of school, family, and community contexts and provide opportunities that support their intellectual, social, emotional, and physical development.
  3. DiverseLearners.  Teachers shall understand the practice of culturally responsive teaching.
  4. Instructional Planning and Strategies.  Teachers shall understand instructional planning, design long- and short-term plans based upon knowledge of subject matter, students, community, and curriculum goals, and shall employ a variety of developmentally appropriate strategies in order to promote critical thinking, problem solving and the performance skills of all learners.
  5. Assessment.  Teachers shall understand and use multiple assessment strategies and interpret results to evaluate and promote student learning and to modify instruction in order to foster the continuous development of students.
  6. Learning Environment.  Teachers shall understand individual and group motivation and behavior and shall create a supportive, safe and respectful learning environment that encourages positive social interaction, active engagement in learning and self-motivation.
  7. Special Needs.  Teachers shall adapt and modify instruction to accommodate the special learning needs of all students.
  8. Communication.  Teachers shall use knowledge of effective verbal, nonverbal and written communication techniques and the tools of information literacy to foster the use of inquiry, collaboration and supportive interactions.
  9. Collaboration and Partnerships.  Teachers shall build relationships with parents, guardians, families and agencies in the larger community to support students' learning and well-being.
  10. Professional Development.  Teachers shall participate as active, responsible members of the professional community, engaging in a wide range of reflective practices, pursuing opportunities to grow professionally and establishing collegial relationships to enhance the teaching and learning process.

Program Requirements

Undergraduate Students:

  • Completion of Praxis I with a minimum score of 170 in each of the following content areas: Reading, Writing, and Math.
  • Admission interview with Director of TE program.
  • Completion of all requirements for Graduation including a minimum of 128 credits.
  • Completion of all requirements for a Major.
  • Completion of all General Education requirements.
  • Completion of all the School Core requirements for the school of the designated major.
  • Completion of courses (which may be in addition to a major) which are needed to fulfill the state requirements of a minimum of 30 credit hours in the Endorsement area and to fulfill Ramapo College program requirements for the Teacher Education sequences within individual endorsements.
  • Maintenance of a 2.75 GPA.  When students have attended more than one college or university, all undergraduate coursework at all institutions attended are included in determining the overall GPA for the purpose of certification qualification.  Students may engage in student teaching only after the GPA requirements are attained and the appropriate Praxis test has been taken. 
  • A teaching portfolio providing evidence of addressing the New Jersey Professional Teaching Standards must be submitted to and approved by the teacher education faculty prior to student teaching.
  • Completion of the required Education courses (or equivalents approved by the Director of Teacher Education)

Elementary Endorsements

Students seeking the elementary education endorsement may select a major in any of our disciplines in the Arts and Sciences. For example, majors in art, history, literature, mathematics, music, psychology, and science are all appropriate for pursuing this endorsement. Students do not major in elementary education at Ramapo College. This means that the curriculum for teacher certification is a very ambitious academic program. Students are completing the equivalent of a double major in terms of course requirements.

Subject & Course # Title & Course Description
ELEMENTARY EDUCATON
 
FOUNDATIONAL COURSES
  Block One:
EDUC 221 SOCIAL CONTEXT OF EDUCATION
EDUC 222 TEACHING: PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES
  Field Placement is mandatory
 
PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION COURSES
  Block Two:
EDUC 344 METHODS OF TEACHING ELEMENTARY
EDUCATION/LANGUAGE ARTS/SOCIAL SCIENCES AND ART
Field Placement is mandatory
EDUC 345 METHODS OF TEACHING ELEMENTARY
EDUCATION/MATHEMATICS/SCIENCE
Field Placement is mandatory
EDUC 346 READING-THEORY AND PRACTICE
Field Placement is mandatory
EDUC 341 TECHNOLOGY IN THE CLASSROOM or
EDUC 340 SYSTEMS THINKING
Block Three:
EDUC 491 STUDENT TEACHING
 
GENERAL EDUCATION
ENGL 180 COLLEGE ENGLISH
  Math (One course)
MATH 101 MATH WITH APPLICATIONS
MATH 104 MATH FOR THE MODERN WORLD
MATH 106 INTRODUCTION OT MATH MODELING
MATH 108 ELEMENTARY PROBABILITY AND STATISTICS
MATH 110 PRECALCULUS
MATH 121 CALCULUS I
  SOCIAL AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE (All required)
SOSC 101 SOCIAL ISSUES
PSYC 101 INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY
PSYC 215 LEARNING, COGNITION AND TEACHING
  PHYSIOLOGY AND HYGIENE (One course from list)
BIOL 101 INTRODUCTION TO BIOLOGY
BIOL 110 FUNDAMENTALS OF BIOLOGY I LECTURE/LAB
BIOL 213 ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY I LECTURE/LAB
PSYC 326 LOVE AND SEXUALITY
BIOL 240 NUTRITION
BIOL 345 NUTRITION AND HUMAN METABOLISM
PSYC 251 SUBSTANCE ABUSE
  SPEECH COMMUNICATION (One course from list)
COMM 101 EFFECTIVE SPEAKING
THEA 115 BASIC ACTING FOR NON-MAJORS
THEA 221 BASIC ACTING
COMM 222 PUBLIC SPEAKING
THEA 260 VOICE AND MOVEMENT

Content Endorsements

Teacher Education courses and/or course options required for endorsements in the following disciplines:

  • Art
  • Biology
  • Business
  • Chemistry
  • Earth Science
  • Elementary Education
  • English
  • French
  • Italian
  • Mathematics
  • Music
  • Physical Science
  • Physics
  • Psychology
  • Social Studies
  • Spanish
  • Speech arts and Dramatics

Subject & Course # Title & Course Description
CONTENT AREA CERTIFICATION
 
FOUNDATIONAL COURSES
  Block One:
EDUC 221 SOCIAL CONTEXT OF EDUCATION
EDUC 222 TEACHING: PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES
  Field Placement is mandatory
 
PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION COURSES
EDUC 350 READING,WRITING IN THE CONTENT AREAS
Field Placement is mandatory
EDUC 343 TEACHNG FOR EFFECTIVE LEARNING
Field Placement is mandatory
EDUC 341 TECHNOLOGY IN THE CLASSROOM
OR
EDUC 340 SYSTEMS THINKING
Block Three:
EDUC 491 STUDENT TEACHING
 
GENERAL EDUCATION
ENGL 180 COLLEGE ENGLISH
  Math (One course)
MATH 101 MATH WITH APPLICATIONS
MATH 104 MATH FOR THE MODERN WORLD
MATH 106 INTRODUCTION OT MATH MODELING
MATH 108 ELEMENTARY PROBABILITY AND STATISTICS
MATH 110 PRECALCULUS
MATH 121 CALCULUS I
  SOCIAL AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE (All required)
SOSC 101 SOCIAL ISSUES
PSYC 101 INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY
PSYC 215 LEARNING, COGNITION AND TEACHING
  PHYSIOLOGY AND HYGIENE (One course from list)
BIOL 101 INTRODUCTION TO BIOLOGY
BIOL 110 FUNDAMENTALS OF BIOLOGY I LECTURE/LAB
BIOL 213 ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY I LECTURE/LAB
PSYC 326 LOVE AND SEXUALITY
BIOL 240 NUTRITION
BIOL 345 NUTRITION AND HUMAN METABOLISM
PSYC 251 SUBSTANCE ABUSE
  SPEECH COMMUNICATION (One course from list)
COMM 101 EFFECTIVE SPEAKING
THEA 115 BASIC ACTING FOR NON-MAJORS
THEA 221 BASIC ACTING
COMM 222 PUBLIC SPEAKING
THEA 260 VOICE AND MOVEMENT


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