Education as a Profession

The Examining the Education Profession is the foundational course under the Education as a Profession pathway and prepares students for future positions in the field of education. Teaching as a Profession students study, apply, and practice the use of current technologies, effective teaching and learning strategies, the creation of an effective learning environment, the creation of instructional opportunities for diverse learners and students with special needs, and plan instruction based on knowledge of subject matter, students, community, and curriculum performance standards.

This course engages the candidate in observations, interactions, and analyses of critical and contemporary educational issues. The candidate will investigate issues influencing the social and political contexts of educational settings in Georgia and the United States and actively examines the teaching profession from multiple vantage points both within and outside of the school. Against this backdrop, the candidate will reflect on and interpret the meaning of education and schooling in a diverse culture and examine the moral and ethical responsibilities of teaching in a democracy. 

The practicum offers a candidate in the Education as a Profession career pathway a field experience under the direct supervision of a certified teacher (mentor teacher). The practicum stresses observing, analyzing and classifying activities of the mentor teacher and comparing personal traits with those of successful teachers. The candidate intern will develop a portfolio of their skills, plan and teach a lesson or lessons, understand and practice confidentiality as it pertains to the teaching profession, meet the needs of students with special needs, maintain the safety of the students, practice professionalism, and demonstrate ethical behavior.