Frequently Asked Questions About Advising For Undergraduate Students

You may access this information on Info Bear. Also, there is a list at the Elementary Education office in Hart Hall (once you have declared us as your major).
Your advisor is your human contact within the institution. He/she will help you get the accurate information you need to complete your educational program. You will be assigned an advisor for each of your two majors (after you have declared your majors).

When should I contact my advisor?

You should contact your advisor if you have any specific questions or concerns. You may call or e-mail your advisor to set up an appointment if you have any questions.

To prepare to register for courses for the upcoming semester, you will need to see a faculty member to have them “sign off” on your course selections. See “Drop-in Advising” question below.

What is “Drop-In” Advising?

Prior to registration for the following semester, you will need to select courses. We provide “Drop-In” advising sessions to help guide you. You are REQUIRED to attend drop-in advising to get released for web registration. Faculty members will be there to answer your questions and look over your course selections. We will sign off for your registration process so you can get released for web registration. Dates, times, and locations are usually posted throughout Hart Hall, as well as on the BSU web page.

To prepare for this, go on-line to InfoBear and print a copy of your “degree audit”. You have a choice of two audits (your other major or your elementary/ early childhood ed). Be sure you bring the education audit with you. Also, bring any other things that you believe would be relevant to our discussion. You should bring a filled-out registration form with your tentative choices or at least a list of courses and times you are considering.

NOTE: Drop in advising is NOT for Freshmen. Freshmen will need to be advised by the Academic Achievement Center staff.

What is this “degree audit” thing I can access through InfoBear?

The printout provides you with information that the college believes to be correct about your credits earned, grade point average (GPA), courses you have taken, and courses you still need to complete. You should look it over to make sure that the information is accurate. If you see something you think is incorrect, let your advisor know as soon as possible! DON’T WAIT! It is easier for us to fix something if we are not under a time constraint. Also, you should regularly check to make sure you would have completed a minimum of 120.5 credits needed for graduation by the completion of your program.

Why do I need a 2^nd major?

The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education determined that all education majors should also have a content area of expertise. Please note: Post-Bacc students do not have 2 majors.

What are my choices for a 2^nd major?

Anthropology

Art

Biology

Chemistry

Chemistry – Geology

Communication Arts and Sciences

Computer Sciences

Earth Sciences

Economics

English

Geography

History

Mathematics

Music

Philosophy

Physics

Political Science

Psychology – is possible but NOT recommended!

Sociology

Spanish

Majors NOT acceptable as 2^nd majors: Accounting and Finance; Aviation Science; Communication Disorders; Criminal Justice; Health Studies, Management Science; Physical Education; Social Work

Do I need to meet with my advisor for my 2^nd major before registering for courses?

Undergraduate students do need to meet with your advisor for your 2^nd major. You need their signature in addition to your education advisor before registering for courses for the following semester. If you want the Elementary and Early Childhood Faculty to release you for web registration, be sure you have previously met with your advisor of your other major and make sure they sign your course selection sheet. If you meet with us first, we will sign your registration form but your advisor for your 2^nd major will then need to release you for web registration.

If you have not declared a second major, you will need to meet with staff at the Academic Achievement Center staff (bottom floor of Maxwell Library). They will act as your 2^nd advisor until you declare a 2^nd major.

Is there a general rule of thumb for a recommended sequence of courses?

In general, you would take courses that satisfy the CORE requirements along with the courses of your 2^nd major. It is desirable to do some of both CORE and your other major for each semester. Be crafty with CORE course selections as many of them can satisfy multiple CORE requirements. There are only two education courses a candidate can take prior to being admitted to professional ed (admission to professional ed is covered within the course ELED220 or ECED230). One is the introductory courses ELED220 or ECED230. You may take this one course whenever you wish (except not during your freshman year) but prior to taking any 300 level education courses. This course is designed to provide you with a foundation of information about education as well as to help you make an informed career choice. Your second course is Foundations of Reading ELED250 ( an elective and not program requirement). This course is designed to help you get the information necessary to pass the Foundations of Reading portion of the (MTEL) teacher test. Your other education courses will come at the end of your program along with student teaching.

Note: There are some 200 level ELED courses offered as electives and vary from semester to semester.

When can I take any education courses beyond the 200 level?

You will need to apply to professional education. You will learn specifics on this process during your introductory course (ELED220 or ECED230). In general, you will need to have at least a 2.8 GPA earned at BSU. You will need to have completed the course requirements of the introductory course, including the 40-hour pre-practica field experience. You will have to provide evidence of passing the literacy / communications to be admitted into professional education. Note: You will need to pass the Elementary General Curriculum – mutli-subject and math subtest sections (or Early Childhood content) courses AND the Foundations of Reading MTEL before you can register for the block of professional courses. There are occasions where a student may have passed the Literacy and Communication AND the General Curriculum (multi-subject and math subtests) but have not yet passed the Foundations of Reading MTEL. This student could meet with the Department chairman and develop a plan of action for passing the final MTEL. Note: you must pass all required MTELs prior to being allowed to student teach. There are other requirements included in the professional education application packet (you will get this packet in your Introductory course).

What is the “Block”?

This is the cluster of professional education courses (300 level) you will take as your second to last semester at BSU (your last semester is student teaching). You are not allowed to take any other courses during this semester other than the block courses so be sure you have completed all of your other major and CORE curriculum course requirements before trying to register for the block. It includes “How to teach” courses. You will be committed to being on campus or in assigned pre-practicum experiences five days a week from 8 am to 4:00 pm. During this time, you will attend classes. In between course sessions, your professors will schedule pre-practica experiences working with age-appropriate students in the content areas covered in your courses. Pre-practica experiences include working at professional development schools, other public school settings as well as a school in an urban setting.

Can I register for courses on the web?

Yes…but…you must meet with an education faculty member first. This is done at drop-in advising (see FAQ above) In addition to checking on your course selections, the education faculty member can alert you to any changes in the teacher preparation program or changes made by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. At the end of your meeting, the education faculty member will sign your registration form and/or electronically enable you to register online. You will have to meet with BOTH your advisors (education and your other major – If you do not have a second major declared, you must go to Academic Advising in Maxwell – they will act as your second advisor). Note: Post Bacc students do NOT need to meet with an advisor prior to registration. You will have satisfied the requirement of meeting with your advisor during GRPP501. You may go on-line and register.

Do I need to pass the Teacher Test?

Yes! You will need to pass the Literacy and Communication AND the Elementary General Curriculum – mutli-subject and math subtest sections (or Early Childhood content) courses AND the Foundations of Reading MTEL before you can register for the block of professional courses. There are occasions where a student may have passed the Literacy and Communication AND the General Curriculum (multi-subject and math subtests) but have not yet passed the Foundations of Reading MTEL. This student could meet with the Department chairman and develop a plan of action for passing the final MTEL. Note: you must pass all required MTELs prior to being allowed to student teach.

Plan your timing carefully! The test is administered typically five times a year. Registration for the test ends about 6 weeks prior to the test. Results of the test are not typically available until 6 weeks after taking the test. You will need the results early enough to meet BSU registration deadlines.

How can I learn more about the Teacher Test?

Check out the “Professional Links” portion of my “Links” page. Info is available on line at the Mass Dept of Elementary and Secondary Education www.doe.mass.edu . They also offer practice tests on line at that site. Additional help may be available at the Educator Resource and Enrichment Center (EREC) in the College of Education and Allied Studies – room 125 Hart Hall (see Lisa Turner).

What resources are available to help me prepare for the Teacher Test?

1.You may obtain FREE help at The Reading Center and the Writing Center, which are both parts of the Academic Achievement Center that is located in the Maxwell Library. You may also receive advice on test taking strategies.

2.Check out the “Professional Links” section of Dr. Greenberg’s web page.

3.The university has previously offered (on a tuition basis) workshops and/or courses to help prepare you for the test. Check out the link at http://www.bridgew.edu/EREC/mtel/

4.On the B.S.U. web page you can find some sample questions for practice.

5. For the Foundations of Reading teacher test, you can register for ELED250 Foundations of Reading. This elective course is designed to provide you with the information you need to pass this section of the teacher test (MTEL).

6. Use the practice teacher tests on line at http://www.doe.mass.edu/mtel/faq/tprep_lst.html

What can I do to gain experiences in education when the courses I am taking concentrate on my second major?

Bridgewater State University offers numerous experiences to work and volunteer with children. There is the after-school STAR (Students Teaching Awesome Readers) program in Brockton where you may attend a short training session and then tutor school-age children.

Other on-campus opportunities include:

Children Physical Developmental Clinic (Dr. Huber)

Community Service (Habitat for Humanity)

America Reads

America Counts

Campus Climate Committee, activities.

Tutor

Student Government Assoc.

Student Affairs Leadership Programs

Off campus:

Girl / Boy Scouts

YM/W CA programs

Community / religious organization sponsored programs

Local school after-school programs

When should I apply for admission into the Professional Education program?

You should apply for admission into the Professional Education program as soon as you complete ELED 220 or ECED 230 and passed the Literacy and Communications MTEL. Note, see requirements for registering for the block of professional courses above.

How do I apply for admission into the Professional Education program?

You must complete an application. This application is available on the CEAS web page, in the Office of the College of Education and Allied Studies, and outside of the Elementary & Early Childhood Education office. To be accepted, you must have passed the Literacy and Communication MTEL, completed the 40 hours pre-practica experience; and have a GPA of 2.8 or greater, and earned a C+ or better in ENGL 101 and 102. There are other requirements so check out the application packet for specific details. Typically, the process for admission to professional ed is covered in the intro courses (ELED220 or ECED230).

Can I still register for the Block or other education courses even if I haven't passed all three Teacher Tests?

In order to be admitted to Professional Education and take any certification course (300-400 level), you must pass the Literacy and Communication AND Foundations of Reading, AND Elementary General Curriculum –multi-subject and math subtests (or Early Childhood content MTEL) sections of the Teacher Test. Even if you have not yet passed the test, we encourage you to visit the Elementary Education office in Hart Hall during pre-registration to complete some paperwork.

There have been occasions where the Department Chair has allowed a candidate to register for the block having only passed 2 of the 3 MTELs but only if they generate a viable action plan. Under NO circumstances will a candidate be allowed to register for student teaching without passing all three MTELs.

How can I prepare for the required MTELs?

The best way to prepare for any standardized reading and writing test is to be a reader and writer. Because each standardized test has its own peculiar structure, we strongly recommend that you talk to others who have taken the test, go to the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education web site at http://www.doe.mass.edu/mtel/, and visit the Academic Achievement Center where they may have information that you might find helpful. Additionally, you can register for ELED250 Foundations of Reading. This elective course is specifically designed to provide you with the information you will need to pass this section of the teacher test. This course has no pre-reqs and may be taken at any time. You may also register for ELED240 General Curriculum: The Content of the Curriculum. This is intended to help you with information you need to pass the Elementary General Curriculum multi-subject MTEL OR the Early Childhood Content MTEL. (Note: ELED 240 is NOT designed to help with the Elementary General Curriculum math subtest). This course has no pre-reqs and may be taken at any time. Additional resources may be found at the Educator Resource Center in Maxwell Library – 2^nd floor. BSU offers MTEL preparation seminars. Learn more at: http://www.bridgew.edu/EREC/mtel/

I am planning on taking my education courses at night. How do I do my prepracticum (field work)?

Undergraduate and Post-Bacc courses are offered only during the day hours.

How do you decide where I student teach?

When you sign up to student teach, you will be asked to indicate the town in which you live or expect to live during your student-teaching semester. We use this information and information about where you did your prepracticum fieldwork to place you in one of our member school districts (not all school districts are members). Most of the time this district will be within 30 - 45 minutes of your residence. Please note, you must have completed all of your other major courses, all CORE Curriclum courses and all education course-works prior to student teaching. Student Teaching takes place during your last semester at BSU.