Students wishing to begin the junior-level practicum sequence must provide documentation of a 2.75 cumulative GPA from Lyon or a transfer institution prior to enrolling in Practicum I. Students who do not have the requisite GPA must get permission from the instructor and the Director of Teacher Education in order to enroll in a practicum course. Practicum students should declare a major in Education upon enrolling in Practicum I.
Candidates for the student teaching internship must apply for admission during the semester immediately preceding the proposed placement. Candidates will be required to submit evidence of their preparedness for the internship and to sit for an interview with members of LATEC (Liberal Arts Teacher Education Committee) following submission of the required documentation.
The following materials must be submitted electronically prior to the interview for admission:
- Candidate Information Form
- Names and email addresses of at least three references, one of whom must be the major advisor or another faculty member in the major discipline
- Philosophy of education statement or a typed statement explaining why you want to be a teacher
- Lyon transcript documenting at least a 2.9 cumulative GPA as well as a grade of “C” or higher in the following courses:
- ENG 102 English Composition II
- MTH 101 College Algebra OR MTH 105 Math for the Liberal Arts
- EDU 202 Overview of Teaching
- EDU 325 Practicum I
- Exam scores on the Praxis Content Knowledge Assessment in your chosen teaching field
- Formal observation evaluations from Practicum II
PLEASE NOTE: Transferred credits will not be included in the GPA calculation for admission to the student teaching internship. Students who do not meet the cumulative GPA requirement of 2.9 or the course grade requirements will not be admitted but may submit a written request to the Director of Teacher Education for reconsideration of admission upon meeting the requirements.
Students maintain a digital portfolio documenting their progress in the program beginning with EDU 202. The completed portfolio is submitted in the last semester of the senior year for review and final grading. The portfolio must be submitted electronically and must include a capstone narrative and selected artifacts from the education coursework. Candidates are provided with a checklist and rubric to aid them in preparing their portfolios for submission. All digital portfolios will be archived by Lyon in an electronic format. More information about the portfolio can be found in the Lyon College Teacher Education Handbook.