College of Arts & Sciences
College of Education
TNT Physical Location
GAB 461
TNT Mailing Address
P.O. Box 305028
Denton, Texas 76203
Phone: 940.565.2265
E-mail: TNTadvisor@unt.edu
Frequently Asked Questions
1. So what are these STEP courses anyway?
The two Secondary Teacher Education Preparation (STEP) courses are FREE 1-hour courses designed to give interested students a firsthand taste of what the teaching profession is like. These courses are also the first two classes of the TNT teaching certification sequence and therefore can count toward teaching certification requirements.
In STEP 1, you will learn under the direction of a former high school teacher with at least three years' experience in public secondary education. The course consists of 80 minutes of lecture each week. You will also teach science or math lessons in elementary classrooms to obtain firsthand experience with planning and implementing an inquiry-based curriculum. In this first course, the emphasis is on both inquiry and classroom management techniques.
STEP 2 continues what you will learn in STEP 1 but in a middle school setting. There will be an emphasis on writing lesson plans, developing good questioning strategies, and assessing performance objectives.
The content of our announcement of STEP 1 and STEP 2 may be found at our webpage, www.tnt.unt.edu. Over the next few weeks, a lot more information about the new teaching certification sequence will be added to this site, including course numbers and registration information.
2. Will these STEP courses fulfill my graduation requirements?
The STEP courses are the first two courses in UNT's new teaching certification sequence for students seeking certification in mathematics, science, and computer science. These classes also constitute the new minor in secondary education for mathematics, science or computer science that will be offered by Teach North Texas.
3. How will this new teaching certfication sequecnce be different that what's currently in place?
The courses in the new teaching certification sequence will be specifically tailored for math and science instruction. This is unlike the current generalist EDSE courses (within the Department of Teacher Education and Administration) for preparing students for teaching certification.
Another key difference is that anybody is welcome to enroll in the TNT courses, including the STEP courses. This is different that the current EDSE courses, which require junior standing to enroll.
And did we mention that the STEP courses were free?
4. So what is this new teaching certification sequence?
The new minor offered by Teach North Texas will consist of 24 hours. The 18-hour professional development sequence will be as follows:
Brief descriptions of all of these courses can be found elsewhere on our website.
5. What will become of the old teaching certification sequence?
Once fully operational, TNT will be only undergraduate pathway to teacher certification in mathematics, science, and computer science. That said, all current UNT students are eligible to start (or continue) the current teaching certification sequence of EDSE courses.
6. When will all of these classes be available?
All of the TNT classes will be in place sometime between Spring 2010 and Fall 2011. We wish we could be more specific than that, but that's a detail being ironed out this semester. My hope is to have our program operational as fast as possible, so that as many current students as possible can graduate under these new requirements.
7. I'm about to graduate. Should I take the Teach North Texas classes?
If you're planning on graduating by Fall 2009 or earlier, then you should definitely try for the current minor in secondary education that's offered by the College of Education. On the other hand, if you're planning on graduating by Spring 2010 or later, then it may be possible for you to complete our course requirements. Contact the Teach North Texas advisor for more details.
8. Do I have to promise to become a high school teacher if I take the Teach North Texas classes?
No. You will not be required to get a job as a secondary teacher as a precondition of our program. That said, we of course hope that our program will inspire you to choose secondary teaching in mathematics, science or computer science as your vocation.
9. I think I want to teach at or below the fourth grade level. How do I obtain that certification?
You will need to pursue certification through the College of Education. They offer Early Childhood-4th grade certifications, as well as certifications in Special Education and Kinesiology. For more information, just visit the College of Education.
1. So what are these STEP courses anyway?
The two Secondary Teacher Education Preparation (STEP) courses are FREE 1-hour courses designed to give interested students a firsthand taste of what the teaching profession is like. These courses are also the first two classes of the TNT teaching certification sequence and therefore can count toward teaching certification requirements.
In STEP 1, you will learn under the direction of a former high school teacher with at least three years' experience in public secondary education. The course consists of 80 minutes of lecture each week. You will also teach science or math lessons in elementary classrooms to obtain firsthand experience with planning and implementing an inquiry-based curriculum. In this first course, the emphasis is on both inquiry and classroom management techniques.
STEP 2 continues what you will learn in STEP 1 but in a middle school setting. There will be an emphasis on writing lesson plans, developing good questioning strategies, and assessing performance objectives.
The content of our announcement of STEP 1 and STEP 2 may be found at our webpage, www.tnt.unt.edu. Over the next few weeks, a lot more information about the new teaching certification sequence will be added to this site, including course numbers and registration information.
2. Will these STEP courses fulfill my graduation requirements?
The STEP courses are the first two courses in UNT's new teaching certification sequence for students seeking certification in mathematics, science, and computer science. These classes also constitute the new minor in secondary education for mathematics, science or computer science that will be offered by Teach North Texas.
3. How will this new teaching certfication sequecnce be different that what's currently in place?
The courses in the new teaching certification sequence will be specifically tailored for math and science instruction. This is unlike the current generalist EDSE courses (within the Department of Teacher Education and Administration) for preparing students for teaching certification.
Another key difference is that anybody is welcome to enroll in the TNT courses, including the STEP courses. This is different that the current EDSE courses, which require junior standing to enroll.
And did we mention that the STEP courses were free?
4. So what is this new teaching certification sequence?
The new minor offered by Teach North Texas will consist of 24 hours. The 18-hour professional development sequence will be as follows:
- TNTS 1100: Secondary Teacher Education Preparation 1: Inquiry Approaches to Teaching (1 hour)
- TNTS 1200: Secondary Teacher Education Preparation 2: Inquiry-Based Lesson Design (1 hour)
- TNTE 3500: Knowing and Learning in Mathematics and Science (3 hours)
- TNTE 4000: Classroom Interactions (3 hours)
- TNTE 4500: Project-Based Instruction (3 hours)
- TNTE 4600: Student Teaching (6 hours)
- TNTE 4601: Student Teaching Seminar (1 hour)
- BIOL 4700 / CHEM 4700 / PHYS 4700: Research Methods for Secondary Science Instruction (3 hours)
- Perspectives in Science and Mathematics (3 hours)
Brief descriptions of all of these courses can be found elsewhere on our website.
5. What will become of the old teaching certification sequence?
Once fully operational, TNT will be only undergraduate pathway to teacher certification in mathematics, science, and computer science. That said, all current UNT students are eligible to start (or continue) the current teaching certification sequence of EDSE courses.
6. When will all of these classes be available?
All of the TNT classes will be in place sometime between Spring 2010 and Fall 2011. We wish we could be more specific than that, but that's a detail being ironed out this semester. My hope is to have our program operational as fast as possible, so that as many current students as possible can graduate under these new requirements.
7. I'm about to graduate. Should I take the Teach North Texas classes?
If you're planning on graduating by Fall 2009 or earlier, then you should definitely try for the current minor in secondary education that's offered by the College of Education. On the other hand, if you're planning on graduating by Spring 2010 or later, then it may be possible for you to complete our course requirements. Contact the Teach North Texas advisor for more details.
8. Do I have to promise to become a high school teacher if I take the Teach North Texas classes?
No. You will not be required to get a job as a secondary teacher as a precondition of our program. That said, we of course hope that our program will inspire you to choose secondary teaching in mathematics, science or computer science as your vocation.
9. I think I want to teach at or below the fourth grade level. How do I obtain that certification?
You will need to pursue certification through the College of Education. They offer Early Childhood-4th grade certifications, as well as certifications in Special Education and Kinesiology. For more information, just visit the College of Education.
