Coe provides foundational experiences for pre-service teachers to nurture a passion for learning, deepen appreciation of diverse learners' needs, and strengthen approaches for teaching. We are excited to share Fall 2022 news and events of Coe Teacher Education! Our next newsletter will be in April 2023--please feel free to share with colleagues, alumni, or others who may be interested in our Teacher Education news.

• School Partnerships

We appreciate partnerships with 14 area school districts for observations, field placements, and student teachers. Districts welcome students and find classroom connections across a wide range of grade levels and content areas. We truly value the energy, flexibility, time, and professionalism of district personnel, classroom teachers, principals, and building staff who make these experiences happen for future educators.

• Advisory Board

• State Accreditation Cycle

All Iowa teaching programs follow a state process for accreditation. Coe's Teacher Education state review is scheduled in 2024. Faculty are in ongoing work as a commitment to a continuous system of improvement. We are proud to engage in actions toward sustainable and promising change for future educators!

• Student Teachers on the Rise

We celebrated 13 Coe student teachers in 2021-2022. This year we cheer on the accomplishments of 32 student teachers as they strive to earn State of Iowa licensure during the 2022-2023 academic year.

What makes you proud of Coe student teachers?

"Our students show adaptability as they step into their daily teaching and learning roles in K-12 schools. During weekly seminar, student teachers bond, they become a community. They support each other with resources, encouragement, reminders, and they check in personally with one another."

- Amy Russell, Director of Student Teaching

Coe students can major in Elementary Education if interested in teaching K-6, or can choose to major in a content area (e.g. Math, Science, Language Arts, Social Studies, World Language, etc.) and earn a minor in Secondary Education. Music and arts education (BA) are also distinct aspects of Teacher Education. All pathways lead to earning state licensure, as well as numerous opportunities for endorsement areas.

All students begin their exploration of K-12 education with "Four Core" courses: Educational Foundations, Exceptional Learners, Educational Psychology, and Human Relations. Early on, our program develops students' foundational learning, academic growth, and professional dispositions for practice. Completing two of the four core, students may apply to Teacher Education. Upper level courses include multiple field placements. Practicum and Methods courses lead to Student Teaching.

"This is an opportunity for us to give back to the community, and for pre-service teachers to practice their craft in a real learning environment," said Assistant Professor Sarah Kress.

In particular, Coe students are able to own the instructional decision-making with content, pedagogy, and learning environment. Establishing positive connections with young students is also essential in the learning and teaching experiences.

"CSEA is a campus club that mostly consists of people major or minoring in education, but we welcome anyone who has a love for education! We strive to be a community to each other and to create an environment for this shared passion we have," CSEA president Reagan Boyken said.

The group engages in a variety of events and activities such as organizing teacher Q/A panels and traveling to Des Moines for Day at the Capitol to advocate for schooling issues in Iowa. Boyken adds, "And sometimes we just get together to take care of ourselves and have a break from our school work."

Above: CSEA students attend "Day at the Capitol" in Des Moines to advocate for educational issues and meet with state legislators. The next Day at the Capitol event is February 2023. Below: CSEA members gather for an evening activity.