The Bachelor of Education Program
The general purpose of the program is to prepare educators for careers in a variety of educational institutions, including Pre-K to 12 schools, where they will work to advance the intellectual, physical, emotional, social, and spiritual development of all learners and provide leadership in incorporating diversity and inclusion in the development of educational communities. In order to support province-wide enthusiasm for teacher candidates in School Division contexts as well as schools in First Nations communities, the College of Education has developed partnership opportunities in diverse locations and looks forward to the learning these opportunities provide, as well as the energy and innovation our teacher candidates will extend.
The program is designed to prepare candidates to appreciate the highest aspirations for teaching and learning that educational theory has to offer and to begin to develop candidates’ capacities to discern and to express those aspirations in applying educational theory and ethical values into practice, policy, and research. Specifically, the program is designed to prepare educators who strive to recognize learning as valuing and constructing, affirm dignity and respect for individuals, support communities, build emancipatory action for social and ecological justice, engage in education as transformative praxis, and consider educational possibilities from multiple philosophical perspectives.
These objectives are accomplished by exposing candidates to integrated on-campus and field study opportunities designed to enhance understanding of the theory-practice continuum and to develop competencies in working with children and youth. In particular, the program aligns with the Teacher Certification Competencies (TCC) that are requirements of the Saskatchewan Professional Teachers Regulatory Board (SPTRB) in four categories: professional/personal, knowledge, instruction, and curriculum. Candidates will engage in community-based activities, self-directed learning, critical reflection, and inquiry projects to deepen their awareness of the roles of educators as teacher-scholars.
Note: In some cases, external course requirements may be met by course equivalents completed in colleges other than the College of Arts and Science. Please consult with an academic advisor in the College of Education for details.
The College of Education ensures that coursework aligns with the Saskatchewan Professional Teachers Regulatory Board (SPTRB) certification requirements, including the Teacher Certification Competencies (TCC).
To earn a four-year Bachelor of Education degree, all teacher candidates must complete a minimum of 48 credit units of subject area study including Teaching Areas I and II selected from the areas of Fine Arts, Humanities, Kinesiology, Mathematics, Indigenous Studies, Science, and/or Social Sciences and a minimum of 72 credit units of professional study. There are, however different pathways to fulfill these requirements.
Students are required to participate in Learning Communities in the Fall and Winter Terms of years 1 and 2. The aim of Learning Communities is to welcome and to engage students who are working within the College of Education, and to infuse the College of Education with the strength of new ideas and fresh perspectives. Because the teaching profession is guided by the “lived curriculum” of those it serves, Learning Communities create flexible and supportive spaces that involve students in the life of the college, help them to recognize their own needs as learners and as teacher candidates, activate their strengths, and build a sense of belonging among Education students within the broader university community.
Each Learning Community has a particular emphasis, and focuses on movement “outward” from self as learner to a developing identity as professional educator and public intellectual. There is also embedded in the conceptualization the notion of place, from local to global. Students are focused first on personal and education issues on campus, after which they move to issues within the city, within the province, and ultimately, internationally.
The Learning Communities are facilitated by third and fourth year Bachelor of Education student peer mentors. Weekly sessions include input from educational partners, faculty members, and alumni who share their expertise on educational issues, and who help to introduce teacher candidates to the profession of teaching.
Field experiences may occur anywhere in Saskatchewan and, due to limited Saskatoon placement opportunities, a local practicum may not be possible on request.
Pre-extended practicum field study involves exploratory, practical experience in a partner school. Teacher candidates will be expected to carry out course assignments in their assigned school, engage in volunteer in-school activities wherever possible, observe, teach small and large groups and facilitate learning activities under the guidance of collaborating teachers, faculty members, and field experience coordinators. Teacher candidates are placed with teachers holding a Saskatchewan Teaching Certificate in a school using provincial curricula and organized under the Education Act. Teacher candidates will be assigned a partner school within commuting distance of Saskatoon, and must complete pre-extended practicum field study experiences by June 30 prior to the extended practicum commencing the fall of that same year.
The extended practicum involves one term of teaching experience, approximately 16 weeks in length. Teacher candidates must register in EXPR 422.15.
Teacher candidates have the option of participating in the alternative practicum instead of the traditional extended practicum. The alternative practicum involves 10 weeks of teaching in a Saskatchewan school followed by six weeks in an adult learning, community based, or international setting. Teacher candidates participating in the alternative practicum must register in EXPR 425.12 and one of EXPR 423.3 or EXPR 424.3. Contact the Field Experiences Coordinator for more information about the alternative practicum options.
The extended practicum may be required of teacher candidates in centers not within commuting distance of Saskatoon. During the extended practicum, teacher candidates are placed with teachers holding a Saskatchewan Teaching Certificate in a school using the provincial curriculum and organized under the Education Act. A limited number of special requests are considered each year related to rural or urban placements that relate to exceptional circumstances (with financial responsibilities not considered as criteria for requests). Outside of these circumstances, placement preferences related to location are not guaranteed.
Before extended practicum registration, teacher candidates must have obtained an Education Weighted Average and an External Weighted Average of 60%. In addition, teacher candidates in the Secondary option must have a minimum average of 60% in each of Teaching Areas I and II.
To be eligible for the extended practicum, teacher candidates must have completed all external courses, all Education pre-extended practicum courses and the field experiences by June 30 prior to the extended practicum commencement.
Specific dates are posted in the online Course Offerings.