Gwynedd Mercy University 2026-2027 University Catalog
certificates is contingent upon passing the initial PA required certification tests in PreK – 4, special education, and secondary content areas.
Recommendation for state certification is predicated upon fulfillment of the academic requirements and upon the following considerations:
• Physical fitness for teaching
• Disposition for the teaching profession
• Professional attitude and performance
Periodically, with special attention at the end of the sophomore and junior years, standings are reviewed with respect to these criteria. Students whose standings are not satisfactory will not be admitted to more advanced professional courses.
Program Learning Outcomes: PLO1 Demonstrate mastery of PDE professional competencies through course requirements / products, lesson presentations, and field experiences. PLO2 Demonstrate an appropriate disposition for teaching including: compassion, integrity, moral and social responsibility in all interactions, respecting the uniqueness, dignity, and diversity of the individual. PLO3 Demonstrate knowledge of the theoretical, philosophical, and ethical perspectives that reflect current educational trends in the United States. PLO4 Actively engage in meaningful, sequential, and developmental field experiences in which learning of content is integrated with the application of pedagogy.
TAP
The Teacher Apprentice Program( TAP) is the first of the field experiences to be completed by students in the education program. TAP is a 12-week, consecutive Friday, field experience. The hours for these 12 Fridays are 9:00 AM – 2:30 PM. Students begin TAP immediately, the semester they begin the education program and continue in TAP field work each semester, just prior to pre-student teaching and student teaching.
The purpose of TAP is for students to observe professional, master teachers in action. Students are provided“ look fors” in the Charlotte Danielson Framework for Teaching Domains and then journal each week about: Domain I-Planning and Preparation; Domain II-Classroom Environment; Domain III- Instructional Delivery; and Domain IV-Professionalism. By engaging in these“ look fors,” students are able to see theory and concepts from their coursework in action in an actual classroom.
In addition to observing a master teacher, students begin trying out the instructional practices, strategies, interventions, accommodations, differentiated instruction, they learn in their courses. Ultimately, students must teach one, brief lesson which might simply be a read-aloud. The goal is to begin to understand the process of planning and teaching a basic lesson. This lesson plan and lesson implementation is just a step toward the planning and preparation for teaching three lessons at the level of PRE-student teaching, and then the rigorous work of the 16-week student teaching placement.
TAP placements may be arranged in Catholic and private preparatory schools, charter schools, and preschools. Public school placements are typically used for student teaching. The TAP experience sets
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