Select an item below for more information.

Upon completion of all program requirements and the passing of all relevant Michigan Tests for Teacher Certification, graduates will be certified to teach in grades PK-6.

You still must complete all coursework and graduation requirements, but you can choose to only take the tests relevant to the grades you want to be certified. 

The Lower Elementary (PK-3) test has 4 subtests:  Professional Knowledge and Skills, Literacy, Mathematics, and Social Studies and Science.  One test covers BOTH social studies and science.  You must pass all 4 tests to be certified PK-3.

The Upper Elementary (3-6) Test has 4 subtests: Professional Knowledge and Skills, Literacy, Mathematics, and Social Studies and Science.  One test covers BOTH social studies and science.  You must pass all 4 tests to be certified in grades 3-6.

Actually, not quite.  If you pass EITHER the PK3 Professional Knowledge and Skills subtest OR the 3-6 Professional Knowledge and Skills subtest, you can get certified PK-6 without passing the other subtest.  You only need to pass one of the two Professional Knowledge and Skills subtests.

The tests are relatively new but so far have a fairly high pass rate. Baker College provides support by aligning coursework with test objectives, and by helping you prepare for your tests.  In particular, you will take a 1 credit class called Certification Preparation, which will focus on reviewing and practicing for the tests. 

Throughout your coursework, Baker College will assist in finding your placements.  We will ask you for some preferences, especially when it comes to student teaching.

This is highly unlikely.  The state of Michigan and Baker College require candidates to participate in fieldwork in all grades from preschool through 6th.  Very few schools offer all of these grade levels in one setting.  In addition, learning about different buildings and districts will help you decide in what kind of setting you would like to work. Baker College will help you with your field placements and will work with you to minimize your travel.

At first, you may be observing students and teachers. You will have particular assignments that will tell you exactly what to observe and why.  That won’t last long, though!  As soon as possible, we want you to interact with students and teachers.  You can work with small groups - reading stories or helping with seatwork.  We also hope you will ask your cooperating teachers questions in relation to what you are learning in the Baker classroom.  Eventually, you will present lessons to entire classes of students.  Prior to student teaching, you will have multiple experiences with gradually increasing responsibility to prepare you for the rigors of managing the whole class through a whole day.

Absolutely!  Baker College prides ourselves on having college supervisors who work with our students prior to and during student teaching to ensure a successful experience.

If at all possible, no!  The fieldwork has been designed so that you will be placed at one building during a semester and do all of your fieldwork there.  The only exceptions may occur if you need a preschool or an upper elementary (grades 5 or 6) placement.  We will work with you to make those placements nearby. 

Baker's education program is the only one in the entire state offered exclusively online.  Each semester is broken into 2 online 8 week sessions.  During each 8 week session, you will take 2 courses in your program.  Each course will have an online live component and a hybrid component. One or two evenings per week, your instructor will meet with the class live virtually.  During this time, you will participate in usual class activities - lectures, discussions, group work, etc.  The rest of your learning time will be done on your own, with specific assignments designed to meet course and program objectives.

Instead of meeting live up to 6 hours per week, you will have activities and assignments that will help you learn half the course material independently.  These activities and assignments are designed to take approximately the same amount of time as you would normally spend during a live session of the class.  All assignments, whether given during live class, or as part of the hybrid component, will count toward your course grade.

Yes.  The class sessions will be no longer than 170 minutes.  For example, one class may meet on Monday from 5:30 pm until 8:00 pm, and your other class may meet on Wednesday from 5:30 pm until 8:00 pm.  Or one class may meet 5:30 pm until 6:45 pm, and the next 7:00 pm to 8:15 pm, both Monday and Wednesday.  Classes that have fieldwork typically will have sessions shorter than 170 minutes.

Yes.  You can take 3 classes during some of the 8 week sessions to get done more quickly.  Please consult with an advisor on how to make this happen.

Your instructors will be highly qualified former and current P-6 teachers who will focus on the realities of teaching and provide you with information and insight into the profession.

Baker's former teacher education program was accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP).  CAEP is a national accreditation.  Because this program is new, Baker College cannot yet apply for CAEP accreditation.  However, once we have graduates from this new program, we will apply to CAEP.  Baker College does have approval from the Michigan Department of Education to offer this program. 

After you take EDU 3350, The Exceptional Learner, you will be required to submit a formal application to the program.  At this time, you will need to have an overall grade point average of 2.9 or higher and a B- or higher in COM 1020 and MTH 1070.  You must also earn a C or better in every EDU and ELM class you take.  If you are a transfer student, you must have a B- or better in the second course in a communications sequence and a mathematics sequence.

As part of the Baker College admissions process, you are required to complete a criminal history attestation regarding any pending or past felony conviction.  In addition, every district where you participate in fieldwork will have its own background check requirements.  You must satisfy these requirements to stay in good standing in the program.  You will also need to report any outstanding court actions that occur during the program.

Yes, we strongly encourage you to substitute teach after you have completed 60 semester hours of your program.  Our partner districts would be particularly interested in using you as a substitute since you may already know the students and the school from your fieldwork experiences.

The only additional purchase at this time will likely be a subscription to Go React (https://get.goreact.com/).  This product will be used when you are presenting lessons to videotape your presentations and allow Baker faculty to give you feedback.  You do not need to purchase this right away.  It will be part of specific courses.  An annual subscription costs less than a textbook (currently about $70).