Summer Program: All candidates begin their course of study in the summer immediately following their acceptance in the program. The summer session usually begins in the third week of June and runs through early August. Candidates spend their mornings team-teaching in the Cambridge-Harvard Summer Academy (CHSA) with other Interns in their chosen subject field under the guidance of master teachers. In the afternoons, candidates attend classes and seminars at HGSE designed to support their CHSA experience. The classes and seminars focus on adolescent development in urban settings, issues of urban schooling, introductory teaching techniques, issues related to students with learning disabilities or who have limited English proficiency.Fall Term: During the fall term, candidates continue their fieldwork in the urban districts of Boston and Cambridge. Candidates also enroll in required courses that focus on the teaching of their particular subject-matter, on school reform, and on literacy and learning. Candidates also enroll in at least one elective (preferably related to their chosen subject-matter) that may be chosen from any of the ten graduate faculties of Harvard University and from the Episcopal Divinity School, Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Spring Term: During the spring term, candidates teach at their field sites and enroll in a combination of elective and required courses focused on teacher leadership and research and on urban education and issues of social location. Candidates also enroll in at least one elective (preferably related to their chosen subject-matter). Students receive credit for the successful completion of two semesters of clinical work in the spring term as well.
Certification
For MCMS students, preparation for certification for the 2004-2005 academic year is available for grades 5-8 in biology, earth science, general science, and mathematics, and in grades 8-12 level in biology, chemistry, earth science, mathematics, and physics. For TAC students, preparation for certification is available at the grade 5-8 level in biology, earth science, English, general science, history, mathematics and political science/political philosophy, and at the grade 8-12 level in biology, chemistry, earth science, English, history, mathematics, physics, and political science/political philosophy.
In addition to state level certification, candidates in both the TAC and MCMS programs will follow a course of study that reflects the goals and principles of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.
Click here for the Department of Education's "Institutional Report Card on Teacher Preparation 2003-2004."
For more information, visit the Graduate School of Education Licensure site.