Lfenenbock Research Paper Without Photos

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Lauren Fenenbock
RWS 1311, M/W
Kinley
November 21, 2014
The Building Blocks to Becoming a Teacher
Introduction:
Since I was a teenager, I have always known that I either wanted to work in the
film industry or be an early childhood education teacher. When I first began my
undergraduate studies, I decided to take film courses to see if that was the right career
path for me. Through a series of events, my studies were sidelined and in the interim I
took a job as a teachers assistant at a pre-school. Although I am still passionate about
film, my hands-on work at the pre-school led me to realize that I would like to complete
my degree in early childhood education. In order to do so, I believe that it would be
beneficial for me to take a closer look at what it means to be an elementary school
teacher.
If you are an undergraduate student at UTEP and would like to become an
elementary school teacher, you need to apply for admission to the Department of Teacher
Education, which is located within the College of Education. The Education Building is
located at 2300 Randolph Drive, El Paso, TX 79902. The Education Building was
completed in 1970. It has a nine-story tower that is often lit orange at night. The College
of Educations main goal is to provide students with an opportunity to attain the
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knowledge, values, and skills to become a certified teacher (UTEP Undergrad Catalog,
2014). There is only one undergraduate degree offered in the College of Education; it is a
Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies or BIS. A Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies
degree consists of a General Education Core, an Interdisciplinary Major, and a
Professional Education Studies component (UTEP Undergrad Catalog, 2014). Within the
Professional Education Studies component there are three certification levels to chose
from: Elementary Education (EC-6), Middle Grades Education (4-8), and All-Levels
Special Education EC-12 (UTEP Undergrad Catalog, 2014). In the fall of 2013, the
College of Education had 64 full-time faculty members (About the College, n.d.). During
the 2012-2013 academic year, 342 undergraduate students earned a Bachelor of
Interdisciplinary Studies degree (CIERP, n.d.).
I believe that I am situated somewhere in the middle of the College of Education
discourse community. This is because I have past teaching experience, but I have only
taken one university level Education course. I already know that I love working with
children and that being a teacher is extremely rewarding. It is great being able to help
children learn and grow. I believe that there is nothing more important than educating a
child. However, I dont know how to decide on some of the specifics such as: choosing a
degree plan, which grade level to teach, where to teach, and if I should go to graduate
school. Through this research paper, I hope to achieve my objective of getting one step
closer to becoming an elementary school teacher. My primary research question is what
do I need to do to become an elementary school teacher? My secondary research
questions are: teaching which grade level will be best suited to my individual strengths
and weaknesses? What are the differences between teaching private and public school?
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Should I specialize in a specific subject rather than a specific grade level? Which
Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies degree plan should I follow? Is it beneficial for me
to get a Masters degree? Finding answers to all of these questions will help me to decide
if Im on the right career path.
Literature Review/Background
I began my research by analyzing the booklet, Becoming a Teacher. The very first
sentence states, New teachers overwhelmingly say they love what they do (AFT, 2008,
pg. 1). That is a very good way to get people excited about becoming teachers. The
author also uses statements such as helping children realize their dreams and play a
part in improving our society to sell the teaching profession (AFT, pg. 1). The booklet
advocates to prospective teachers by stating how important teaching is to our society. The
author appeals to the readers heartstrings when they state, teachers directly affect the
lives of the students they teach (AFT, pg. 4). Who wouldnt want to have a positive
impact on someone elses life?
The booklet also has fact-based arguments. Many people think that being a
teacher means you have it easy because you dont work from nine to five and you get a
summer break. However, neither statement is true. The booklet points out that teachers
arrive at school before students do and they keep working even after the students have
gone home (AFT, pg. 5). During summer break, many teachers teach summer school or
attend conferences.
Average teacher salaries are also addressed in the booklet. One salary fact that
caught my attention is, those with masters degrees make about twice as much as those
with bachelors degrees (AFT, pg. 6). This statement leads directly into my question: is
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it beneficial for me to get a Masters degree? The El Paso Independent School District
pays new teachers a starting salary of $44,146.96 for the 2014-2015 school year (EPISD,
2014). New teachers that have earned a Masters degree are eligible to receive a yearly
stipend of $1,000 (EPISD, 2014). When I interviewed a kindergarten teacher named
Debby R., she told me that she does not have a Masters degree. Although she greatly
values education, she feels like the only reason she would have needed a Masters degree
is if she had wanted to become a school administrator. Only three out of the eighteen
teachers that I surveyed have earned a Masters degree.
The most useful takeaway from Becoming a Teacher is that it stated what are
generally the three components of all teacher education programs: required course work
for the subject and grade level you want to teach; courses on how to teach (called
pedagogy), and clinical experience (AFT, pg. 7). When I analyzed the Bachelor of
Interdisciplinary Studies degree plans I discovered that they include these three
components. My analysis of the different Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies degree
plans also helped me to answer the following questions: which degree plan should I
follow? Should I specialize in a specific subject rather than a specific grade level? The
Elementary Education (EC-6) program has three concentrations, the Middle Grades
Education (4-8) program has six concentrations, and the All-levels (EC-12) Generic
Special Education program has one concentration (UTEP Undergrad Catalog). I did not
spend a lot of time looking at the Middle Grades Education (4-8) degree plan because I
know that I want to be an elementary school teacher, not a middle school teacher.
However, I did learn an important fact by looking at the Middle Grades program. If I
follow one of the Middle Grades Education degree plans, I could specialize in a certain
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subject such as Math or English. If I follow one of the Elementary Education degree
plans, Im unable to specialize in a specific subject. I will be required to take Teacher
Education courses that will instruct me on how to teach all of the subjects that are taught
in elementary school.
The next question I wanted to look at is: what are the differences between
teaching private and public school? I thought the best way to look into this question
would be to interview a teacher. Debby R. is a kindergarten teacher at a private preschool in El Paso, TX. She has been teaching for the last eighteen years. Since Debby R.
works at a private school, she is allowed a lot of liberty in my teaching style. She did
try moving from the private school into the public school but did not like it because she
was used to having the freedom to be creative in her classroom and didnt have to deal
with the bureaucracy that comes with working in a public institution. She also said that
play is a great way of learning when you are in kindergarten and she felt that her public
school students were not given enough time to play. However, she did say that had she
began her career teaching at a public school, she probably would have been able to adjust
to it since she wouldnt have had the private school to compare it to.
During my site observation, I was also able to see an example of the creativity and
freedom Debby R. is allowed at her private school. I was able to watch her teach that
weeks submarine lesson which was about starfish. Debby R. created her underwater
submarine because she loves the ocean and felt that children are fascinated with sea
creatures and that it would lend itself really nicely to a kindergarten curriculum. Her
submarine helps to get the children excited about science. It also allows the students to
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learn about the world around them by incorporating math, letters, drawing, and writing
into the weekly submarine lesson.
Visiting Debby R.s classroom also helped to answer my question about which
grade level I would be best suited to teach. Her classroom is full of non-stop activity and
learning. Since most five-year-olds have short attention spans, each lesson was kept brief.
However, Debby R. was able to strengthen many of the concepts her students were
learning by tying different ideas together and reminding the students of previous lessons.
Another great attribute of Debby R.s teaching style is that if someone makes a mistake,
she doesnt tell her students that their work is bad, she says oops or dont forget to
cross the t. She is always giving her students positive reinforcement and encouraging
them. She is also very demonstrative with her students and interacts with them on their
level. What I mean by that is, during circle time, she sits with them on the carpet, she
doesnt hover over them or sit up in a chair away from them. As far as the students
behavior towards Debby R., most of them participated and paid attention during the
lessons. While doing their individual work, students discussed what they had just learned
without any prompting from their teacher. This shows that the students were engaged and
interested in what they were learning about.
Procedure/Methodology
Data methods selection:
To help me in my research, I chose to collect data about teaching by conducting
an interview with a kindergarten teacher and doing a site observation in her classroom.
This teacher has taught both in a public and private school and therefore, I was able to
ask her about how they differ. I also took a survey of current elementary school teachers
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because I thought that their feedback would be more beneficial to me than asking fellow
Education students who might not yet have real world teaching experiences to draw from.
My final method for data collection was to analyze documents about teaching and the
different Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies degree plans offered by the College of
Education.
Data collection:
I interviewed Debby R. at her home on the afternoon of October 10, 2014. I
recorded the interview, which lasted about thirty minutes. I chose to interview Debby R.
because I worked with her years ago and know first-hand what a wonderful teacher she
is. My interview with Debby R. went extremely well and she gave me a lot to think
about. Besides asking her about the differences between teaching public and private
school, I was also able to ask her how she chose to teach kindergarten, what some of the
best things about teaching kindergarten are, and what some of the difficulties or obstacles
have been and how she has overcome them. In other words, I wanted to find out what
advice she had for a new teacher or what information she wished she had known before
she began her teaching career. A transcript of my interview with Debby R. may be found
in Appendix A.
Unfortunately, I never received feedback from the two elementary school
principals that I contacted (multiple times) to request permission to disseminate my
online survey to teachers at their schools. I sent both principals copies of the survey so
that they could see exactly what I was asking. It was quite disheartening to not receive
responses from them because the survey was short and I would have hoped that the
principals would have been willing to help a future educator. However, I was able to get
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eighteen teachers to fill out my survey by asking elementary school teacher friends to
distribute the web link to fellow colleagues. My survey went live on October 16, 2014
and I received my first response on October 27, 2014. The objectives that I hoped to
achieve with my survey were to determine the following: if teaching is a profession with
longevity; if theres a correlation between years of teaching and teaching a specific grade
level, subject, or section to the enjoyment of being a teacher; if being fluent in Spanish is
important to teaching in El Paso; and to determine how important a graduate degree is to
being a teacher.
Of the eighteen teachers who participated in my survey, eight have taught for 6 to
10 years, five have taught for 11 to 15 years, and two have taught for 16 to 20 years. The
remaining three have either taught for 5 years or less, 26 to 30 years, or 31 or more years.
Sixteen of the teachers teach the following subjects: reading/language arts, math, and
science. Seventeen of the teachers teach social studies, five teach Spanish, twelve teach
art, and one teaches music only. 55.56%, or ten teachers, are bilingual and 44.44%, or
eight teachers, are not. The majority of the teachers, or ten, believed that it is somewhat
important to be bilingual in order to teach at an El Paso public school. The majority of the
teachers, or ten, enjoy teaching a great deal. Six enjoy it a lot, one a moderate amount,
and one doesnt enjoy it at all. A copy of my survey may be found in Appendix B.
I analyzed the booklet, Becoming a Teacher, which was written by the American
Federation of Teachers. According to their website, it was written in order to provide
answers to questions about the teaching profession and how to become a teacher
(AFT). The booklets primary audience was high school students who were trying to
decide what career path they would like to follow. Although Ive already graduated from
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high school, I still believed that this booklet would be helpful to my research. A copy of
the pamphlet may be found in Appendix C.
I also analyzed the following College of Education degree plans: Elementary
Education: EC-6 Generalist, Elementary Education: EC-6 Bilingual Education Generalist,
and All Levels Special Education: EC-12. The university, academic advisors, and
undergraduate students use the degree plans. The university created the degree plans for
undergraduates, along with their advisors, to follow to make sure the coeds take all of the
necessary courses in order to graduate with a Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies
degree. Im currently following the Elementary Education: EC-6 Generalist degree plan,
but I wanted to compare and contrast it with the other two plans to make sure that I was
following the correct one for me. Copies of all three Elementary Education degree plans
may be found in Appendix D. Appendix E contains copies of three Middle Grades
Education degree plans.
The final document I analyzed was the El Paso Independent School Districts
2014-2015 New Hires Salary Schedule for Teachers, Librarians, and Student Activity
Managers. EPISD uses this schedule to inform future hires on the kind of salary they
would receive if they were to be employed by the district. I used it to see what my
starting salary would be and to find out what the salary increase would be if I had a
Masters degree. The EPISD salary schedule may be found in Appendix F.
After interviewing Debby R., I thought it would be extremely beneficial for me to
observe her kindergarten classroom. By observing Debby R.s classroom, I hoped to see
her teaching duties, what the students learned, and their interactions with each other. I
conducted my site observation on the morning of October 15, 2014. I observed the class
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for two hours. During my observation, the classroom consisted of one head teacher, one
assistant teacher, and seventeen students. For a short time, one of the students mothers
also stopped by with their dog so that the class could meet the pet. I observed the class
from an empty seat at one of the workstation tables. My site observation heuristic may be
found in Appendix G.
Data coding:
I recorded and then transcribed Debby R.s interview. This allowed me to both
listen to and read her answers repeatedly. Every time I looked over the transcript, I found
something new to add to my paper. I waited as long as possible before coding my data
from my survey in hopes that I would receive additional responses. I was able to analyze
the responses by using graphing features provided by SurveyMonkey. However, I had to
tabulate each individual response on my own to determine the correlation between years
of teaching and teaching a specific grade level, subject, or section to the enjoyment of
being a teacher. All of my graphs and survey results may be found in Appendix B. I used
the instructions from our document analysis assignment to code the data from Becoming
a Teacher. A copy of the completed assignment may be found in Appendix C. I analyzed
the Elementary Education: EC-6 Generalist, Elementary Education: EC-6 Bilingual
Education Generalist, and All Levels Special Education: EC-12 degree plans by creating
a spreadsheet. The spreadsheet allowed me to do a side-by-side comparison of the
required courses for each concentration. I also included a column displaying the courses
Ive already received credit for in order to see which requirements Im still missing. My
spreadsheet may be found at the end of Appendix D. I did not create a spreadsheet for the
Middle Grades degree plans; I only looked at them in order to see what the main
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differences in requirements were from the Elementary Education degree plans. For my
site observation, I filled in the site observation heuristic from the Inquiry into
Disciplinarity module in order to code my data from my site observation. I also took
photos to help me remember what I had observed and to show how colorful Debby R.s
classroom was. My photos may be found in Appendix G.
Results/Discussion
As a student, I prefer learning about subjects such as history or art to math and
science. However, I know how important it is for students to understand all subjects.
Since the lower grades in elementary schools learn the fundamentals of subjects, I think I
will be better suited to those grades. In fact, it wasnt until I was in middle or high school
that I began to have difficulty with certain subjects. I loved almost all of my elementary
school teachers and I know how important they were to me. I have fond memories of
being in the classroom and learning from them. I hope to be able to have the same impact
on my future students.
Being in Debby R.s classroom helped to remind me how much patience, energy,
and creativity I will need to have to be a kindergarten teacher. However, all three of those
qualities are needed no matter what grade level I chose to teach. I definitely know I have
enough patience to be a teacher, Im just not sure if I still have enough energy. As far as
the creativity goes, Im sure that the exuberance and curiosity of my students will help
fuel me to continue to learn and explore new methods of teaching. Although it is critical
to give students a strong scaffolding in each elementary grade level, I feel like it is
especially important in kindergarten since thats when most students learn such things as
how to read, the building blocks of math, and social skills.
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In an ideal situation, I would love to take over Debby R.s position as the
kindergarten teacher at her private pre-school when she retires. However, since Im
single, I need health insurance and a retirement plan, neither of which her school
provides. Thus, I plan on working at a public school. However, all of the teachers who
took my survey teach in public schools and for the most part, they thoroughly enjoy
teaching. Unfortunately, since Im not fluent in Spanish, Im unable to follow the
bilingual degree plan without adding an additional year to my undergraduate studies.
Thus, my current Elementary Education: EC-6 Generalist degree plan is still the one that
I will follow. I know it would be extremely beneficial to get the bilingual certification,
however, I think its more important for me to finally finish my degree. As far as going to
graduate school, I hope to continue my education, but for now, Im just going to take it
one step at a time.
Conclusion
Although I know that I want to be a teacher, I barely was able to scratch the
surface when it came to definitively deciding on such things as what grade to teach. If I
had all the time in the world, I would have observed a classroom of each elementary
school grade level. I also would have liked to observe a Special Education classroom to
see it firsthand. I also would have liked to be able to answer the following question: what
other jobs are available to Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies degree holders? I think
that it would be really great if I could combine my two passions, education and the
entertainment industry into one job. I think it would be really cool to work for an
educational program such as Sesame Street.
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Even before this project, I would ask my friends who are educators about their
careers, schools, and students. In fact, I asked my friend this evening about how she was
enjoying teaching her new grade level. She used to teach first grade and moved up to
fourth grade this school year. She said she was surprised at how similar it was teaching
these two different grade levels. She also said that she was thinking about even moving
up to middle school, something she never thought that she would want to do. It just goes
to show, that it doesnt matter how much you enjoy your job or how successful you are,
human beings dont always like to stay in the same place, they evolve.
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References
American Federation of Teachers. (2008, June 8). Becoming a teacher. Retrieved from
http://www.aft.org/search/site/39-0097?f[0]=bundle%3Adocument
El Paso Independent School District. (2014, June 17). 2014-2015 Salary schedule
teachers, librarian, and student activity managers new hires. Retrieved from
http://www.episd.org/employment/teachers_librarians.php
The University of Texas at El Paso. (2014, August). 2014-2015 Undergraduate catalog.
Retrieved from http://catalog.utep.edu/undergrad/college-of-education/
The University of Texas at El Paso. (2014, August). 2014-2015 Undergraduate catalog.
Retrieved from http://catalog.utep.edu/undergrad/college-of-education/teachereducation/bachelor-of-interdisciplinary-studies/
The University of Texas at El Paso Center for Institutional Evaluation, Research and
Planning. (n.d.). 2013-2014 Interactive fact book. Retrieved from
http://cierpdata.utep.edu/OnlineFactBook/FAC_Faculty_FTE_HDCT_Departmen
t.aspx
The University of Texas at El Paso Center for Institutional Evaluation, Research and
Planning. (n.d.). 2013-2014 Interactive fact book. Retrieved from
http://cierpdata.utep.edu/OnlineFactBook/FAC_Majors_Degree_Department.aspx
The University of Texas at El Paso College of Education. (n.d.). About the college.
Retrieved from http://coe.utep.edu/index.php/2013-09-26-20-22-43/2013-09-2620-50-47
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Appendices
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Appendix A
October 10, 2014 Interview with Debby R.
Lauren Fenenbock: What kind of degree do you hold? What did you major in?
Debby R.: I hold a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing & Finance.
LF: So you got an alternative teaching certificate?

DR: I got a teaching certificate, its not an alternative, but I went back & I got my
teaching certificate once our daughters were in preschool & I would go back to school at
night & I did receive a teaching certificate for early childhood.
LF: What made you decide to become a teacher?

DR: I love being with children and I realized I wanted to have a profession where I had
the same holidays as my children. I didnt want to be working when they were off for
Winter Break or for Summer so I decided my love of children plus the same holiday
schedule made since for me to go back and get a teaching certificate.
LF: How many years have you been a teacher?

DR: This is my eighteenth year.
LF: What are some of the lessons you have learned over the years?
DR: I think being a parent has helped me become a better teacher and I think being a
teacher has helped me to become a better parent. So I guess being patient with all
different learning styles and being accepting of all different strengths and just being more
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aware that we all come to the classroom with different backgrounds and different issues if
you will. I guess my goal with the children is despite what level they are to try and get
them to achieve at their highest ability.
LF: Which grade levels have you taught?

DR: Pre-K and Kindergarten.
LF: Which one did you like the best?
DR: Kindergarten.
LF: Why?
DR: Because theyre able to absorb even more in Kindergarten and they are more
independent and that one extra year makes a big difference in what you can expose the
children to.
LF: Which subjects do you teach?

DR: I teach math, reading, science, social studies, we do art in our class, and we have an
underwater alphabet that we go into a make believe submarine once a week. So I teach
about sea life as well.
LF: How did you come up with the underwater submarine?
DR: I myself love the water and love the beach and the ocean and I know that children
are fascinated with sea creatures and I thought that that would lend it self really nicely to
a Kindergarten curriculum.
LF: Do you have a favorite or least favorite subject?
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DR: Not a subject, but I would say that my least favorite thing during the day, during the
month I should say because we only do it once a month is Show & Tell (laughs). It takes
forever and some children want to come and show you their finest possessions, which are
usually electronic devices that I myself dont own, my children never owned, and not
everyone can enjoy them. Its mainly for one person so that would be my least favorite
thing is the Show & Tell (laughs again).
LF: Do you have a favorite?
DR: I think my favorite thing to teach is math.
LF: How come?
DR: I think you can use math in your everyday life, you know in so many different ways
and just having a knowledge of numbers and shapes and it just makes your life flow so
much easier. Calendar, patterns, I think it all just flows together. You can teach reading
through math, so I would say math is my favorite.
LF: In your view, what are the differences between teaching public & private school?
DR: I only lasted in a public school twenty-three days. So Im probably not the right
person to compare the two. But because education was not my degree and I didnt go
right into teaching as a person in her early twenties, I think I was sort of spoiled because
after I received my teaching certificate I went to work in a private school where I was
allowed a lot of liberty in my teaching style, my creativity, I wasnt having to teach a test.
The assessments were not the same and yet I felt like our students thrived in that
environment so when I left private and went to public, I felt like I was in a straight jacket
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and again its probably because private was my first introduction to the classroom and
Im spoiled. You know, theres a lot of red tape in the public school.
LF: Besides teaching for a test and the red tape, were the class size different or subjects?
DR: I had more students. There were a lot of textbooks that were assigned to me, yet that
we never really even used, and again I was only there twenty-three days but when I asked
the other Kindergarten teachers, well when do you use these books, oh we really dont
use these books, but you have to keep them in your room. I just felt like it was, for that
age group, there wasnt enough time allowed for play and I feel strongly even now that
play is a great way of learning when you are in Kindergarten. I mean there is academics,
of course, but the children learn valuable lessons through play, through centers, through
dress-up center, you know housekeeping and there wasnt time for that in a public school.
That wasnt allotted for, I just didnt like the um, you know it was a great school. My
children went there, you know from first grade on, but I thought at the Kindergarten
level, it was not the style I was looking for.
LF: Did you pick to be a Kindergarten teacher?

DR: Yes.
LF: How did you decide on that age group versus?
DR: Probably because when my daughters went to school they would come home
everyday with such wonderful stories of Kindergarten and what they did and they had
such a thirst for knowledge and I thought, thats the age group that I think is so special
and I actually started teaching the year after my youngest child graduated from
Kindergarten and I went into that same classroom.
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LF: Are you bilingual?

DR: I understand Spanish well and I speak Spanish throughout the day to our custodian
and I might speak the wrong tense every now and then but I certainly understand it and I
can speak well enough to be understood.
LF: How important is being fluent in Spanish to teaching in El Paso?

DR: In a public school, perhaps more so, even though our private school is a community
school and we have lots of different backgrounds, Ive only had two or three students that
have come into our program only knowing their native language. One of them was a little
girl from South Korea and she did not know any English. She was immersed in English
and then the other two, of course Spanish was their first language and we all got along
well and in a very short timeframe they were speaking English and understanding
everything.
LF: What are some of your favorite aspects of being a teacher?

DR: The innocence of the children, theyre demonstrative at that age, so they love
coming to school, they are just learning social skills and I think my favorite part is to
watch them interact with each other and just get to know one another. Thats my favorite
part.
LF: What are some of the difficulties or obstacles youve experienced in your teaching
career?
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DR: I really havent had significant difficulties. I can remember one situation where I had
a child of Indian descent and this little girl was young for Kindergarten in the first place
and I try to encourage my students to be what I call brave spellers, which means phonetic
spellers, to sound out what the word might sound like in their mind and write it. Its more
important as their teacher in my mind to give them the love of writing rather than
focusing exactly on spelling correctly. At five years old, Id rather them go for it and try
and express themselves and this one particular family was a little bit mortified where the
girl would write out all sorts of wonderful stories and it was all spelled phonetically and
the mother, you know, called me on the phone and said how can you let this come home,
you know, why dont you correct her work, and I said at the end of the month I will, you
know, right a note to her, these are words you can work on with the correct spelling, but
its not my style to mark in red and that would be the only difficulty. I really havent had
any difficulties.
LF: Is there any advice or information you wish you had been given when you first
became a teacher?
DR: Thats a good question. Again, because I became a teacher later in life, I think the
advice that I brought with me to my classroom came from friends of mine who were also
parents or my childrens teachers in the elementary school that they went to. I would
watch them, observe them, volunteer in their classrooms and ask them questions, so
really just to be as creative as possible. That would be the main thing, rather that just
sticking by a book, you know, going outside of the box and finding things that the kids
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would be interested in and incorporating them into my teaching, that would be the advice
I sought.
LF: Do you have a Masters degree?

DR: I do not. I have credit towards, but I did not complete.
LF: How do you think that has affected you positively, negatively, or not really at all?
DR: From a teaching standpoint, of course gaining more education I think is always a
benefit, so thats you know unknown since I didnt actually get my Masters. If I wanted
to go into an administrative, to being an administrator, of course I would have had to
have gotten my Masters. So again, from a teaching standpoint thats unknown.
Technology has helped, you know in the seventeen years Ive taught, different ideas you
get from Pinterest or YouTube or you know all sorts of childrens websites have really
added interest to my classroom. But Im of the belief that you really dont even need a
degree to be a good teacher. I dont think the degree necessarily makes someone a good
teacher. I think its the passion they have for children. Their patience, their creativity,
those coupled with education make for a good teacher but not education alone. Does that
answer your question at all?
LF: Yes.
DR: You know what I mean? I know at our preschool very fine teachers that dont have a
formal degree but theyve got the passion for children and you know, the excitement
about exposing the children to different things. So, Im not downplaying the value of
education, Im just saying that that on its own, it doesnt make for a good teacher.
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LF: Are you glad youre a teacher?
DR: Yes.
LF: Do you wish you were doing anything else?
DR: I have enjoyed my ride, yes. I have enjoyed each year. I love when my alumni come
back and visit me and tell me what theyre doing and tell me certain memories they have
of our class and I always get a kick out of that. I just love keeping in touch with former
students. Yeah, its been good. Its been a good experience for me.
LF: Do you think you are going to continue teaching until you retire or do something else
or?
DR: Thats hard to know. I do think that Im leaning towards maybe doing something
else.
LF: Because youre burnt out or because you want to try new things?
DR: More so because I want to try different things. Teaching is very rewarding
emotionally; its also very exhausting. To put into it, to make the classroom the type of
class I want to have requires a lot of time outside of the classrooms. So my free time
during the week and on weekends is limited because of devoting time to my classroom
and while I like the end result, Im at the stage in my life where Im a little bit more, want
to be a little bit more selective on how I spend my spare time.
LF: When your kids were still at home and you were also teaching did you have enough
time, I mean I know you had the same vacations as them but were you still able to spend
the type of quality time with them and take care of your job responsibilities?
Fenenbock 24
DR: I feel like I was, you know that would be something you would have to ask my
daughters, but the fact that I worked in a private school gave me a lot of freedom. If I
wanted to attend one of the girls spelling bees or field trips or programs I didnt hesitate
at all to tell my director and there was never a problem. Sorry (had to take a phone
call)
I might see myself a certain way, you might ask Mike or the girls they might
LF: they might perceive it completely different
DR: completely different, so when Shelby gets home you should ask her. I do remember
specifically though, sometimes we would be out shopping and Id say, Oh, my kids
would love this and the girls would say, Do you mean us or your kids at school? I do
remember that happening, you know. Yeah, thats an interesting question, so you would
have to ask them.
LF: Is there anything I havent asked you that you think I should or anything you feel like
you want to tell me?
DR: The one thing I will tell you Lauren is that in the eighteen years that I have taught,
the biggest change or the biggest difference Ive noticed, is the parents. So like years ago,
if I had a conference, I had to say to a parent, were working on this with your child,
maybe if it was a behavior issue or whatever, the parents would want to know, okay lets
be on the same page to nip this in the bud. Now, the parents seem to side with their
children far more easily and want to know who did something to their child to cause them
to behave that way. So I notice a huge change in the parents and its not for the positive.
Do you know what I mean? (Had to pause to check on something.)
Fenenbock 25
Parents seem to also want to have their children in all these different enrichments after
school, you know theyre programmed so much that theyre missing out on just the value
of going home and playing. Going outside and playing in the backyard, you know,
because theyre going to soccer and theyre going to baseball and theyre going to music
and theyre going to dance and theyre going to karate and its, I dont know, society has
changed, its a faster pace, Im not sure thats all been positive for children.
LF: So the parents have changed, have the kids changed also?
DR: In many regards, like what children used to listen to, you know childrens music;
theyre more apt to listen to music more suitable for teenagers because thats what they
are exposed to. Movies, rather than childrens movies, theyre allowed to see movies that
are maybe PG-13, theyre five year olds, so I do see where they are exposed to many
things via the internet or, you know, different forms of media and its not all positive. I
mean there are very few parents now that still have, well theres a handful that still have
the traditional values. You know, they eat meals together and you can tell the difference
when you see the child, you know, versus the children who are just given an iPad during
mealtime so that theyll be quiet, be entertained, its a different, its a different life than it
was eighteen years ago. So I see that as the biggest difference, the way parents parent and
the influence of technology, you know if its not monitored properly, to me, its negative
versus a positive. Does that make sense to you?
LF: No, it does.
DR: You know, Im not trying to be an old fogy, but Im fifty-six years old and I feel like
Im moving with the times, but why push a five year old, or encourage a five year old to
Fenenbock 26
dress like a twelve year old when theyre five. Let them be kids & I think our society &
technology has sort of pushed them away, you know, its shortened the window or closed
the window of being a child and its, I dont think that thats necessarily the healthiest
way.
LF: Is teaching a profession you would recommend to someone to pursue?

DR: Yes, if someone has a real passion for it. Its not going to make you a lot of money.
So if I guess, I have to tell you with my own daughters, Carly leaned towards at one time
being a teacher and I didnt really discourage her, but I told her you know if you could
have a specialty it would help you because teaching is not going to make you a lot of
money. You know, the emotional reward exceeds the financial reward, so if you do have
a passion for children, I would definitelyso I think its necessary, I think teachers are,
people undervalue teachers, but you specifically, you love children, I think, you know
what I mean, I think you will be a great teacher.
LF: Do you feel like, I mean I know Im not going to make a lot of money teaching, but
do you feel like, I guess specifically in El Paso, if thats your only salary or if youre
single and youre a teacher that thats enough? Or youll be able to live?
DR: It depends on what you like to do in your off time or, you know, what quality of life
you want. Youll have a fine quality of life but it doesnt lend itself to being able to
travel. Other than youll have the time to do it in the Summer and on holidays, but often
times you end up spending a lot of money out of your own pocket to bring interesting
things to the classroom and, you know, its not going to pad your wallet well. If you go to
Fenenbock 27
public school though, at least youll have a retirement plan, you know what I mean, and I
didnt do that.
LF: Do you think if you had done that right off you maybe wouldve thought differently?
DR: Quite possibly, yes. Yes. I mean if I wouldve gone public school, I couldve retired
now with full pension. You know I wouldve put in enough years, so sure, right Mike?
Mike wouldve loved that. (Her husband Mike had walked into the room.) Right Mike?
MR: Well, you wouldnt have loved your job the same way though.
DR: Well, thats what I was telling Lauren, who knows because I went in later in life, I
was thirty-three. No, I had Shelby when I was thirty-three. I started at thirty-eight. So
what Im saying is, had I started out in a public school and never known the difference
MR: Right
DR: It mightve been different
MR: It mightve been
DR: But I started off in a private school with, you know, Im not saying there werent
expectations of me, but it was just a more relaxed atmosphere and I was able to do a lot
more in the classroom on my own than just going by the Texas essential knowledge &
skills, you know what I mean? So, I dont know, its like not knowing, maybe I wouldve
felt very different about it.
LF: But obviously, if youre been there eighteen years, you are happy?
DR: Oh, absolutely! I really do, I really can say I love; I love what I was doing. Im at the
point now where I think Im ready to try something different.
LF: Do you know what you are thinking of trying?
Fenenbock 28
DR: I really dont, something with people, you know. I have a bookkeeping background
too so I could, you know, maybe do something on the business end, but even if I get out
of teaching, I still will volunteer or do something to be around children. You know
because, its fun for me, I like the chemistry there.
Fenenbock 29
Appendix B
Questions About Teaching Elementary School
Survey by: Lauren Fenenbock
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/LTWGBWJ
I am a Pre-Education major at UTEP. I hope to achieve the following objectives with this
survey:
1. To determine if teaching is a profession with longevity.
2. To determine if there is a correlation between years of teaching and teaching a specific
grade level, subject, or section to the enjoyment of being a teacher.
3. To determine if being fluent in Spanish is important to teaching in El Paso.
4. To determine how important a graduate degree is to being a teacher.
This survey is for research purposes only. The results of this study will only be used for
academic purposes.
If you have any questions about the survey, please feel free to e-mail me at:
lsfenenbock@miners.utep.edu
Thank you for participating in my survey!
Fenenbock 30
Answer Options
5 years or less
6 to 10 years
11 to 15 years
16 to 20 years
21 to 25 years
26 to 30 years
31 or more years
Response
Percent
Response
Count
5.6%
44.4%
27.8%
11.1%
0.0%
5.6%
5.6%
1
8
5
2
0
1
1
Fenenbock 31
Answer Options
Pre-Kindergarten
Kindergarten
First Grade
Second Grade
Third Grade
Fourth Grade
Fifth Grade
Response
Percent
Response
Count
0.0%
22.2%
33.3%
22.2%
33.3%
11.1%
5.6%
0
4
6
4
6
2
1
Fenenbock 32
Answer Options
Reading/Language Arts
Math
Science
Social Studies
Spanish
Art
Physical Education
Other (please specify)
Response
Percent
Response
Count
88.9%
88.9%
88.9%
94.4%
27.8%
66.7%
0.0%
5.6%
16
16
16
17
5
12
0
1
Fenenbock 33
Answer Options
Traditional Monolingual
Class
English as a Second
Language
Dual-Language
Gifted & Talented
Special Education
Other (please specify)
Response
Percent
Response
Count
50.0%
16.7%
44.4%
33.3%
16.7%
0.0%
8
6
3
0
Fenenbock 34
Answer Options
Yes
No
Response
Percent
Response
Count
55.6%
44.4%
10
8
Fenenbock 35
Answer Options
It is absolutely essential.
It is very important.
It is somewhat
important.
It is not at all important.
Response
Percent
Response
Count
11.1%
22.2%
2
4
55.6%
10
11.1%
Fenenbock 36
Answer Options
Two-year college
graduate (Associates
Degree)
Four-year college
graduate (Bachelors
Degree)
Some graduate credits
Master's completed
Credits beyond master's
Ph.D. (Ed.D) completed
Response
Percent
Response
Count
0.0%
33.3%
38.9%
16.7%
11.1%
0.0%
7
3
2
0
Fenenbock 37
Answer Options
A great deal
A lot
A moderate amount
A little
Not at all
Response
Percent
Response
Count
55.6%
33.3%
5.6%
0.0%
5.6%
10
6
1
0
1
Fenenbock 38
Appendix C
Fenenbock 39
Fenenbock 40
Fenenbock 41
Fenenbock 42
Fenenbock 43
Fenenbock 44
Fenenbock 45
Fenenbock 46
Fenenbock 47
Fenenbock 48
Fenenbock 49
Fenenbock 50
Fenenbock 51
Fenenbock 52
Document Analysis
Document Name: Becoming a Teacher
1. Purpose
Analysis:
The booklet, Becoming a Teacher, was written by the American Federation of
Teachers. The AFT is a union for professional teachers. According to their website, it
was written in order to provide answers to questions about the teaching profession
and how to become a teacher. It seems that the primary audience is current high
school students who are trying to decide what career path they would like to follow.
However, I believe that college students and people looking to start a new career
could also be part of the booklets target audience. Since the AFT published this on
their website, their members are the possible secondary audience.
Evaluation:
I believe the authors purpose is very clear and understandable. The
introduction is upbeat and extremely positive. The very first sentence states, New
teachers overwhelmingly say they love what they do. Thats a very good way to get
people excited about becoming teachers.
2. Writing roles (all writing communicates)
Analysis:
Which of the following roles do you think the writer intended for this document?
Teaching The booklet teaches students by giving a brief overview of what it

means to be a teacher.
Fenenbock 53
Selling (sometimes, a writer needs to sell an idea, even) The booklet tries to sell
students on becoming teachers by giving a summary of current teacher salaries
and financial aid info. The writer also uses such statements such as helping
children realize their dreams and play a part in improving our society to sell
the teaching profession.
Advocating The booklet advocates to prospective teachers by stating how

important teaching is to our society.
Evaluation:
The intended roles support the purpose of the document by giving the audience
background on what it means to be a teacher (teaching), some hard numbers on salaries
(selling), and stating the importance of teaching (advocating). Since this booklets
purpose is to give preliminary information on becoming a teacher, I dont think the writer
needed to include more roles.
3. Types of arguments
Analysis:
The booklet contains many arguments on why the reader should become a
teacher. The writer tries to appeal to the readers sympathy, or pathos. An example of this
type of argument from the booklet is when the writer states, teachers directly affect the
lives of the students they teach. I believe the purpose of this kind of argument is to pull
at the heartstrings of the reader. Who wouldnt want to have a positive impact on
someone elses life?
The booklet also has fact-based arguments. Many people think that being a
teacher means you have it easy because you dont work from nine to five and you get a
Fenenbock 54
summer break. However, neither statement is true. The booklet points out that teachers
arrive at school before students do and they keep working even after the students have
gone home. During summer break, many teachers teach summer school or attend
conferences.
The booklet also states facts on average teacher salaries and what the general
requirements are for becoming a certified teacher. One salary fact that caught my
attention was, those with masters degrees make about twice as much as those with
bachelors degrees. Unfortunately, the booklet did not go into what goes into getting
your masters degree. I plan on doing more research on that. Something that will
definitely be a useful takeaway from the booklet is that is stated what are generally the
three components of all teacher education programs: required course work for the
subject and grade level you want to teach; courses on how to teach (called pedagogy),
and clinical experience. All three of these components make up my current degree plan.
The booklet also discusses what high school students need to do to prepare for
applying to college and how to pick the right teacher education program. Neither one of
those currently apply to me.
Evaluation:
I believe the writer made strong claims for why one should become a teacher.
However, the writer did not go very deeply into specifics. This booklet is great for a high
school student trying to decide on their career. However, for someone in my position, it
would have been much more helpful if the writer went into more detail with each of the
topics or gave specific examples or anecdotes from teachers. Or, at least, additional
Fenenbock 55
website links or other helpful resources on the subject. This booklet is a good jumping off
point, which is probably the writers intention for the piece.
4. Structure/Organization
Analysis:
The booklet has a tidy structure. The table of contents clearly lays out all of the
questions the booklet will be answering:
Why teach?
What do teachers do?
How much do teachers earn?
How do I become a teacher?
What can I do now to prepare for a teaching career?
Where can I find teacher education programs?
Is there financial aid available to help me become a teacher?
Each question (or topic) is then broken-down into sub-sections or bullet points.
Evaluation:
The information has been organized in a straightforward manner. This allows the
reader to either read the entire booklet or read only the sections that interest them.
5. Function
Analysis:
After reading the booklet, the writer wants the reader to know the basics about
becoming a teacher. If the teaching profession interests the reader, then the writer also
Fenenbock 56
wants the reader to learn more about becoming a teacher by asking a teacher or visiting
the AFT website. The booklet may also be archived as a point of reference when the
reader is either deciding on which university to attend or finally deciding to become an
education major.
6. Document Design
Analysis:
The design of the document is bright and cheery. It has several colorful photos of
smiling teachers and students in classrooms. The design is meant to grab the readers
attention. The introduction and table of contents make the booklet easy to pick up and
scan to see if the content will interest the reader. The reader will need to reference the
document multiple times if they decide to check out the referenced websites or go over
any of the requirements to becoming a teacher.
Evaluation:
The document design is appropriate for the intended audience. Although I found
the booklet online, I could see it being handed-out at a high school or college campus
career fair. Since the title of the booklet is Becoming A Teacher, the reader knows
immediately what the writer will be discussing.
Fenenbock 57
Appendix D
UTEP Elementary Education Degree Plans
The University of Texas at El Paso
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies
OFFICIAL DEGREE PLAN
Elementary Education (ELED) : EC-6 Generalist

Name :__________________________
120 hours
E-Mail: ______________@miners.utep.edu ID#: 8______________

Recommended Course Sequence
FRESHMAN YEAR
32 hrs
31 hrs
JUNIOR YEAR
ENGL 3305 Children's Literature (Prerequisite: ENGL 1312)
MATH 3305 Proportion & Algebra
UNIV 1301 or 2350 Sem. Crit. Inq.
ENGL 1311 Exp. Eng. Comp.
ENGL 1312 Res. & Crit. Writ.
EDT 3371 Education Technology
COMM 1301 Pub. Spkng.
HIST 1301 Hist. of US to 1865
TED 3330 Ed. & Comm. Applied Critical/Ped.

HSCI 4201 Hlth. Ed. For Elem. Sch. Teachers
(Prerequisite: Junior standing)
HIST 1302 Hist. of US since 1865
KIN 4201 PE for Elem. Schools (Prerequisite: Junior standing)
ENGL 4354 Writ. Proc. of Children (Prerequisite: ENGL 1312)
PSCI 3304 Phys. Sc. II (Prerequisite: PSCI 2303)
Social/Behavioral Sciences: (select one)

ANTH 1301, LING/ANTH/ENGL 2320, ECON
1301,2303, 2304, GEOG 1310, SOCI 1301, PSYC
1301
GEOL 1313 and GEOL 1103
Intro. to Phys. Geol. & Lab
BIOL 1303 and BIOL 1103
Intro. Biology & Lab
STAT 1380 Desc. & Inf. Stat.
(Prerequisite: MATH 0311)
4
3
3
3
*Classes marked with an asterisk require admission to Teacher Education

*BED 4340 Prin. of Bil/ESL Ed.
(Prerequisite to all 4000 level BED courses and ECED 4335)
SOPHOMORE YEAR
30 hrs
*SPED 3310 Spec. Ed. Gnrl. & Sped. Set.

*ECED 4335 Lang. & Lit. in the Early Years
(Prerequisite: BED 4340)
3
3
POLS 2310 Intro. to Pol.
POLS 2311 Am. Gov. & Pol.

Humanities: (select one)
ENGL 2311, 2312, 2313, 2314, 2318,
HIST 2301, 2302, PHIL 1301, 2306
Visual/Perfom. Arts: (select one)
ART 1300, ARTH 1305, 1306, ARTS 3320, DANC
1304, MUSL 1321, 1324, 1327, THEA 1313, FILM
1390
ANTH 1302, CHIC 3301, 3311, 3339
(select one)
SENIOR YEAR
*BED 4343 or LING 3308 Shelt. ESL Inst./Teach. Engl. Spkrs. of

Other Lang. (Prerequisite: BED 4340/ENGL 1312)
*ECED 4353 Play Development in Early Child
*ECED 4359 Child Thinking in Early Years
*ELED 4309 Social Science Ed. in Elem. Schools
MATH 2303 Number Concepts

3
MATH 2304 Geom. & Measurements
*ELED 4311 Teaching Science in Elem. Schools

3
3
EDPC 2300 Dev. in Yng. Child & Youth
Apply for Admission to Teacher Education
*RED 4341 Asst. Tch. Rdg. (Prerequisite: ECED 4335)
ECED 2330 Intro.Early Childhood Educ.
*ELED 4310 Teaching Math in Elem. Schools

PSCI 2303 Phys. Science I
27 hrs
3
3
3
3
This course must be taken the semester prior to Student Teaching
STUDENT TEACHING (Field-based) Fall/Spring

*ECED 4393 Intern. in Early & Primary Gr. I
(Prerequisite: RED 4341)
*ECED 4394 Intern. in Early & Primary Gr. II
Must be taken concurrently with ECED 4393
A maximum of 66 semester hours, limited to freshman and sophomore-level work, may be transferred from two-year institutions
Revised March 5, 2012
Fenenbock 58
Elementary Education (ELED) : EC-6 BED Generalist

Name :__________________________
120 hours
E-Mail: ______________@miners.utep.edu
FRESHMAN YEAR
32 hrs

1301,2303, 2304, GEOG 1310, SOCI 1301,
PSYC 1301
GEOL 1313 and GEOL 1103
Intro. to Phys. Geol. & Lab
BIOL 1303 and BIOL 1103
Intro. Biology & Lab
ID#: 8__________
3
3
SPAN 3312 Pedagogical Issues in Spanish

(Prerequisite: SPAN 2302 or 2304 or departmental placement exam)
BED 3344 Parent & Community Adv. in BED
30 hrs

ENGL 2311, 2312, 2313, 2314, 2318,
HIST 2301, 2302, PHIL 1301, 2306
ART 1300, ARTH 1305, 1306, ARTS 3320, DANC
1304, MUSL 1321, 1324, 1327, THEA 1313, FILM
1390
ANTH 1302, CHIC 3301, 3311, 3339
(select one)
SENIOR YEAR
3
3
27 hrs
3
*BED 4345 Biliteracy Development

*ECED 4353 or 4359 Play Dev./Child Thinking in Early Years
*BED 4309 Bil. Social Stud. Ed./Prim. Grades

3
*BED 4310 Teaching Math/ Dual Lang. Classroom

*BED 4311 Teaching Science/ Dual Lang. Classroom

3
*RED 4341 Asst. Tch. Rdg. (Prerequisite: BED 4345)
ECED 2330 Intro. Early Childhood Educ.

EDT 3371 Education Technology

HSCI 4201 Hlth. Ed. For Elem. Sch. Teachers
(Prerequisite: Junior standing)
KIN 4201 PE for Elem. Schools (Prerequisite: Junior standing)
(Prerequisite to all 4000 level BED courses)
SOPHOMORE YEAR
31 hrs
JUNIOR YEAR
ENGL 3305 Children's Literature (Prerequisite: ENGL 1312)
MATH 3305 Proportion & Algebra
3
3
3
3

*BED 4393 Intern. Dual Language Educ. I
*BED 4394 Intern. Dual Language Educ. II
Must be taken concurrently with BED 4393
Fenenbock 59
All Levels Special Education: EC-12

Name :__________________________
120 hours
E-Mail: ______________@miners.utep.edu
FRESHMAN YEAR
30 hrs

3
3

1301,2303, 2304, GEOG 1310,
SOCI 1301, PSYC 1301
GEOL 1311 Prin. of Earth Sciences I
GEOL 1312 Prin. of Earth Sciences II

SOPHOMORE YEAR
ID#: 8_______________
JUNIOR YEAR
EC-6 Emphasis
30 hrs
4-8 Emphasis
ENGL 3305 Child Lit. (Prerequisite:
ENGL 3306 Young Adult Lit.
ENGL 1312)
(Prerequisite: ENGL 1312)
MATH 3305 Prop. & Algebra
MATH 3308 Prop. & Algeb.

Reasoning
3
3
TED 3330 Ed. & Comm. Applied Critical/Ped.
ENGL 4354 Writ. Proc. of Children

(Prerequisite to all 4000 level BED courses and ECED 4335)
*ECED 4335 or BED 4345 Lang. & Lit. in Early Yrs./Bil. Devel.
(Prerequisite: BED 4340; BED 4345 if pursuing suppl. cert.)
*SPED 3327 Teaching Stu. w/ Mild Disability
*SPED 3340 Students w/ Severe & Profound Dis.
*SPED 3345 Lang. Reading for Special Learners
30 hrs
SENIOR YEAR
30 hrs

ENGL 2311, 2312, 2313, 2314, 2318,
HIST 2301, 2302, PHIL 1301, 2306
*BED 4343 or LING 3308 Shelt. ESL Inst./Teach. Engl. Spkrs. of Other
Lang. (Prerequisite: BED 4340/ENGL 1312)

ART 1300, ARTH 1305, 1306, ARTS 3320,
DANC 1304, MUSL 1321, 1324, 1327, THEA
1313, FILM 1390
*SPED 4330 Diagnosis and Placement
ANTH 1302, CHIC 3301, 3311, 3339

(select one)
*SPED 4340 Transitional Ed. For Learners w/ Special Needs
*SPED 4365 Organizational & Management/ Special Ed.

3

3

PSCI 3304 Phys. Sc. II

(Prerequisite: PSCI 2303)
EC-6 Emphasis
4-8 Emphasis
*ELED 4309 Soc. Sc./Elem
*MSED 4309 Soc. Stud/ Mid.
*ELED 4310 Teach. Math/Elem
*MSED 4310 Teach. Math/Mid.
*ELED 4311 Teach. Sci./Elem.
*MSED 4311 Teach. Sci./Mid.
*RED 4341 Asst. Tch. Rdg.
*RED 3342 Content Area Lit.
(Prerequisite: ECED 4335/BED 4345)
3
3
3
3

*SPED 4393 Intern. In Special Ed. I
*SPED 4394 Intern. In Special ed. II

Must be taken concurrently with SPED 4393
3
3
Fenenbock 60
Courses
UNIV 1301 or 2350
RWS 1301
RWS 1302
COMM 1301
HIST 1301
HIST 1302
GEOG/ANTH/SOCI 1310
GEOL 1311
GEOL 1312
GEOL 1313
GEOL 1103
BIOL 1303
BIOL 1103
STAT 1380
POLS 2310
POLS 2311
HIST 2302
MUSL 1327
ANTH 1302, CHIC 3301, 3311, 3339
MATH 2303
MATH 2304
ECED 2330
EDPC 2300
PSCI 2303
ENGL 3305
MATH 3305
EDT 3371
TED 3330
HSCI 4201
KIN 4201
ENGL 4354
SPAN 3312
PSCI 3304
BED 3344
BED 4340
SPED 3310
ECED 4335
BED 4343 or LING 3308
BED 4345
SPED 3327
SPED 3340
SPED 3345
SPED 4330
SPED 4340
SPED 4365
ECED 4353
ECED 4359
ELED/BED 4309
ELED/BED 4310
ELED/BED 4311
RED 4341
ECED/BED/SPED 4393
ECED/BED/SPED 4394
EC-6 Generalist
EC-6 BED
EC-6 Special Ed
Courses I've Taken
Fenenbock 61
Appendix E
UTEP Middle Grades Education Degree Plans
Middle Grades Education Generalist (4-8): Generalist

Name :__________________________ E-Mail: ______________@miners.utep.edu
120 hours
ID#: 8__________

FRESHMAN YEAR
33 hrs
33 hrs
JUNIOR YEAR
ENGL 3306 Young Adult. Lit. (Prerequisite: ENGL 1312)

MATH 3308 Proportn. & Algebrc. Reasoning I
HIST 3317 Hist. of TX since 1821
TED 3330 Ed & Comm. Applied Critical/Ped.

1301,2303, 2304, SOCI 1301, PSYC 1301

MATH 3309 Proportn. & Algebrc. Reasoning II
POLS 4313 SW Bord. Polit. (Prerequisite: POLS 2310 & 2311)
GEOL 1312 Prin. Earth Sc. II
GEOG 1310 Cultural Geog.
(Prerequisite to all 4000 level BED courses and RED 3342)
33 hrs
GEOL 1311 Prin. Earth Sc. I
SOPHOMORE YEAR
*RED 3342 Content Area Literacy (Prerequisite: BED 4340)
SENIOR YEAR
Humanities: HIST 2301 World. Hist. to 1500

ANTH 1302, CHIC 3301, 3311, 3339

(select one)
*MSED 4309 Soc. Stud. Ed/Mid. Gr. (Prerequisite: BED 4343)
*MSED 4310 Tch. Math/Mid. Gr. (Prerequisite: BED 4343)
*MSED 4311 Tch. Sci./Mid. Gr. (Prerequisite: BED 4343)

*RED 4341 Asst. Tch. Rdg. (Prerequisite: RED 3342)
3
3


ART 1300, ARTH 1305, 1306, ARTS 3320,
DANC 1304, MUSL 1321, 1324, 1327, THEA
1313, FILM 1390
BIOL 1303 Introductory Biology
ESCI 1301 or ASTR 1307 Env. Sci/Ele. Astro.
3
3
21 hrs
*MSED 4393 Internship in Interm/Middle Grades I
*MSED 4394 Internship in Interm/Middle Grades II
Must be taken concurrently with MSED 4393

Fenenbock 62
Middle Grades Education (4-8): English LA RED Social Studies
120 hours
Name: ________________________E-mail:_____________@miners.utep.edu ID# 8______________________

FRESHMAN YEAR

33 hrs
JUNIOR YEAR
33 hrs
PSCI 3304 Phys. Sci. II (Prerequisite: PSCI 2303)
ENGL 3306 Young Adult Lit. (Prerequisite: ENGL 1312)
ENGL 3351 Dyn. Lang (Prerequisite: ENGL 1312)
ENGL 3352 Rdg. & Writ. Nonfic.
ENGL 3353 Read./Resp./Lit. (Prerequisite: ENGL 1312)
HIST 3317 Hist. of TX since 1821

ANTH 1301, LING/ANTH/ENGL 2320, ECON 1301,2303,
2304, SOCI 1301, PSYC 1301
GEOL 1311 Prin. Earth Sc. I
*SPED 3310 Spec Ed Gnrl & Sped Set
GEOL 1312 Prin. Earth Sc. II
*RED 3340 Lang. Arts in Midlle Gr.
ANTH 1302 Intro-Cultural-Anthropology
(Prerequisite to all 4000 level BED courses and RED 3342)
SOPHOMORE YEAR
30 hrs
Humanities: HIST 2301 World. Hist. to 1500
3
3
ENGL 4354 Writ. Proc. of Children
(Prerequisite: POLS 2310 & 2311)
*BED 4343 or LING 3308 Shelt ESL Inst./Teach. Engl.
HIST 2302 World Hist. since 1500
(Prerequisite: BED 4340/ENGL 1312)
*RED 4341 Asst Tch Rdg (Prerequisite: RED 3342)

ART 1300, ARTH 1305, ARTH 1306, ARTS 3320, DANC
1304, MUSL 1321, 1324, 1327, THEA 1313, FILM 1390
24 hrs
SENIOR YEAR
HIST 3 hrs. Upper Div (3300-4300)
POLS 4313 SW Bord. Polit.
*RED 3342 Content Area Literacy
PSCI 2303 Phys. Science I (Prerequisite: MATH 0311)
*MSED 4309 Soc Stud Ed/Mid Gr (Prerequisite: BED 4343)
GEOG 1310 Cultural Geog.

3
3
Fenenbock 63
Middle Grades Education (4-8): Math/Science
120 hours
Name :______________________________ E- Mail: ________________@miners.utep.edu ID#: 8__________________

FRESHMAN YEAR
37 hrs
31 hrs
JUNIOR YEAR
PSCI 2303 Phys. Science I (Prerequisite: MATH 0311)
BIOL 1304, 1104 Human Biology & Lab.
PSCI 3304 Phys Sc II (Prerequisite: PSCI 2303)
MATH 3308 Conc Alg (Prerequisite: MATH 2303)
MATH 3300, 3303, or 3304 (select 1)

Hist. of Math/Fund. Numb. Thry/Fund. Geo. Standpt.
(Prerequisite: MATH 1411/ MATH 1411 & 3308/ MATH 1508 & 2304)

1301,2303, 2304, SOCI 1301, PSYC 1301
MATH 1411 Calc. I (Prerequisite: MATH 1508)
*RED 3342 Content Area Literacy
GEOL 1313, 1103 Intro. to Phys. Geol & Lab
GEOL 1314, 1104 Intro. to Hist. Geol & Lab
*SIED 3330 Integ. & Alt. Rep. Basic Science.
*MTED 3330 Iinteg. & Alter. Rep. of Math Prin.
CHEM 1305, 1105 General Chemistry & Lab

(Prerequisite: MATH 1508 or MATH 1411)
SOPHOMORE YEAR
31 hrs
21 hrs
SENIOR YEAR
MATH 4302 Fund Math Concepts
*BED 4343 or LING 3308 Shelt. ESL Inst./Teach. Engl.
(Contact ARC Center for prerequisite override)
*MSED 4310 Tch Math/Mid Gr (Prerequisite: BED 4343)
*MSED 4311 Tch Sci/Mid Gr (Prerequisite: BED 4343)

*RED 4341 Asst Tch Rdg (Prerequisite: RED 3342)
3
3

ENGL 2311, 2312, 2313, 2314, 2318, HIST 2301, 2302,
PHIL 1301, 2306

Offered only in Spring semester
3
3
This course must be taken the semester prior to

Student Teaching

ART 1300, ARTH 1305, 1306, ARTS 3320, DANC 1304,
MUSL 1321, 1324, 1327, THEA 1313, FILM 1390
ESCI 1301 or ASTR 1307 Env Sci/Elem. Astro.
BIOL 1303, 1103 Intro. Biology & Lab

Fenenbock 64
Appendix F
Fenenbock 65
Appendix G
October 15, 2014 Kindergarten Site Observation
Site Observation #1
Location: Debbys kindergarten
Date: 10/15/2014
Time: 9:50 a.m. to 11:50 a.m.
classroom
Observations
9:50 a.m. 10:02 Circle

time teacher introduces
me to class
Gap social skills looks
people in the eyes
6 six roll a hoop and
make a loop. What rhymes
with loop? Soup, goop,
boop make believe
Israeli dance zamar ati.
Counting, coordination,
exercise, culture
10:02 10:10 student does
show & tell with her dog
Cinnamon (dachshund). Is
Cinnamon rambunctious?
10:10, back to circle time
Melody claps
Camilla, catch of the day
month, spell, syllables, in
October. Count the days,
patterns of days. Sing days
of the week, with emphasis
on current day. Today is
Wednesday then in
Spanish. Hoy es
miercoles Hebrew Yom
revii
Weather, meteorologist, go
outside, sunny
Popsicle stick for total of
school days, then count by
fives. What coin counts by
five? Nickel
Nail polish remover,
chemical. Bad reaction
Sit on your letter
Bundle of popsicles for
days of school
Money chart
10:26 snack leader and
helper oranges and
cereal. Asks where oranges
grow for correct blessing
over fruit.
# People at Site
(demographic info.): 17
students, 1 teacher, 1 aide
Reflections
Teacher participates in
everything, sits in circle,
dances
Aide puts schoolwork in
take home folders.
Majority of students
follow along & are
smiling, only a few need
reinforcement
First students are excited,
but slowly calm down
Still a teaching moment,
litter. Pet. Low voices. If
you have two dogs and I
have three, how many do
we have all together?
Lots of noise & activity
Hugs & kisses
Most kids participate &
pay attention
Positive feedback
Watch my mouth, thumbs
up, yahoo
Kavod
For the most part, students
ignore me, smile
Ask permission to get
water
Sounds out or points
Interruption from aide
Lots of action words
Stealing her thunder I
know you know. Student
doesnt get upset
Tappuach apple
Considerate when student
complains about toothache
During snack, students ask
me questions & also
interact with each other.
Chalk shock
Five, smart, f o u r are
four
Up & around & close it
O
Post-observation
Reflections
You need lots of

energy to teach
kinder
Lots of activity
Short lessons,
attention span
Ties things together,
remember
Very demonstrative
Aide helps to prep
room, next activity,
& paperwork to take
home
Submarine lesson
helps to get kids
excited about
science. Also helps
with math, letters,
drawing, writing, &
learning about the
world around us.
Teacher & aide
confer with each
other on students
progress
While doing
individual work,
students discuss
what they just
learned on their own
(shows that they are
engaged &
interested in what
they are learning)
Fenenbock 66
10:40 word bank write

five different words on five
different cards four, like,
October, white, the
10:50 potty break
10:55 Junie B. Jones,
story time can sit
wherever they want
Moves Junie B. to watch
out because she says stupid
& dumb
Whats a fib?
11:03 half the class goes
into the submarine, 1/3
does writing, & 1/3 the
class does math with Ms.
Lynn
Sea creature of the week
starfish (at end of year
each child will have an
individual sea creature
alphabet book - index)
Each child has to state a
fact about a starfish
(compound word, not a
fish, no gills) before going
to a table to do individual
work. Draw starfish & then
write 2 sentences.
11:29 half of the class
goes to gym & other half
goes into the submarine
Everyone has their own

bank
If someone makes a
mistake, doesnt say bad,
says oops, or dont forget
to cross the t great,
nice
Doesnt just read,
discusses capital letters.
If the grammar in the story
is incorrect, she restates it
correctly. Mybrain
migraine
Aide asks student to be
quiet (shh)
Envious of baby brother
Im trying to do my best.
Thats all I want you to
do, your best.
Blue & green group
Hands go in your lap.
Beauty shop

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Fenenbock

The Building Blocks to Becoming a Teacher

LF: So you got an alternative teaching certificate?

LF: What made you decide to become a teacher?

LF: How many years have you been a teacher?

LF: Which grade levels have you taught?

LF: Which subjects do you teach?

LF: Do you have a favorite or least favorite subject?

LF: Did you pick to be a Kindergarten teacher?

LF: Are you bilingual?

LF: How important is being fluent in Spanish to teaching in El Paso?

LF: What are some of your favorite aspects of being a teacher?

LF: Do you have a Masters degree?

LF: Is teaching a profession you would recommend to someone to pursue?

Teaching The booklet teaches students by giving a brief overview of what it

Advocating The booklet advocates to prospective teachers by stating how

What do teachers do?

How much do teachers earn?

How do I become a teacher?

What can I do now to prepare for a teaching career?

Where can I find teacher education programs?

Is there financial aid available to help me become a teacher?

The University of Texas at El Paso

Elementary Education (ELED) : EC-6 Generalist

E-Mail: ______________@miners.utep.edu ID#: 8______________

UNIV 1301 or 2350 Sem. Crit. Inq.

ENGL 1311 Exp. Eng. Comp.

ENGL 1312 Res. & Crit. Writ.

EDT 3371 Education Technology

COMM 1301 Pub. Spkng.

HIST 1301 Hist. of US to 1865

TED 3330 Ed. & Comm. Applied Critical/Ped.

HIST 1302 Hist. of US since 1865

KIN 4201 PE for Elem. Schools (Prerequisite: Junior standing)

ENGL 4354 Writ. Proc. of Children (Prerequisite: ENGL 1312)

PSCI 3304 Phys. Sc. II (Prerequisite: PSCI 2303)

Social/Behavioral Sciences: (select one)

(Prerequisite: MATH 2303)

*Classes marked with an asterisk require admission to Teacher Education

(Prerequisite to all 4000 level BED courses and ECED 4335)

*SPED 3310 Spec. Ed. Gnrl. & Sped. Set.

POLS 2310 Intro. to Pol.

POLS 2311 Am. Gov. & Pol.

*BED 4343 or LING 3308 Shelt. ESL Inst./Teach. Engl. Spkrs. of

*ECED 4353 Play Development in Early Child

*ECED 4359 Child Thinking in Early Years

*ELED 4309 Social Science Ed. in Elem. Schools

MATH 2303 Number Concepts

MATH 2304 Geom. & Measurements

*ELED 4311 Teaching Science in Elem. Schools

EDPC 2300 Dev. in Yng. Child & Youth

Apply for Admission to Teacher Education

(Prerequisite: BED 4343)

*RED 4341 Asst. Tch. Rdg. (Prerequisite: ECED 4335)

ECED 2330 Intro.Early Childhood Educ.

(Prerequisite: MATH 0311)

*ELED 4310 Teaching Math in Elem. Schools

(Prerequisite: MATH 2303)

PSCI 2303 Phys. Science I

(Prerequisite: BED 4343)

This course must be taken the semester prior to Student Teaching

STUDENT TEACHING (Field-based) Fall/Spring

(Prerequisite: RED 4341)

E-Mail: @miners.utep.edu ID#: 8