Wake Forest University

You'll complete liberal arts requirements and take education courses in Exploring School Communities, Educational Policy, Learning and Cognitive Science, and Teaching Diverse Learners.

Starting in your third year, you'll take:

• Methods courses (meaning literacy, mathematics, science, social studies)
• Lab courses (meaning methodology and management, literacy interventions)
• Courses on teaching exceptional children and instructional design, assessment, and technology

You'll also complete a full semester of student teaching and submit your edTPA portfolio as part of the student teaching seminar.

Starting in your third year, you'll take:

• Methods courses (such as English language arts, mathematics, science, social studies)
• Lab courses (such as Introduction to Secondary Education, Teaching Exceptional Children)
• A course on instructional design, assessment, and technology 

You'll also complete a full semester of student teaching and submit your edTPA portfolio as part of the student teaching seminar.

First and foremost, we strive to educate future teachers while supporting the university’s mission of Pro Humanitate. For us, this means recognizing that everyone has their own lived experience, our humanities may differ, and diversity is a strength. We achieve this aim by engaging with a wide array of schools, including many considered high need, through field experiences, internships, action research, service learning, and student teaching placements. We also embrace the communities that surround these schools through partnerships, service opportunities, and Wake Forest Freedom School. 

At the heart of our effort to support teacher candidates is the relational nature of our program. Our department’s student to faculty ratio is 7.6 to 1, meaning an important priority for our faculty is to build strong and lasting relationships with teacher candidates and provide one-on-one mentoring to support their preparation and induction into the teaching profession. 

Our faculty fulfill a range of duties, such as teaching pre-clinical and methods courses, advising students, engaging them in decisions about clinical placements, and supervising their student teaching internships. Faculty also provide outstanding academic support for students as they complete required components of their respective programs, including coursework, edTPA, and action research. Finally, they encourage professional development by supporting Richter scholarship proposals, presenting with students at state and national conferences, and, in some cases, even publishing with them in professional journals.

Our teacher education program meets rigorous state and national standards for educator preparation, including our initial teacher licensure program, which is fully accredited by the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP).