Teaching

Teaching Program Information

The Associate of Arts degree in Teaching is designed for students intending to transfer their coursework to a university program and pursue a career as a teacher in Texas. The AAT, developed and approved by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB), is intended to provide students at the community college with a fully transferable curriculum to any public Texas university or college with teacher preparation degrees.

TVCC offers three AAT pathways:

EC-6th Grade, complete core curriculum and:

MATH-1350 Mathematics for Teachers I (Fundamentals of Mathematics I), MATH-1351 Mathematics for Teachers II (Fundamentals of Mathematics II) or equivalent (6 SCHs)
EDUC-1301 Introduction to the Teaching Profession, EDUC-2301 Introduction to Special Populations (6 SCHs)
Additional science beyond the core curriculum may be required. Check university for requirements.

4-8, EC-12th Grade with Special Education, complete core curriculum and:

MATH-1350 Mathematics for Teachers I (Fundamentals of Mathematics I), MATH-1351 Mathematics for Teachers II (Fundamentals of Mathematics II) or equivalent (3-6 SCHs)
Additional science beyond the core curriculum may be required. Check university for requirements
EDUC-1301 Introduction to the Teaching Profession, EDUC-2301 Introduction to Special Populations (6 SCHs)

6-12 & EC-12th Grade without Special Education, complete core curriculum and:

EDUC-1301 Introduction to the Teaching Profession, EDUC-2301 Introduction to Special Populations (6 SCHs)
Content area teaching fields/academic disciplines (12 SCHs)

Note: Criminal history may disqualify individuals from volunteering, substitute teaching, and/or obtaining or maintaining teaching certifications. The State Board of Educator Certification (SBEC) requires all applicants to submit fingerprints for a national criminal history background check. This includes applicants for a:

Standard teaching certificate
Probationary certificate
Educational aide certificate
One-year certificate
Temporary teaching certificate
Permit

Individuals who have been convicted of an offense or placed on probation might not be eligible to volunteer, substitute teach, or become certified by the Texas SBEC even after completing an educational or training program. SBEC’s criminal history guidelines are available at https://tea.texas.gov/Texas_Educators/Certification/Fingerprinting/Requirements_for_Certification_Applicants

University requirements for teacher education programs vary. Students are encouraged to contact the intended transferring university for specific degree requirements.

EDUC-1300. Learning Framework. (3 Credits)

(3-3-0) Core Area 090 This course is taken for academic credit. Students will earn an A, B, C, D, F, or W. A study of the 1) research and theory in the psychology of learning, cognition and motivation, 2) factors that impact learning, and 3) application of learning strategies. Theoretical models of strategic learning, cognition, and motivation serve as the conceptual basis for the introduction of college-level student academic strategies. Students use assessment instruments (e.g., learning inventories) to help them identify their own strengths and weaknesses as strategic learners. Students are ultimately expected to integrate and apply the learning skills discussed across their own academic programs and become effective and efficient learners. Students developing these skills should be able to continually draw from the theoretical models they have learned.

EDUC-1301. Introduction to the Teaching Profession. (3 Credits)

(3-3-1) This course is taken for academic credit. Students will earn an A, B, C, D, F, or W. An enriched, integrated pre-service course and content experience that provides active recruitment and institutional support of students interested in a teaching career, especially in high need fields. The course provides students with opportunities to participate in early field observations at all levels of P-12 schools with varied and diverse student populations and provides students with support from college and school faculty, preferably in small cohort groups, for the purpose of introduction to and analysis of the culture of schooling and classrooms. Course content should be aligned as applicable with State Board for Educator Certification Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities standards. Course must include a minimum of 16 contact hours of field experience in P-12 classrooms.

EDUC-2301. Introduction to Special Populations. (3 Credits)

(3-3-1) This course is taken for academic credit. Students will earn an A, B, C, D, F, or W. An enriched, integrated pre-service course and content experience that provides an overview of schooling and classrooms from the perspectives of language, gender, socioeconomic status, ethnic and academic diversity, and equity with an emphasis on factors that facilitate learning. The course provides students with opportunities to participate in early field observations of P-12 special populations and should be aligned as applicable with State Board for Educator Certification Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities standards. Must include a minimum of 16 contact hours of field experience in P-12 classrooms with special populations.

Some careers in this field will require a bachelor's degree.

TVCC's AA degrees are fully transferable to public universities in Texas. See an academic advisor or TVCC's university transfer webpage for more information on this transfer opportunity.
Many of TVCC's AAS degrees lead to an online Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences (BAAS) degree with participating universities. See an academic advisor or the BAAS transfer website for more information on this transfer opportunity.