A clinically rich residency program consists of education coursework paired with full-time field experience in a school with a mentor teacher. The strands of our clinically rich programs come together to focus on improving K-12 student learning while enhancing candidate development, supporting teacher growth, and strengthening connections between schools and higher education.
Immersion Experience
Candidates experience guided assessment, guided planning, and guided teaching as they work with their mentor teachers. Candidates develop a deeper understanding of their students, experience a smoother transition to teaching, and benefit from full-time mentoring. This immersion experience benefits the candidates, mentor teachers, and P-12 students.
Linking Theory and Practice
The Bachelor of Science in TESOL consists of 122 credit hours, with 43 credit hours of pedagogical courses spread over four blocks (a set of education courses taken concurrently in a given semester) corresponding to junior and senior years. During the first three blocks, candidates will accumulate 100 hours of field experience and complete course-related assignments that afford increasingly more planning and teaching experience. Following the field experiences, candidates have two student teaching experiences, one in grades K-6, and the other in grades 7-12. Student teachers are jointly supervised by a college supervisor and a cooperating teacher who has NYS certification in TESOL. Throughout the field placements and student teaching, candidates have experiences in high needs and urban schools, with socio-economically disadvantaged students, and students with disabilities.
In the block, one field experience (EDU 303), candidates observe the context and sometimes participate. In the spring block experience (SPE 363), candidates are involved in small group, inclusion classrooms for supervised teaching. In student teaching (TSL 420/421), candidates are expected to take over for their mentor teachers and run the class for portions of the day.
The Master of Science for Teachers (MST) program is a concentrated, 14-month, sequence of courses and linked field placements in a teacher residency model beginning each May. During the first summer of the program, candidates complete four education courses and two related workshops. In the fall and spring semesters (15 weeks each), candidates work alongside a certified, tenured teacher full time (five days a week), helping the public school students learn and grow. Candidates also attend education classes two evenings a week during each semester. In addition to the immersion field experience and education coursework, candidates participate in professional development workshops with their mentor teachers. Finally, in the second summer, candidates complete the last two education courses in order to complete the Master’s degree requirements for this MST residency program.
Childhood Education Grades 1-6
The MST Childhood Education 1-6 initial certification program has courses and field experience which are designed for candidates with a baccalaureate degree and the equivalent of a major in liberal arts and sciences. Completion of this MST degree, passing the New York State Teacher Certification Exams, and fulfillment of other NYSED requirements, will qualify a candidate to receive a New York State Initial teaching certification in Childhood Education, Grades 1-6.
Candidates in this program complete eight graduate education courses across 12 months (summer, fall, spring) at our SUNY Oswego Syracuse campus. Candidates also complete two full-time, 15-week field placements (fall and spring semesters) working closely with a mentor teacher in the Syracuse City School District.
Adolescence Education Grades 7-12
The MST Adolescence education 7-12 initial certification program is designed for individuals with a baccalaureate degree in biology, chemistry, earth science, physics, English, French, German, Spanish, mathematics, or social studies who have the desire to teach in their content area. Completion of this degree, successfully passing the New York State Teacher's Exams, and fulfilling other NYSED requirements will qualify candidates to receive a New York State Initial teaching certificate in your content area for grades 7-12.
Candidates in this program complete seven graduate education courses across 12 months (summer, fall, spring) at our SUNY Oswego Syracuse campus. Candidates also complete two full-time, 15-week field placements (fall and spring semesters) working closely with a mentor teacher in the Syracuse City School District.
Mutually Beneficial Partnerships
Teacher residency preparation is known to benefit many groups, including candidates, mentor teachers, principals, college faculty, and especially the P-12 student learner. In addition to the individual partnership with mentor teachers and residents, we engage in collaborations across the university, school buildings, school districts, and state agencies that create communities of practice that grow and support residency teacher preparation.