Information for Prospective Secondary School Teachers
Thinking about becoming a high-school or middle-school science teacher?
To find out more about how you can use your degree in physics to become a teacher, meet other students who are on their way to becoming teachers, and learn about fellowship opportunities:
* come talk to the credential advisor in the Department of Physics
and Astronomy:
Adrienne Cool
416 Thornton Hall
cool@sfsu.edu
(415) 338-6450
* visit the Center for Science and Mathematics Education (CSME)
Science building Room 211 (SCI 211)
(415) 405-4190
csme@mail.sfsu.edu
http://www.csmesf.org
* while you are there, talk to Jamie Chan
Jamie Chan
Program Director
CSME Teacher Fellowship Program
Science building Room 211 (SCI 211)
jmchan@sfsu.edu
(415) 405-4047
* talk to a faculty member who teaches future high-school science
teachers in SFSU's credential program
Lawrence Horvath
Department of Secondary Education
Graduate College of Education
55 Burk Hall
lhorvath@sfsu.edu
(415) 338-2693
What support is available for students interested in becoming teachers?
The CSME Teacher Fellowship program offers a wide variety of support to help students explore their interest in becoming K-12 science or math teachers:
* CSME Teacher Fellowships
(up to $1500/semester support for students considering teaching as a career)
* SFSU Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program
(supports 10 future STEM teachers at $10,000 per year for up to 3 years)
* intensive peer and staff mentoring
* information about, and support for, applying for external fellowship
and internship opportunities
* monthly workshops with speakers from local sci/tech museums,
educational organizations, SFSU faculty, and local in-service K-12
teachers
* numerous community service opportunities in science and mathematics
* private on-campus study center
What classes can help me explore my interest in teaching?
Biology 652/Science 652 is an upper division science course intended for undergraduate and graduate science students interested in revisiting and applying their science knowledge, understanding common misconceptions in science, gaining experience in teaching science in the K-12 setting, exploring the field of science teaching as a potential career, and learning science through teaching science. SFSU students engage in service-learning fieldwork through partnerships with SFUSD and Northern San Mateo County school teachers and their students.
Note that this is a limited-enrollment class; interested students will need to fill out a Student Interest Form the semester before they wish to enroll in the course.
For further information, contact:
Kimberly D. Tanner, Ph.D
Associate Professor, Department of Biology
Director, SEPAL:
The Science Education Partnership and Assessment Laboratory
http://www.sfsusepal.org/
kdtanner@sfsu.edu
How do I prepare to become a secondary-school teacher in California?
There are four steps to prepare to be a secondary-school teacher in California:
(1) complete a bachelors degree
Any of the SFSU physics degrees may be used to fulfill this requirement.
Recommended degree programs for future teachers are the BA in physics
or the BA in physics with a concentration in astronomy. More details...
(2) demonstrate competence in your subject area
Your knowledge of physics and related material may be demonstrated either
via coursework or via examinations administered by the state of California.
What options are available to you depends on which of three possible
pathways you choose. More details...
(3) gain experience in a high-school or middle-school classroom
This can be accomplished by taking Biology 652/Science 652; this course
links science students with classroom teachers in the San Francisco Bay
Area. Alternatively, students may complete the required hours of
classroom observation on their own. Teacher contact lists are available
from Jamie Chan at CSME.
(4) Complete a credential program
Students are eligible to apply for a credential program when they have
completed steps (1)-(3) above (or will complete them by the time they would
enter the program). SFSU offers a 1-year full-time credential program.
It is also possible to complete the credential program in two years, part-time,
while already teaching high school. Other universities in the Bay Area and
beyond also offer credential programs.
Note that while it is possible to teach private school with just a
bachelors degree, most private schools prefer that their teachers
have the same credentials required by public schools.
What classes should I take if I want to be a physics teacher?
The answer to this question depends on what you want to teach. High-school physics teachers need to be able to teach other subjects as well. It is generally recommended to combine physics with general science. It is also possible to combine physics with mathematics.
(1) PHYSICS WITH GENERAL SCIENCE
Students who want to combine physics with general science can follow one of the following two programs of study which combine a degree in physics with the coursework required to complete the approved "Single Subject Matter Program" in physics.
Recommended sequence with BA in Physics
Recommended sequence with BA in Physics,
Concentration in Astronomy
Students who complete one of these course sequences do NOT have to take the CSET examinations.
(2) PHYSICS WITH MATHEMATICS
Students who which instead to combine physics with mathematics will need to complete two CSET examinations in physics before entering a credential program. Any of the physics majors can be pursued. To demonstrate competence to teach mathematics in combination with physics, there are several alternatives. Students who choose this path may find it helpful to add a math minor to their physics major. The minor requires 24 units of coursework in mathematics.
What will I be able to teach once I have a credential?
This depends on which of three options you choose for how to demonstrate your competence in physics and related material. You can be certified to teach (1) physics at any level along with general science through the 9th grade level; (2) physics only (not recommended since high schools need teachers who can teach more than just physics); or (3) physics plus math. For the latter pathway, it is recommended that students complete a math minor along with their physics major.
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Which physics degree is right for me if I want to be a high-school teacher?
Any of SFSU's physics degrees will prepare you to teach high-school physics. However, the BA degrees are generally recommended for future teachers, as they leave sufficient space in a 4-year program of study to enable students to add coursework in other sciences and/or in math. To be employable by most high schools, prospective teachers need to be able to teach general science (through 9th grade level) or mathematics along with physics. BS degrees are designed for students who plan to go on to graduate work in physics or astronomy. They are also excellent preparation for teaching physics, but additional units in math or other sciences may be needed to prepare to enter a credential program.
Students who complete a Masters degree in physics can be certified to teach high-school physics at any level after completing a credential program. However, they too will want to prepare themselves to teach either mathematics or other sciences as well.
What options do I have for demonstrating competence in my subject matter(s)?
Students who wish to become high-school physics teachers have three choices. The first of these, which qualifies you to teach general science along with physics, is the pathway recommended in most cases. The second route qualifies you to teach only physics; it is allowable but not recommended, as nearly all high schools require that their physics teachers be able to teach at least one other subject in addition to physics. The third route combines physics with mathematics instead of general science.
(1) PHYSICS + GENERAL SCIENCE
This option leads to a so-called "Single Subject Teaching Credential in Science: Physics" once a student has completed a credential program (step (4) above). This is the pathway that is generally recommended, as it enables you to teach not only high-school physics (at any level) but also general science through the 9th grade level. Few if any high schools teach enough physics classes to employ a teacher who can teach only physics, so it is important to be certified to teach other subjects as well.
For this option, you can demonstrate competence in one of two ways:
(i) by completing a sequence of courses that make up the approved
"Single Subject Matter Program" in physics at SFSU, in consultation
with an advisor. Most (though not all) of the "depth" courses in this
program are incorporated in any of the physics degrees. The "breadth"
coursework consists of mainly lower-division courses in other sciences.
Students who complete this program are not required to take the
"California Subject Examinations for Teachers (CSET)" exams.
ii) by passing the following three CSET examinations:
* Science Subtest I: General Science (test code 118)
* Science Subtest II: General Science (test code 119)
* Science Subtest III: Physics (test code 123)
(2) PHYSICS "SPECIALIZED"
One can enter the credential program having demonstrated competence only in physics. However, this option certifies you to teach physics only and is therefore NOT a recommended pathway to becoming a teacher. Few if any high schools teach enough physics classes to be able to employ a teacher who only teaches physics. This option can be made viable by combining it with a certification in another subject (e.g., mathematics---see option (3) below).
This option leads to what is called a "Single Subject Teaching Credential in Physics (Specialized)" once the student has completed the credential program. Competence is demonstrated by passing the following two CSET examinations:
* Science Subtest III: Physics (test code 123)
* Science Subtest IV: Physics (Specialized) (test code 127)
(3) PHYSICS "SPECIALIZED" + MATHEMATICS
There are three alternatives for pursuing this option, which enables you to teach both physics and mathematics. Regardless of which option is chosen, students considering this route may wish to increase their knowledge of mathematics by completing a minor in math along with their major in physics. Math courses should be chosen in consultation with an advisor familiar with the CSET examinations.
This option leads to a "Single Subject Teaching Credential in Physics (Specialized) and Mathematics" once the student has completed the credential program. To demonstrate competence to teach physics, the following CSET examinations are required:
* Science Subtest III: Physics (test code 123)
* Science Subtest IV: Physics (Specialized) (test code 127)
In conjunction with the "Single Subject Teaching Credential in Physics (Specialized)," there are three alternatives for demonstrating subject-matter competence in mathematics:
(i) Complete 32 units of mathematics courses to be eligible to teach all K-12
math. This option, which requires 8 units of math beyond the minor,
exempts students from having to take the CSET examinations in
mathematics. Coursework must be approved by an advisor.
(ii) Complete the following CSET examinations in mathematics to be eligible
to teach all K-12 math:
* Mathematics Subtest I (test code 110)
* Mathematics Subtest II (test code 111)
* Mathematics Subtest III (test code 112)
(iii) Complete the following CSET examinations in mathematics to be eligible
to teach "Foundational Level Math," which includes a subset of K-12 math
courses:
* Mathematics Subtest I (test code 110)
* Mathematics Subtest II (test code 111)
Approved "Single Subject Matter Program" (SSMP) in physics
This is a program of coursework approved in June 2010 by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing. Students who complete this program do NOT have to take the CSET examinations to demonstrate competence in their subject area. This program is thus also known as the "waiver" program, as completion of it waives the CSET examination requirement.
The SSMP coursework consists of a group of "depth" courses and a group of "breadth" courses. The "depth" courses are primarily physics courses that are part of every SFSU bachelors degree program in physics. Those depth courses that are not required courses in the major can be taken as electives. The "breadth" courses are primarily lower-division courses in sciences other than physics. Some of these can count towards GE requirements.
Recommended course sequences to complete the SSMP along with a physics
major are as follows:
Recommended sequence with BA in Physics
Recommended sequence with BA in Physics,
Concentration in Astronomy
Depth courses required in the approved SSMP in physics at SFSU
| PHYS 220/222 | General Physics with Calculus I with Lab | 4* |
fall or spring |
| PHYS 230/232 | General Physics with Calculus II with Lab | 4* |
fall or spring |
| PHYS 240/242 |
General Physics with Calculus III with Lab | 4* |
fall or spring |
| PHYS 320 | Modern Physics I | 3* |
fall |
| PHYS 321 | Modern Physics Lab | 2* |
fall |
| ASTR 405 or SCI 510 |
Astrobiology or Search for Solutions |
3** |
spring |
| PHYS 490 or ASTR 498 |
Physics Project
Laboratory or Research Literature in Astronomy |
2** |
spring |
| SCI 652 |
SFSU Science Partners in
K-12 Schools |
4** |
fall |
| PHYS 695 |
Culminating Experience
in Physics |
1* |
spring |
| TOTAL DEPTH UNITS |
27 |
* course is required in all physics degree programs
** course may be taken to fulfill elective requirements for physics degree
programs
Breadth courses required in the approved SSMP in physics at SFSU
| ASTR 115 or ASTR 300 |
Introduction to Astronomy
or Stars, Planets, and the Milky Way |
3 |
fall or spring; spring |
| ASTR 116 or ASTR 301 |
Astronomy Laboratory or Observational Astronomy Lab |
1-2 |
fall or spring; fall |
| GEOL 110 | Physical Geology | 4 |
fall or spring |
| CHEM 115 | General Chemistry I with Lab | 5 |
fall or spring |
| BIOL 230 | Introduction to Biology I
with Lab |
5 |
fall or spring |
| BIOL 240 | Introduction to Biology
II with Lab |
5 |
fall or spring |
| GEOL/METR/OCN 405 | Planetary Climate Change | 4 |
fall |
| TOTAL BREADTH UNITS | 27-28 |
Note that 6 units of physical science and 3 units of biological
science class can be counted toward GE Segment II requirements.
Recommended sequence for combining "BA in Physics" with Single-Subject Matter Program in Physics (in preparation for a teacher credential in physics)
| year in program |
FALL |
SPRING |
| YEAR 1 |
MATH
226 |
MATH
227 |
| "" |
ASTR
115/116 |
PHYS
200/222 |
| "" |
CHEM
115 |
GEOL
110 |
| YEAR 2 |
MATH
228 |
MATH
245 |
| "" |
PHYS
230/232 |
PHYS
240/242 |
| "" |
BIOL
230 |
BIOL
240 |
| YEAR 3 |
PHYS
320/321 |
PHYS
360 |
| "" |
PHYS
330 |
PHYS
370 |
| "" |
PHYS
385 |
|
| YEAR 4 |
PHYS
490 |
PHYS
491 |
| "" |
GEOL/METR/OCN
405 |
PHYS
695 |
| "" |
SCI
652 |
ASTR
405 |
Recommended sequence for combining "BA in Physics: Concentration in Astronomy" with Single-Subject Matter Program in Physics (in preparation for a teacher credential in physics)
| year in program |
FALL |
SPRING |
| YEAR 1 |
MATH
226 |
MATH
227 |
| "" |
ASTR
115 |
PHYS
220/222 |
| "" |
CHEM
115 |
GEOL
110 |
| YEAR 2 |
MATH
228 |
MATH
245 |
| "" |
PHYS
230/232 |
PHYS
240/242 |
| "" |
BIOL
230 |
BIOL
232 |
| YEAR 3 |
PHYS
320 |
ASTR
300 |
| "" |
PHYS
321 |
ASTR
340 |
| "" |
ASTR
301 |
|
| YEAR 4 |
GEOL/METR/OCN
405 |
ASTR
405 |
| "" |
SCI
652 |
PHYS
695 |
Credential advisors
Adrienne Cool
Department of Physics and Astronomy
416 Thornton Hall
cool@sfsu.edu
(415) 338-6450
http://www.physics.sfsu.edu/~cool
Eric Hsu
Department of Mathematics
Science Building, Room 211
erichsu@sfsu.edu
510-224-4604
http://math.sfsu.edu/hsu
