EPI Curriculum and Course Descriptions

This course prepares the teacher candidate to set up a classroom, establish classroom policies and procedures, create objective-based lesson plans and use the state standards to develop  lessons and lesson plans.  The teacher candidate learns to develop and administer various forms of assessment and establish and maintain cooperative relations with parents.  Various styles of presentations and teaching strategies are modeled by the instructor.  In addition the teacher candidate will learn to research professional literature to seek best practices and hone the craft of effective instruction.

This course introduces the “best practices” for teaching and learning. Teacher candidates actively participate in planning and teaching using a variety of instructional strategies.  Teacher candidates will experience teaching a lesson to peers; feedback is provided by peers and a trained observer.

This course is designed to familiarize teacher candidates with various learning theories and stages of human development as they relate to the teaching and learning process.  Teacher candidates will learn how to interpret and use standardized test results, develop strategies to meet the needs of students with exceptionalities and second language learners.  Teacher candidates will be introduced to multiple educational theorists. In this course teacher candidates will develop strategies for critical thinking skills and understand how motivation, persistence and intelligence contribute to the learning process.

Teachers will understand how to select and administer appropriate assessments and analyze data to inform reading instruction to meet the needs of all students. Teachers will engage in the systematic problem solving process. Teachers will have a broad knowledge of students from different profiles in order to understand and apply research-based instructional practices by differentiating process, product and context. Teachers will engage in the systemic problem solving process. EPI permission required to allow audit.

Teachers will understand how to select and administer appropriate assessments and analyze data to inform reading instruction to meet the needs of all students. Teachers will engage in the systematic problem solving process. Teachers will have a broad knowledge of students from different profiles in order to understand and apply research-based instructional practices by differentiating process, product and context. Teachers will engage in the systemic problem solving process. EPI permission required to allow audit.

This course integrates research-based theory and practice, using innovative teaching strategies for K-12. Students will engage in activities that promote reading skills and that are easily adaptable to meet the various learning styles and needs found in today's classroom. The focus is on the following literacy areas: oral language, phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, comprehension and fluency. This course integrates researchbased theory and practice, using innovative teaching strategies for K-12. Students will engage in activities that promote reading skills and that are easily adaptable to meet the various learning styles and needs found in today's classroom. The focus is on the following literacy areas: oral language, phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, comprehension and fluency. Prerequisites: EPI 0010 and EPI 0013.

This course provides the teacher candidate with a foundation for becoming a professional, productive member of the teaching profession. The teacher candidate will gain an understanding of the organization and administration of the public school, the laws governing teachers, the code of ethics, and the purpose of schools

This course provides the teacher candidate with an understanding of the variety of backgrounds and cultures that may be found among students in a typical classroom. The teacher candidate will gain a broader view of the social aspects of diversity and reevaluate the role of personal beliefs and prejudices in the learning process.

The purpose of the field experiences is to provide the opportunity for a meaningful, active teaching experience in the classroom. The teacher candidate will observe, interact, work with a host teacher and teach students in the K-12 classroom setting.  Teacher candidates complete the field experience in the subject area and age appropriate classroom aligned with the area of certification. The teacher candidate is observed and assessed using the teacher assessment tool that is currently used in the School District of Hillsborough County.