Choose a self-directed approach to your teacher education.

Community of Teachers (CoT) is a Teacher Education Program (TEP) for students preparing for a career at the secondary level, in K-12 World Languages and Fine Art, or in Special Education at the secondary or elementary level.

This innovative program allows you to work closely with a faculty facilitator and a cohort of students across content fields and at different stages of their education.

To apply to CoT, you must select the ‘Community of Teachers’ program option on the graduate application. If you are already in another graduate program at the School of Education, you must still select and add Community of Teachers to your application.

The Three Pillars of CoT

Seminar

CoT includes a seminar that meets weekly on Tuesday nights. Students collaborate in choosing the readings based around a chosen pedagogical theme. Students lead seminar with support from their faculty facilitator. Part of each class is dedicated to discussion of current topics in field experiences.

Portfolio

Each student in CoT creates a portfolio consisting of 16 expectations based on Indiana’s Ten Principles of Performance and the Interstate New Teacher Assessment Standards Consortium (INTASC) standards. Students gather evidence from their own educational background and their field experience. Students critically reflect on what their evidence means for their practice as a teacher. Completion of the portfolio leads to recommendation for licensure.

Field Experience

Extensive field experience is a cornerstone of CoT. Students choose an experienced teacher to be their mentor in the field. Students work with their mentor 6 hours a week for at least 2 semesters and during student teaching.