Professional Development School
Professional Development School I (PDS I) Program
PDS I is a unique opportunity to spend a semester in a public school classroom with a professional educator. It is considered to be an important step toward the student teaching experience and an important step overall to becoming a highly effective teacher. During the PDS I semester, students are placed in one of five Hamilton County public schools, Brown Academy, Battle Academy, Chattanooga School for the Arts and Sciences (CSAS), Red Bank Elementary or Normal Park Museum Magnet. Students are required to be at their assigned placements for the full school day. This is to allow students to get the real experience of being an educator within a school. Typically, students are unable to work full-time jobs due to the obligations of being at their assigned school. Along with getting the hands-on classroom experience, students will work with UTC professors throughout the week to better develop educational instruction they are observing and practicing at their placements. UTC classes will meet either in the PDS I school or on UTC campus. This busy, intense semester is hard work and a very rewarding experience.
In your PDS I school setting, you will be assigned to two different classrooms over the semester. There will be times that you will be observing, making copies, or preparing materials, and there will be times that you will have the opportunity to teach a lesson, tutor one-on-one, or teach small groups. Once again, this is extremely valuable experience for a teacher candidate. The PDS I semester is an important opportunity to network with other educators and school administrators. By experiencing PDS I, you will see the connection between theory and practice and become more comfortable in the classroom setting, and your student teaching experience will come more naturally. This experience will also help you determine if teaching is the right career for you! Students who apply for this program must understand and adhere to the School Of Education's professionalism guidelines as listed in the School of Educations dispositions.
Since each student will be representing the School of Education and the University of Tennessee Chattanooga, professional dress and behavior is required.
Apply Now - Click here to view application.
Application Deadlines: November 15 for spring semester and June 15 for fall semester
- An email will be sent to let you know if you have met the requirements for PDS I. You will also receive your CRNs and PIN.
Below is a list of hour and credits received by completing PDS I:
(List sorted by major)
PRE K-3 (19 hours)
Course #
EDUC 3090 Young Exceptional Learners Characteristics and Needs
EDUC 3170 Designing Instruction for Inclusive Classroom
EDUC 3220 Literacy I
EDUC 4999 Group Studies
ECHD 3450 Management of Early Childhood Environments
ECHD 4460 Strategies for Assessing Young Children
USTU 3300 Arts Integration
Placed at: Battle, Normal Park, and Red Bank
MIDDLE GRADES (19 hours)
Course #
EDUC 3170 Designing Instruction for Inclusive Classroom
EDUC 3210 Teaching Reading in Secondary and Middle Schools
EDUC 4000 Survey of Exceptional Learners
EDUC 4180 Middle Grades-Organization, Instruction, Curriculum
EDUC 4999 Group Studies
ECHD 2420 Adolescent Development
ECHD 4450 Families: Home, School, Community Partnerships
Placed at: CSAS
SECONDARY GRADES (16 hours)
Course #
EDUC 3210 Teaching Reading in Secondary and Middle Schools
EDUC 4000 Survey of Exceptional Learners
EDUC 4180 Middle Grades-Organization, Instruction, Curriculum
EDUC 4330 Designing Instruction/Evaluation in the Secondary Classroom
EDUC 4999 Group Studies
ECHD 2420 Adolescent Development
Placed at: CSAS
SPECIAL EDUCATION (16 hours)
Course #
EDUC 3170 Designing Instruction for Inclusive Classroom
EDUC 3220 Literacy I
EDUC 4000 Survey of Exceptional Learners
EDUC 4999 Group Studies
ECHD 2430 Adolescent Development
ECHD 4450 Families: Home, School, Community Partnerships
Placed at: CSAS
Chattanooga School for the Arts and Sciences