Faculty of Education  Bachelor of Education  Primary/Junior Program 

Primary/Junior Program

Additional Information
 
Program Regulations

1.  Students must complete the required courses listed below.
2. Students must pass four practica and an Alternative Placement (listed below) prior to 
graduation.
3. Attendance at the Introduction to the Teaching Profession (Year 1) and Professional Practice 
Days (Year 2) (September) and Transition to Teaching (Year 2) is mandatory. Failure to attend will 
result in their ineligibility to graduate at convocation.
4.  Students must provide to the Faculty a copy of an up-to-date "clear" Vulnerable Sector 
Screening (police check). If they have a criminal record they will be unable to visit their PDS 
site or any school involved in the Wilfrid Laurier Teacher Education Program. Under these 
circumstances they will be unable to complete Faculty of Education program requirements.


     
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    Course Prerequisites

    Because the program is a two-year consecutive program, the entry requirements identified in the Admissions Section are preparation for the required courses in the program. The courses in Language and Literacy, Mathematics, and Special Education are sequential, such that the Level I course in each subject is prerequisite to the Level II course (as identified in the course descriptions below); however, these requirements are normally met through the scheduling of the courses. Together, the courses EU461 Teaching French as a Second Language in Grades K to 6 and EU436 French as a Second Language in Ontario Schools will be deemed equivalent to the French as a Second Language (FSL) Part 1 Additional Qualification course.

     
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    Program Requirements

    Students must complete the following Required EU courses: EU416P, EU417P, EU418P, EU419P, EU425P, EU426P, EU428P, EU429P, EU439°, EU452, EU453A, EU453B, EU454, EU455A°, EU455B°, EU455C, EU455D, EU456, EU457°, EU480, EU481P, EU482P, EU487P°, EU489°, EU490°, EU491°, EU492°, EU493°;

    and 0.5 credit from the following EU electives: EU430°, EU432°, EU433°, EU434°, EU436 (see Note 1), EU437°, EU438, EU440°, EU441°, EU442°, EU443°, EU444°, EU445, EU446°, EU447°, EU448°, EU449°, EU467, EU499°

    NOTE: TCs enrolled in PJ FSL must complete both EU436 and EU461

     
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    Progression and Graduation Requirements

    Bachelor of Education (BEd) students progress and graduate if they successfully complete all components of each required and elective course for 10.0 EU credits with a minimum grade of C in each course, an overall grade point average (GPA) of 8.00 (B), a Pass grade in all Professional Learning Seminar courses (EU456 and EU457°), and a Pass grade in all practicum placements.

     
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    Practica Requirements and Expectations

    Professional programs are designed to assist students in developing skills and knowledge needed for them to function as a member of their chosen profession. Virtually all professional programs mandate practical or field-based experience. Laurier's program is designed in recognition of candidates' need to learn from expert teachers in the context of such field-based experiences. In education, practicum placements or practica are required in provincial legislation though Regulation 283/13. The Laurier Teacher Education program exceeds the mandatory time requirement for practica. 

    The practicum experience is designed to assist Teacher Candidates (TCs) in accomplishing the following:

    • forging connections between theory and practice;
    • integrating and applying knowledge;
    • applying knowledge and skills from academic course work to meet the needs of diverse learners within the socio-cultural context of the classroom; and
    • working collaboratively with other professionals to improve student learning.

     


    As the Laurier program is based on a Professional Development School (PDS) model, Year 1 TCs will be assigned to one site from September through the first week in April. TCs will complete their practicum placements by working at these school sites for two practicum placements. In Year 2, TCs will be assigned to a new Laurier Partner School from September through the last week in April and also complete two practicum placements. Being associated with one school for eight months will allow the TCs to build collaborative professional relationships that will prepare them for effective integration into the broader education community of practice. The opportunity to spend eight months at a second school will allow the TCs to develop a broader understanding of the Ontario school context.


    Laurier's two-year program provides TCs with approximately 115 days of practical experience. In Year 1, TCs are assigned to one Laurier Partner School site for their two block-practica (EU455A°, EU455B°) and a number of days which occur during the weeks when classes are held. Practicum One (EU455A°) has a three-week block near the middle of the fall term. Practicum Two (EU455B°) is a three-week teaching block in the middle of the winter term. TCs will also complete a required 2-week Alternative Placement (EU452) at the end of Year 1. They will work in a voluntary capacity in various contexts where learning takes place, outside of the K-Grade 12 public education system, or may take advantage of international teaching opportunities.


    In Year 2, TCs are assigned to a different Laurier Partner School site for their school experience. The Fall Year 2 practica (EU455C) is one three-week block. In Winter of Year 2, TCs will complete an extended 8-week block practicum, the Laurier Professional Placement (LPP, EU455D). As required by Regulation 283/13, all P/J TCs will be assigned to both primary and junior classrooms for their practicum experiences.



     
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