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Education/Teaching

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A teacher in front of a classroom of children

If you have ever thought that you might want to be a teacher, then  we have great news for you. Thanks to a program of courses offered by the Los Rios College – American River, Cosumnes River, Folsom Lake, and Sacramento City – you now can get your two year AA or AA-T degree and transfer to a CSU or UC to complete your BA degree. You then will be ready to enter the teaching credential program.

The first two years at a Los Rios Community College offer all the courses you need, including the two field experience courses – ENGED 320 and ENGED 324/ECE 350 – to be eligible for transfer to the CSU system.

The unique opportunity of the two field experience courses places prospective teachers in schools working alongside credentialed teachers. In this way, you quickly discover if teaching is the profession for you.

Roadmaps

Road maps lay out all of the courses you need to take for a given degree or certificate.

A.A./A.S. Degrees

Dean Pam Chao
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Associate Degree

A.A. in Liberal Studies for Elementary Teacher Education

This is a multidisciplinary program designed for students planning to teach in the elementary school setting. The coursework provides students with foundational knowledge necessary for transfer to a teacher preparation program at a four year college or university and career success as educators, including courses covering pedagogy, professional knowledge, and discipline specific subject matter.

Further education at the university level will be necessary to fulfill the requirements for a teaching credential authorizing service in California public schools.

Required preparation for a bachelor’s degree in this major can vary widely, so it is critical that students planning to transfer to a four year college or university meet with a counselor.

Catalog Date: August 1, 2024

Degree Requirements

Course Code	Course Title	Units
BIOL 303	Survey of Biology	4
COMM 361	The Communication Experience (3)	3
or COMM 301	Introduction to Public Speaking (3)
ECE 312	Child Development (3)	3
or PSYC 372	Child Development (3)
ECE 350	Introduction to Elementary Teaching with Field Experience (3)	3
or ENGED 324	Introduction to Elementary Teaching with Field Experience (3)
ENGED 305	Structure of English	3
ENGED 320	Service Learning: Tutoring Elementary Students in Reading	3
ENGWR 300	College Composition (3)	3 - 4
or ENGWR 480	Honors College Composition (3)
or ESLW 340	Advanced Composition (4)
ENGWR 301	College Composition and Literature (3)	3 - 4
or ENGWR 302	Advanced Composition and Critical Thinking (3)
or ENGWR 303	Argumentative Writing and Critical Thinking Through Literature (4)
or ENGWR 481	Honors College Composition and Literature (3)
or ENGWR 482	Honors Advanced Composition and Critical Thinking (3)
or ESL 350	Critical Reading, Research and Writing Through Literature (4)
GEOL 305	Earth Science (3)	4
and GEOL 306	Earth Science Laboratory (1)
HIST 307	History of World Civilizations to 1500 (3)	3
or HIST 308	History of World Civilizations, 1500 to Present (3)
HIST 310	History of the United States (To 1877) (3)	3
or HIST 483	History of the United States - Honors (3)
MATH 310	Mathematical Discovery	3
POLS 301	Introduction to Government: United States (3)	3
or POLS 481	Introduction to Government: United States - Honors (3)
Total Units:		41 - 43

The Liberal Studies for Elementary Teacher Education Associate in Arts (A.A.) degree may be obtained by completion of the required program, plus general education requirements, plus sufficient electives to meet a 60-unit total. See ARC graduation requirements.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this program, the student will be able to:

identify the requirements and expectations of the teaching profession.
integrate the attitudes, actions, dispositions, and behaviors required of a professional educator into a teaching skill set.
apply knowledge of child development and learning theories to assess the characteristics of teaching practices and learning conditions.
examine and apply culturally relevant, anti-bias, and equity-based teaching practices in educational settings.
clarify and articulate professional goals as an educator.
build a knowledge base in a number of general education topics necessary for teaching multiple subjects in the elementary school setting.
apply analytical reading, writing, research, and critical thinking skills to gain knowledge and teach it to others.

Career Information

Students completing the program have the ability to work in before and after school programs and as instructional assistants in elementary and middle schools. Upon completing the required university level work, students can be employed as an elementary or middle school teacher.

Check Out Degree Planner

If you're interested in a transfer degree (AA-T or AS-T), then check out Degree Planner, a tool that helps you complete your degree efficiently by mapping out what courses to take and when to take them.

Degree Planner

ARC Teacher Preparation Program

If you ever thought you might want to be a teacher,  we have great news for you.

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