BCU Announces Licensure Renewal Credit for Area Teachers

SIOUX CITY, Iowa – Briar Cliff University’s Department of Education and the education department at Morningside College, in collaboration with area public and nonpublic schools, the Northwest Area Education Agency, and the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners recently announced licensure renewal credit opportunities for area teachers.

As a result, at the start of the 2008-09 academic year, mentor teachers will be able to earn licensure renewal credit for working with practicum students and student teachers. Mentor teachers also can earn licensure renewal credit by attending cooperating teacher workshops and/or serving on an education advisory committee for Briar Cliff University or Morningside.

“Pre-service teachers need a minimum of 100 hours of field experience prior to student teaching,” said Sr. Ruth Schock, O.S.F., associate professor and chairperson. “This is why there is such a great need for classroom teachers to volunteer to mentor pre-service teachers.”

For the first time during the 2007-08 academic year, teachers could use e-mail to sign up to mentor pre-service teachers. 

“Using e-mail gave participating teachers the ability to immediately inform college supervisors of successes and challenges facing the pre-service teacher,” Schock said.

Classroom teachers who want to volunteer to mentor pre-service teachers during field experiences must submit their names to their building principal. 

Briar Cliff University is a Catholic institution with an enrollment of more than 1,100 students from 26 states, Bosnia, Canada, Ecuador and Pakistan.  Students are educated in the Franciscan tradition of excellence in the liberal arts and career preparation in an environment of care and compassion.