Instructor Qualifications for FSOS 1211

The qualifications listed below reflect the minimum qualifications a high school instructor must meet before applying to teach the UMN course FSOS 1211: An Interdisciplinary Look at the Family in Multicultural America

Licensure

CIS instructors must have a valid Minnesota teaching license or an approved alternative

Experience and proficiencies (all required)

• Three years of experience teaching, including at least two years of experience teaching courses based in a social science field
• Experience teaching diverse populations
• Experience with service learning or community engagement projects that provide students with a structured learning experience as well as an opportunity to contribute positively to their community;
• Experience teaching core concepts/theories within the social sciences and applying them to current events and student observations

Demonstration of advanced, relevant content knowledge (select one)

1. Graduate degree in one of the following fields: Social Sciences, Human Ecology, Psychology, Human Development, Sociology, Family and Consumer Science or Family Studies. A social sciences education graduate degree is also applicable if it included significant graduate coursework specific to one of the fields
2. Graduate degree in any field plus 18 graduate credit hours in any of the fields above or in topics that are included in the course, including diverse perspectives on the family or community,service learning, community engagement, human development, literature, political science, economics or philosophy courses related to race, ethnicity, class, gender, sexual orientation, disability or social justice — in particular, coursework that has explored these issues through diverse perspectives
3. Graduate degree in any field plus six significant equivalent experience options from A through K, below
4. Undergraduate degree in social studies with significant coursework in diverse perspectives on the family or community, service learning, human development, child psychology, literature, political science, economics or philosophy courses related to race, ethnicity, class, gender, sexual orientation, disability or social justice — in particular, coursework that has explored these issues through diverse perspectives, plus eight significant equivalent experience options from A through K, below

Description of Equivalent Experience Options (only required if #3 or #4 is selected above)

A: graduate credits in related fields

Related fields include, but are not limited to, child development, adult education, human ecology, family resource management, family social science, sociology, anthropology, parent education, child psychology. These need not have been taken as part of a graduate degree program.

• Three semester-length credits is considered one experience
• Can be applied up to eight times

If including this option in your Description of Professional Experience, include a list of relevant graduate coursework. For each course include the title, where taken, and number of credits earned. Faculty will evaluate the courses you list for relevancy to the topics taught in the UMN course or to advanced topics in the same field. If the applicability isn’t obvious from the course title, please describe the relevance.

B: Professional development workshops

Specifically workshops, trainings, conferences, or seminars in the fields of child development, adult education, human ecology, family resource management, family social science, sociology, anthropology, parent education, child psychology, service learning, etc. For example, MDE workshops about working effectively with families or agencies supporting families, relevant required topics for continuing education, or MOOCs on relevant topics.

• 30 hours of professional development is considered one experience
• Can be applied up to eight times

If including this option in your Description of Professional Experience, include a list of each professional development workshop, the sponsoring group or organization, and total hours. Refer to Faculty Guiding Questions #1: Discipline-specific professional development.

C: Published textbook, journal article or essay

May include similar scholarly or creative work on related topics such as but not limited to, culturally responsive teaching, best practices for working with families, strategies for supporting diverse students, asset-based teaching approaches.

• Each publication is considered one experience
• Can be applied up to eight times

If including this option in your Description of Professional Experience, describe the significance of the work, particularly as it applies to the topics covered in the UMN course or to advanced topics in the same field. Include a link to the publication or provide, with your application, an abstract or copy that lists your authorship.

D: Experience with families or parents

For example, leadership or community outreach positions in parent or family associations, family advocacy organizations such as PACER, or other advocacy organizations such as CLUES, Hmong American Partnership, or the American Indian Center. May include paid employment or volunteer work. May include work outside of education such as in a religiously-based organization.

• Every 30 hours is considered one experience
• Can be applied up to four times

If including this option in your Description of Professional Experience, describe your experiences using tips from Faculty Guiding Questions, #9: Experience requiring regular use of skills or content knowledge related to the field.

E: Participation in a discipline-specific community of practice

This includes significant personal practice to develop relevant skills or understandings, for example, involvement in community-based participatory research or action research.

• Every 40 hours is considered one experience
• Can be applied up to four times

If including this option in your Description of Professional Experience, respond to Faculty Guiding Questions, #6: Discipline-specific community of practice.

F: Fellowships or awards for recognition of teaching in social sciences

This includes recognition of high school or undergraduate teaching from school, district, state, regional, national, or international organizations.

• Each award is considered one experience
• Can be applied up to four times

If including this option in your Description of Professional Experience, describe your awards using tips from Faculty Guiding Questions, #8: Receiving an award or other recognition.

G: Successful and effective teaching experience in a course leading to undergraduate credit

These should be in a relevant topic. Topics such as diverse perspectives on the family or community; service learning; human development; education; literature, political science, economics, or philosophy courses related to race, ethnicity, class, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or social justice; in particular, coursework that has explored these issues through diverse perspectives. Courses may include dual credit, Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, or teaching undergraduates on a college or university campus.

• Three years of teaching is considered one experience
• Can be applied up to four times

If including this option in your Description of Professional Experience, describe your teaching experience using tips from Faculty Guiding Questions, #3: Teaching of a course leading to undergraduate credit for students.

H: Discipline-specific leadership role

In a role such as department chair in a secondary or postsecondary institution, leading a curriculum review or curriculum development team, serving on the board of a charter school that works with culturally diverse students, facilitating the development of a service learning program, or serving as a lead teacher or instructional coach in a relevant discipline.

• Each year in a role is considered one experience
• Can be applied up to four times

If including this option in your Description of Professional Experience, respond to Faculty Guiding Questions, #4: Discipline-specific leadership role.

I: Presentations at relevant conferences

Specifically local, state, regional, or national workshops or conferences such as the National Council on Family Relations, MEA, or the Minnesota Association for Family and Early Education.

• Each presentation is considered one experience
• Can be applied up to four times

If including this option in your Description of Professional Experience, list and describe presentations using tips from Faculty Guiding Questions, #5: Presentations.

J: Serve as a content or pedagogy trainer or coach, or student teacher supervisor

• Each year in role is considered one experience
• Can be applied up to four times

If including this option in your Description of Professional Experience, list and describe roles using tips from Faculty Guiding Questions, #9: Experience requiring regular use of skills or content knowledge related to the field and/or to #7: Student teacher supervisor.

K: Experience, over time, interacting with systems to support healthy development in your students

For example, working with social service organizations on behalf of homeless students, or working with school administrators to develop policies and processes to protect students who are subjected to bullying.

• Every 40 hours is considered one experience
• Can be applied up to four times

If including this option in your Description of Professional Experience, describe the scope, duration, and significance of your work, including details about the systems you interacted with. Reflect on your own growth and development, particularly as these apply to the topics covered in the UMN course or to advanced topics in the same field.