Philosophy of Education

• For most in teacher training, philosophy of education serves as an introduction to the profession. Students often take this course during their first year of study to ensure that they are fully informed of what it means to be a teacher and are ready to take on this task. Some schools require that those applying for the education program take this course prior to being admitted into the program.
  
  

Child Development

• All teachers take at least one child development course during their training. This course ensures that educators are aware of the developmental stages through which children pass and prepares them to use this knowledge to more effectively educate students of all ages. In some cases, teacher candidates take a general child development class, while in others the child development class is more tailored to the ages of the students they intend to teach.
  
  

Instructional Methods

• Near the end of their college experience, teachers take instructional methods. In their methods course, teachers learn the methods they have at their disposal for teaching children. Generally, this course provides students with a plethora of teaching options, educating them on activities that prove effective in teaching their subject area and provide them with the know-how to create these activities once charged with the task of teaching.
  
  

Assessment

• In their assessment courses, teachers in training learn different methods for assessing student comprehension. During this class they learn how to create and grade tests, how to develop rubrics and how to perform effective observations of students. This course also often includes information on how often to assess and how to use these assessment results to better prepare for teaching students.
  
  

Classroom Management

• Teachers cannot teach students if they cannot get them to behave. For this reason, teachers in training must take a classroom management course. In courses of this type, teachers learn methods for dealing with students of varying backgrounds. They often explore how to create effective rules, how to develop punishments and how to set up behavioral systems that keep students in line and ready to learn.