Program VITAL

VITAL is a field-based vocational teacher education program at Temple University that has been in existence since September 1973. Program VITAL is the first component of the field-based, competency-based teacher education outreach program. VITAL serves people who are skilled in an occupational area and who have been hired directly from industry, but who have little or no formal teacher preparation. An individual who successfully completes the program is awarded the Pennsylvania Vocational Instructional I teaching certificate. The program focuses on providing new vocational teachers with crucial teaching strategies for enhancing teaching practice and enabling students to use their minds constructively.

Program VITAL is delivered through a collaborative process that involves local school support and field resource personnel from Temple University and is designed to help teacher interns develop skills in instructional planning, delivery, evaluation, reflection, management, and portfolio analysis. Courses are delivered through a combination of off-campus classes taught by experienced classroom teachers and individualized, on-site helping conferences provided by Temple faculty. To achieve the program objective, multiple teaching resources are deployed for delivering instruction. These resources include individualized professional development plans, self-instruction modules, and supplementary reading materials that reflect current research in education, helping conferences, and instructional media.

To complete program VITAL, every intern must demonstrate to a Council of Educators (COE) that his or her teaching meets high standards set by the faculty. The council members consist of school administrators, master teachers, and teacher educators from Temple University. The performance assessment process enables the council to endorse an intern's teaching proficiency and, therefore, to recommend him or her for the Vocational Instructional I certificate.

Requirements

Undergraduate students enrolled in program VITAL must complete the following courses:

Graduate students enrolled in program VITAL must complete the following courses:

Additional requirements include the following:

• Passing a written examination
• Successfully completing a performance assessment administered by the Council of Educators (COE)

Contact Information:

Dr. Victor Gbomita

Phone: 215-204-6226
email: vgbomita@temple.edu