College of Education and Human Development

Teachers for Elementary and Middle Schools (TEAMS)

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TEAMS immerses students in professional course work and hands-on field experiences throughout their studies at USM. Beginning in the first year of study and continuing throughout the program, students participate in site based education coursework and internship experiences nearly every semester prior to their internship. This field work includes at least one semester doing community service in a social service agency in Portland. The culmination of the TEAMS Program includes a yearlong theory into practice
internship in which students have two extended placements: one in an elementary classroom and one in a middle level classroom in conjunction with taking 36 credit hours of graduate level coursework in educational pedagogy.

Another distinguishable aspect of the TEAMS Program is superior liberal arts preparation. Each TEAMS student earns a full major in the liberal arts instead of a degree in education. All students choose a liberal arts major, such as English, math, or psychology, as their subject area focus. In addition, all TEAMS students complete at least nine credit hours of mathematics and twelve credit hours of laboratory science courses (more coursework than is required by the State of Maine for K-8 certification). This design assures that TEAMS students graduate from USM with a strong liberal arts background, in-depth knowledge in their major and a broader background in math and science.

Students who complete the TEAMS Program earn their State of Maine K-8 teaching certificate, have a degree in a liberal arts discipline, and have completed 1200 hours in elementary and middle school classrooms in our partner school districts: Portland, Windham, and Scarborough. The TEAMS program is committed to having its students graduate well prepared for their first year of teaching and with a solid academic foundation, both of which serve them in the classroom and in future life endeavors.