Eric Hsu's Home Page

Advising for Math Teaching Concentration

Preparing for Advising for the Math Teaching Concentration

Hello, welcome to the major! You have great intellectual taste. I am Eric Hsu, and you can find out more about me at my home page. We will meet to plot out a reasonable sequence of coursework that will prepare you to be a great teacher in a timely way.

To prepare for your advising session with me, you need to

The recommended way to be prepared and authorized to teach math in middle or high school is to earn a single-subject math credential in the following way.

The credential will authorize you to teach mathematics in any secondary classroom in California.

There are alternate routes, which are discussed at the very end of this page, but this one is the best preparation to be a good teacher.

You can see the recommended math coursework requirements and roadmaps in the Bulletin.

Common Scheduling Mistakes

Transferring

If you plan to transfer, try to come in with as much coursework as possible. Most local community colleges have an articulation agreement to offer SFSU equivalents to 226, 227, 228, CS 210 and 325. This will allow you to finish your BA in a civilized two years with the above pattern for Year 3 and 4 (swapping 301 and 325, and also that you will have to choose one upper-division elective to reach 40 upper division units, since 325 doesn’t articulate as upper divison units).

Brief Highlights of the Coursework

Here are the courses that people find most challenging (and rewarding). Give yourself a fair shot by not overloading yourself when taking these courses.

There are two courses especially tuned for future teachers.

Complementary Studies for Mathematics Majors

Don’t worry about this. Math majors will get this automatically by taking your GEs normally.

Alternate Pathways (optional reading)

…to a Secondary Math Teaching Credential Here is the original recommended pathway, annotated with alternatives.

  1. Earn SFSU’s BA in Mathematics, Concentration in Teaching.
    • An alternative is to get a BA in some kind of Mathematics (BA Math all concentrations, BS Statistics, BS Applied Math) without need for a CSET, or a BA in any field and to pass CSET Math Subtests 1, 2 & 3. You must also spend 45 hours observing in diverse public school secondary mathematics classrooms. PROS: Don’t have to take all the teacher coursework. CONS: You don’t get actual math preparation! And tests are stressful. This path only makes sense for people who already have a BA in a math-heavy field or have a experience in a math-heavy career.
  2. Take a year of graduate study in any credential program in California, to earn a single-subject mathematics credential.

    • An alternative to the single-year format is to enter an “internship” program. You still need to show math competency by coursework or test as described in (1). You would start a job teaching right away after your Bachelors, and over two years, take the coursework of the single-year credential program during night and weekends. PROS: You earn money and get in the classroom right away. CONS: This is like having two stressful full-time jobs. You are teaching before being prepared for it. …to a Middle School / Lower HS Math Teaching Credential If you only want to teach middle school, or mathematics in high school below trigonometry, here is an alternate pathway.
  3. Earn SFSU’s BA in Mathematics, Concentration in Teaching.
    • An alternative is to get a BA of whatever field and to pass CSET Math Subtests 1 and 2 (not 3). You must also spend 45 hours observing in diverse public school secondary mathematics classrooms.
  4. Take a year of graduate study in any credential program in California, to earn a Foundational Level Mathematics credential.
    • If you already have a credential, either multiple-subjects or single-subject, and show competency through coursework or test as described in (1), then you can instead take a single secondary math methods course and get your Foundational Level Mathematics credential..

A Foundational Level Math credential is, naturally, less attractive to employers than a full Single Subject Math credential, because the latter allows you to teach any mathematics throughout high school.