TEP Essay Prompt & Instructions

TEP Application Essay
Due April 1st
Essay Prompt: Through your coursework in ED 225 and ED 255 or Music 132 you have learned of the
many challenges faced by teacher‐scholars for social justice. Discuss your understanding of two or three
specific challenges and the strengths you possess which will help you meet them.
As you write this essay, consider the following:
This application essay is not a retelling of the TEP Conceptual Framework; rather, it is a recasting
of the framework through the lens of your own reflection and experience.
The audience for this essay is the professional education faculty. After reading your essay, we
should have an understanding of who you are as a person and as a future educator. We should
be able to confidently admit you into the program, assured that you will be a strong addition to
classrooms within the community during your field work and student teaching experiences.
This essay represents your ability to adhere to the ISBE Language Arts Standards (LAS 2, A‐E).
While you should write this essay in the first person, be certain to use a professional tone.
We view this essay as an indication of your seriousness of purpose regarding a career in
education. To submit an essay that is poorly written or that contains grammatical errors implies
that you are not yet ready to take the next professional step of admission into the TEP. We
highly recommend that you revise and proofread your essay multiple times. Ask someone to
read your essay aloud verbatim as you listen carefully to what you have written. Ask yourself
whether what you have written is what you intended to say. We strongly recommend that you
visit the Writing Center as well.
While many undergraduates enter the field of education because of influential teachers in their
past, please refrain sharing your own stories of these inspiring teachers. We acknowledge the
influential role many of your former teachers have played, but we want to hear more about you
as a person now, not about your past experiences. In other words, we do not want to know why
you are considering a career in education; we want to know whether you understand the task
before you as an educator.
We assume that you enjoy working with children if you want to be a teacher; therefore, it is not
necessary to elaborate on this fact. Instead, focus on your own emerging understanding of what
it means to be a teacher‐scholar for social justice at this point in your education.

In assessing your essay, we will consider the following items:
Quality of writing: This is your opportunity to demonstrate your ability to engage in professional writing
in the field of education. Communicate your ideas clearly and concisely.
Content: Thoroughly and thoughtfully address the essay prompt.
Length: Your essay should be between one and two pages of single spaced text (11 or 12 font) with
one‐inch margins all around. It is always good to be concise, even while providing illustrative examples.
Your application essay will be blind‐reviewed by the professional education faculty and will be assessed
as satisfactory or unsatisfactory . In the latter case, you will have one opportunity to rewrite the essay.
The essay is just one measure of your eligibility for acceptance into the Teacher Education Program.
Candidates must meet all other entrance requirements explicated in the Teacher Education Handbook.
Questions about the application process? Consult with a faculty member in Educational Studies
or Music Education.