This course provides an introduction to the teaching profession using public school classrooms as the setting for observation during internship. The course develops an understanding of the multiple aspects of the teachers' work and explores a range of key issues related to 21st- century educational practices. Topics include the purpose of schools, the teaching profession, legal issues, governance, finance, equity issues, and an introduction to special education and multicultural education, as well as the relationship between politics and education. The development of a personal philosophy of education begins here with the understanding of school structure. Students are required to attend a lab to prepare for the Virginia Language and Communication Assessment (VCLA) and to complete a 20-hour internship in a local school division.