Ours is a program that gives you real world experience from Day 1.
- You will have opportunities to visit classrooms in local schools to observe and learn from master teachers, and to teach alongside them.
- You will prepare instructional materials, teach small and large group lessons and network with teachers.
- You will work in school and community placements beginning in your first education class including local elementary and secondary schools, at the ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center, COTS (Committee for Temporary Shelter), Winooski Community Center Refugee Resettlement Programs, Burlington Boys and Girls Club, among many other places.
- Our education program will help you develop the values and skills to teach all learners. You will become confident in meeting the diverse learning needs reflected in today's classrooms.
- We model the same active methods and participatory techniques you will need to use in the field. We show you how to teach using the latest software and hardware, math manipulatives, SMART Boards and more.
- We give you easy access to curriculum materials to incorporate into your lesson planning.
To complement the practical experiences, Education majors can expect to tap into and expand their creativity, as well. Faculty incorporate a variety of approaches to teaching, learning and assessment into Education courses as a way to model best educational practices. For example, in Social Studies and the Arts, students use drama, music and movement to inform their understanding of history, culture and the arts as knowledge themselves.
You will have multiple opportunities to teach students with a variety of characteristics including students from other countries and students with disabilities. Your experiences in the schools will increase in both time and responsibilities until you are student teaching full-time for one semester.
Children's Books
There are 7,000 different titles in the Children and Young Adult section of the Durick Library to assist you with curriculum planning.
Teaching Materials and Technology
You will have easy access to a rich variety of instructional resources to practice teaching in any subject area, including math manipulatives, leveled texts for teaching reading, computer hardware (including the Smartboard and iPad), software for designing lessons, Tegrity lecture capture, adaptive technology (Ablenet switches, audio output devices), and electronic portfolios.
Mentoring Children
Woven into your teacher education courses, you will have opportunities to work with school aged children in classrooms, as well as in various community venues. Our Education classes provide direct services to children and youth at:
In addition, many Education majors provide additional community service through participation in various MOVE programs working with children and youth.
Study Abroad
During your semester abroad you may study educational practices in other countries. Many of our students find opportunities to work with children in other countries and learn about the local educational systems during their semester abroad. Recently, students have found placements in Italy, England, Australia, Ghana, Ecuador and many other countries around the world.
We particularly encourage our students to extend their teaching and cultural experiences by spending the Fall or Spring semester of their junior year in the ASE program in Bath, England. One day a week you will be in a classroom that corresponds to your selected age group and subject interests. Complementing the practicum, you will actively engage in a seminar on the British educational system further preparing you for this in-school experience. By the end of the semester you will have a portfolio and evaluation from your in-school experience. You will also select from tempting liberal arts courses in literature, history, politics and art to complete your 16 credit program. Many of the seminars are taught by faculty from Oxford University and include field trips. The academic program includes residencies in Stratford and Oxford. During break you will have ample opportunity to travel and take advantage of the many cultural sites throughout the United Kingdom and Europe.
For information, please contact: Jonathan Silverman, Education Department ASE Study Abroad Coordinator, x2306, jsilverman@smcvt.edu or Peggy Imai, Director of Study Abroad, x2222, pimai@smcvt.edu.
Possible 9th Semester
Though many students finish in four years, students may choose to student teach during a ninth semester. Students who have completed ALL requirements except for student teaching and have passed Praxis I and Praxis II have the option to complete their student teaching during a ninth semester. The student may attend the commencement exercises at the end of their eighth semester, but will be recommended for licensure only after successful completion of student teaching.
After graduation, our majors go on to careers like:
- Elementary School Teacher
- Middle School Teacher
- High School Teacher
- Art Teacher
- ESL Teacher
- Special Education Teacher
- Curriculum Specialist
- Curriculum Designer
- Principal
- Boys and Girls Club Program Director
- Journalist
- Museum Educator
- Social Worker
Many of our graduates go on to pursue a Master's in Education here at Saint Michael's. Others have pursued advanced degrees at institutions like:
- Boston College
- Columbia University
- Tufts University
- University of Massachusetts
To contact the Department of Education:
Department of Education
Saint Michael's College
One Winooski Park, Box 281
Colchester, VT 05439
Fax: 802.654.2243