A TRADITION OF
PREPARING TEACHERS
Winter 1998 - Vol. 3. No. 2
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Bud Hunter
Homecoming 1998
Preparing Teachers
Violette Hall Renovation
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From its roots as a Normal School, Truman State University has sought the advancement of education through the professional preparation of teachers. Although the University has grown and evolved over time, the tradition of producing quality teachers continues today as is evidenced by the Master of Arts in Education (M.A.E.) program in the Division of Education. Truman's M.A.E. program provides students with the opportunity to earn a professional teaching degree built upon a solid liberal arts undergraduate degree.A Unique Program
One of the few programs of its design in the nation, Truman's M.A.E. program is the first extended teacher-preparation program developed in the state of Missouri. The graduate level program usually requires a full year and two summers, which enables a student to complete the master's degree and attain teacher certification in the state of Missouri. All prospective teachers admitted to the professional program must complete a strong liberal arts and sciences baccalaureate degree in an academic discipline.The teacher-preparation program offered at Truman is unique in Missouri, and although there are other master's programs in the state, they are designed differently. What sets Truman's program apart is a combination of an extended teaching internship, along with an action research requirement, which further develops a candidate's reflective abilities. All graduates of the program are required to intern for a minimum of a full semester, but the program also offers a full-year internship for selected candidates in which the intern is paid as a full-time teacher. "Many of the students will teach a full year through the internship program, graduate the following summer, then continue the same position on a permanent basis," says Dr. John Hoffmann, acting head of the Division of Education.
Gwen (Dresch) Garthe ('98) is one of the students taking advantage of the full-year internship. She received her undergraduate degree in history at Truman and is currently doing a full-year internship at Knox County R-1 Elementary School near Edina, Mo. Garthe began teaching a fifth-grade class in August of 1998, and will finish the internship in May of 1999. She has the same responsibilities and duties as any other full-time teacher, which include planning the lessons for each day and teaching her fifth-grade class by herself.
Gwen Garthe is doing a full-year internship teaching a fifth-grade class at Knox County Elementary School near Edina, Mo.
If questions arise while Garthe is teaching, a mentor teacher is available to offer guidance and advice. Additional support is also available from the University. Dr. Janice Grow is the University representative on Garthe's Professional Development Team. "Dr. Grow comes in and observes me and gives me suggestions about once a month," says Garthe. As part of the curriculum, Garthe is required to periodically attend a class on the Truman campus. During this Saturday class, all the interns in the program meet together to share strategies for classroom management and to discuss the progress of their internships, as well as their action research.
Seal of Approval
In 1992, the Truman M.A.E. program received accreditation by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). Founded in 1954, NCATE is an independent agency headquartered in Washington, D.C. Fewer than half of the schools that apply are successful in receiving NCATE approval and only about one-third of the teacher preparation programs in the United States are accredited by the agency. "We value our NCATE approval because it is awarded by an independent external agency with stringent standards," says Dr. Hoffmann.The NCATE accreditation lasts for five years after which time the program must undergo another evaluation. Truman's M.A.E. program was put to the test again in 1997 as it underwent assessment for continued accreditation. A five-member accreditation team came with a list of tough standards to review the program. As part of its evaluation, the accreditation team spoke with teachers and principals who interact with Truman graduates. "They [the accreditation team] heard nothing but praise about how well-prepared our graduates are," says Dr. Hoffmann, who added, "The accreditation team was impressed with the technology available to our students, including the new multimedia capabilities in Violette Hall."
Official notification was received in April of this year that the M.A.E. program had been granted continued NCATE accreditation for another five years. As a feather in its cap, the Truman program passed every standard set forth by the NCATE accreditation team.
A Call for Teachers
As a result of its success, the M.A.E. program at Truman can boast of an exceptional job placement rate. "Our employment rate is very high; consistently more than 92% of our graduates are employed in teaching," says Dr. Hoffmann.The enrollment numbers are expected to grow as the demand for teachers continues to increase, and Dr. Hoffmann foresees a major teacher shortage coming up in the next 10 years. He noted that in the past, the shortage has been limited to teachers in the math and science fields, but now it is beginning to spread to all areas of instruction. Truman State University is doing its part to continue a fine tradition of preparing teachers who are well-equipped to educate the young minds of tomorrow.
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