Eastern Michigan University held its weekly post-bachelor teaching advising seminar on Thursday in Porter.
Amy Eastman, post-baccalaureate teacher and continuing coordinator, advised students on curricular requirements, field placements, admission process, and certification testing. She said she hopes that the seminar will help students learn how to move forward.
“The post-bachelor’s advising seminar is for people who have a degree other than teaching,” Easterman said. “It gives an overview of their teaching options, and attendees have an opportunity to learn from each other. Attending can be a great first step in learning about changing to a teaching career.”
EMU offers three teacher preparation programs for students who have a four-year bachelor’s degree from an any institution and want to earn an initial teaching certificate: The post baccalaureate teacher certification, master of arts in teaching, and special education masters with teacher certification. EMU’s College of Education also offers undergraduate advising seminars for first-year students.
The post baccalaureate teacher certification is a non-degree program and is comprised of classes leading to an elementary or secondary teaching certificate. Students can pursue this program regardless of the undergraduate degree they currently hold.
The master of arts in teaching is a graduate program which concentrates on biology, chemistry, integrated science, mathematics, and physics. It gives teaching students the support to teach grades 6-12.
Special education masters is a graduate degree program that starts with both undergraduate and graduate level courses and helps students receive a secondary teaching certificate in K-12 grade special education.
Eastman said that EMU’s teaching program is unique compared to other colleges and universities.
“EMU’s teaching programs are committed to helping candidates become caring, knowledgeable and reflective professionals who support the goals of diversity and democracy in schools,” she said. “EMU is one of the largest producers of teachers and other educators in the country.”
Mark Tooley, 22, a post-bachelor student and Siena Heights University alumnus, is excited to get started in EMU’s teaching program. He said he plans to pursue initial degrees in business, management, marketing and technology and teach in the career and technical education program. It prepares students for entry-level employment and increases high school graduation rates. He is currently a coach and assistant athletic director at Belleville High School in Belleville, Mich.
“I think that I can have a significant impact on kids because of my ability to coach and being close to their age would help me become a positive role model,” he said. “Athletes are natural leaders and it would give me a trickle effect in reaching students. The coaching opportunities as well the assistant athletic director position go hand-in-hand with being a teacher and positive role model.”
He said EMU’s teaching program stood out to him because of its focus on making sure that their educators know their field really well can be as effective as possible when teaching. He said that the seminar is a great way to keep students on the right track and feels it’s important for students to attend.
“It’s very helpful,” he said. “It serves as a guiding hand for moving in the right direction, it’s a pretty intricate process, it’s nice to have resources at student’s disposal to help.”
Tooley said that educator Harry Wong’s book “The First Day of School” helped him understand how important it is to be a great teacher and shared the book’s most memorable quote: “Being an effective teacher starts long before the first day of school. Our school systems need good teachers. A good teacher produces positive results.”
