Education

Faculty

Chair: Professor James Nagle
Professors: Mahmoud Arani
Associate Professor: Claudine Bedell, Benjamin White
Assistant Professors: Katy Farber, Rebecca Haslamm, Soo Joung Kim, Katherine Lee, Stacey Simonyi
Instructors: Kristyn Achilich, Amy Knight, Ann O’Shaughnessey, Cathy Quinn, Amy Saks Pavese, Becky Wigglesworth

The Education Department welcomes students who are interested in making a difference in the lives of children and youth through the pursuit of teaching and related fields. Students choose either a teaching licensure track or one that allows them to pursue connections between other fields and education studies. This path can take the form of an education major or minor.

Students who want to be teachers can major in one of three programs: Art Education, Elementary Education (PreK-6), and Secondary Education. Students may opt to add an Early Childhood Endorsement to their Elementary licensure with two additional courses and a practicum. Students who successfully complete one of these programs are recommended for licensure to the Vermont Agency of Education. Vermont is part of a 50-state agreement for teacher licensure. In order to be eligible for a teaching license, a student must also complete a major in one of the liberal arts or sciences at Saint Michael’s College. Teacher education courses are taken simultaneously with courses in the liberal arts and sciences. Typically, a student completes the major and teacher licensure requirements in four years. Students who wish to be licensed at the middle level or secondary level may do so in one of the following academic areas: English, Social Studies, French, Spanish, Mathematics, Physics, Biology, Chemistry, and Science.

An Education Studies major and an Education minor are available to those students who wish to gain knowledge and skills in educational settings but choose to apply their skills and knowledge in non-classroom settings such as museums, nature centers, afterschool programs, and counseling.

All programs are characterized by high expectations regarding academic performance, care for children and adolescents, and collaboration with our educational partners. All students pursuing licensure are required to have a grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 in their liberal studies major, required education courses, and overall in order to apply for student teaching and be recommended for licensure. Other requirements include satisfactorily completing the Vermont Licensure Portfolio. These requirements are delineated in Guide to Teacher Education Licensure Programs.