Teaching is a craft. Like any other craft, it is best learned by working under master craftsmen. An integral aspect of Templeton’s Master of Arts in Teaching is the opportunity to observe and apprentice master teachers.
There are four primary opportunities for observation and apprenticeship in the MAT:
The Summer Scholars Program
Each summer the Templeton Honors College hosts rising high school juniors and seniors to participate in college-level liberal arts courses. MAT students are involved in the Summers Scholars Program in a variety of ways:
- Join Summer Scholars classes led by the Templeton faculty with opportunities for discussions of technique and pedagogy following these observations.
- Lead classes and discussion groups with Summer Scholars students and receive pedagogical feedback from Templeton professors.
Classical Teaching in Your Discipline
During the fall or spring semester, students are paired with mentors in their field (university faculty and secondary educators) who serve as example classical teachers and guide students in their discipline-based pedagogical development.
Students will benefit from 1) observation of experienced teachers in their subject-area, 2) methodological discussions with a cohort of teachers across the liberal arts, 3) small group meetings with teachers in one’s own discipline, 4) pedagogical feedback from mentor teachers in one’s discipline, and 5) regular one-on-one meetings with discipline mentor.
Special Education and ESL Observations
Michelangelo, “The Creation of Adam”
MAT students will spend 30 hours working in and observing classrooms with diverse populations, including students who have special needs or are English Language Learners. This flows out of the Judeo-Christian conviction that each person is made in the image of God, with inestimable worth, and the educational necessity of classroom teachers who understand the needs of these students and how to serve them.
These classroom observations will be paired with coursework that explores philosophical and theological understandings of disabilities and difference.
Student Teaching
The student teaching practicum is the culminating experience of the MAT.
Students are paired with experienced secondary educators who will regularly observe and meet with the student to help develop pedagogical skills.
Full-time teachers can fulfill this requirement through their workplace.