MIT Elementary Teacher Certification Program
The Washington State University Vancouver Master in Teaching (MIT) elementary teacher certification program is an intensive, 15- month course of study which begins annually in May. This field-based program intgrates course with field experiences using the expertise of professors and practitioners.
The MIT elementary program is designed for students who hold baccalaureate degrees in fields other than education. Admission of offered to applicants who are academically capable and can demonstrate devotion of the education of children.
It is the desire of Washington State University and the State of Washington to prepare the best possible teachers. We reserve the right to seek the most highly qualified individuals for admission to the MIT program. Consequently, simply meeting the admission requirements does not guarantee admission to the program.
Program Overview:
Program SequenceSummer I (May) Courses and lab/field experiences
Fall (August) Courses and pre-internship
Spring (January) Student teachers (four days) and courses (one day)
Summer II (May) Courses in master project, PE/Health Methods, and professional portfolio/presentation
Students begin coursework in May, continue classes and add pre-internship experiences at school sites during the fall semester, and complete their coursework the following summer. Students are also involved in programmatic assignments including a diversity field experience, individualized research processes, and a professional portfolio.
Pre-internship (fall semester) and internship (full-time student teaching) school sites are carefully selected to provide students with diverse learner populations. Course activity, assignments and field experiences are highly collaborative processes among WSU Vancouver faculty, intern supervisors, mentor teachers, and site personnel with the goal of educating highly capable and caring future elementary and middle school teachers. Most course assignments are directly related to practice in the public school classroom. University supervisors also visit and observe students at their field sites and confer with the mentor teachers on a regular basis. Site administrators are often asked to make a teaching observation and write an evaluation of the student intern.
WSU Vancouver faculty believe that students’ professional activities must include contact with the realities of today’s K-8 classrooms. It must also include communication with colleagues whose daily work is concerned with the students who populate those classrooms. Based on this principle, WSU Vancouver programs emphasize the following:
The importance of establishing connections between our students’ teaching experiences and the clinical/practical realities they encounter in K-8 classrooms.
The necessity and power of collegiality as WSU Vancouver teacher-educators work with public school colleagues and our students to develop strategies for addressing important questions and issues.
The value of collaborating with K-8 professionals in building a professional community in our local area.