Teacher Education Degree at Marymount College New York
Some of the most poignant stories people tell begin with, “I once had a teacher who affected my life in the most significant way.” More and more young people are going into teaching because teachers, in caring relationships with children and youth, make a difference. Guiding young people academically, socially, and spiritually is a professional career that offers daily satisfaction and rewards.
An exciting and rewarding career in teaching is available to Marymount Manhattan College undergraduate liberal arts and sciences majors. We have strong relationships with public, private, and parochial schools throughout the five boroughs. The New York City schools– educating over a million students in 1,300 schools in the five boroughs– provide extraordinary opportunities. NYC pupils are the most culturally diverse in the world. As an MMC education minor you will have field experiences in actual classrooms starting with your first education course. Small class sizes facilitate interaction with faculty who provide personal attention. Teacher education faculty have each had years of extensive experience in elementary, middle and secondary schools. MMC graduates in teacher education are making contributions and improving the lives of children and adolescents. Some work in general education and others teach pupils with disabilities (special education). Most states and school districts consider teaching students with disabilities as a “special need” area and employment opportunities abound including choosing one’s school and locale. Our teacher education graduates are catalysts of change in the world, and they are strong advocates for their pupils.
MMC Teacher Education emphasizes literacy development as a lifelong process. Our program includes courses in literacy development and critical thinking and reading strategies. The literacy program is lead by a faculty member of renown in the field.
All minors in teacher education are required to study a liberal arts or sciences major. Teacher education candidates for the 7-12 level will choose either English or History. Candidates for the 1-6 level certification may choose from a wide variety of majors including English, psychology, sociology, political science, international studies, history, philosophy and religious studies, and biology. Students may also major in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology and minor in education but this exclusively leads to certification as a Teacher of Students with Speech and Language Disabilities.
The MMC Advantage
Upon completing the Teacher Education Certification Program, MMC students will be able to:
Communicate effectively as a reader, a speaker, a writer;
Exhibit critical thinking and problem solving skills;
Research, analyze, and synthesize information;
Apply quantitative reasoning skills;
Exhibit social, political, and global awareness;
Express themselves creatively;
Explain the interconnectedness between human nature and values, the physical world, society and the histories and structures of particular civilizations, the literary arts, and the fine and performing arts;
Apply his/her knowledge to community issues and actions;
Articulate the value of diversity as a responsible member of the world community.
Students in the Teacher Education Program represent a wide range of ages, cultures, ethnicities, educational backgrounds, and life experiences. They come from all over the country and from all over the world. Many are recent high school graduates who pursue the Teacher Education Program soon after their first semester at MMC, while others return to college after raising a family. There are also career changers who bring years of work experience in areas such as business and the arts. Some are teacher assistants, or private school teachers who want teacher certification from a New York State-approved program.
Learning by Doing
Students in MMC’s Teacher Education Programs do not just study theory and practice — they learn actively in contact with children and youth in public, private, and parochial schools and agencies. They participate in school observations, site visits, conferences, seminars, practice and tutorials, internships and student teaching.
How to become a New York State Certified Teacher
All of the Teacher Education Programs at Marymount Manhattan College are registered and approved by the New York State Education Department. New York State has reciprocal rights for certification in some 48 states across the country
In order to become eligible for New York State Certification, students who satisfy the requirements of the program must also:
— Pass New York State’s Teacher Certification Exams (NYSTCE) for initial teacher certification
— Maintain a GPA of 2.75 or better
— Earn a grade of at least a B minus in all required Education
courses
Kappa Delta Pi
A chapter of Kappa Delta Pi, the International Honor Society in Education, was initiated at Marymount Manhattan College in 1997. Students who meet the criteria are recognized for outstanding contributions to Education. Membership activities encourage professional fellowship and enhance professional growth.
Approximately 90 MMC Educational students and graduates are currently members of this auspicious organization
Where do you go from here?
Dependent upon your chosen course of study and certification, a few of the careers you can pursue are:
Private/Public School Teacher
Teacher of Speech and Language Disabilities
High School Teacher
Educational Consultant/Evaluator
Writer
Private Tutor
College Instructor
Mentor
National Education Lobbyist
Tags: catalysts, education course, field experiences, literacy development, manhattan college, personal attention, reading strategies, students with disabilities, teacher education faculty, teacher education graduates, undergraduate liberal arts, york city schools