M.A.T. Early Childhood/Elementary Program

Program Details

We are accepting wait-list applications only for Summer 2012

Total credit hours: 40
Program start date: June
Program length: 12-13 months of full-time study
View the current program of study in the course catalog

Option to add coursework toward the ESOL/Bilingual Endorsement (Track II); Reading, or Special Education Endorsements. see FAQs (FAQs link goes to ESOL FAQ page)

This is a unique program of study focused on schools as transformative institutions that enhance social justice and equity. We seek candidates who are committed to an interactive, dynamic, intellectual approach to teaching and learning.

 Key components of the program:

• Engage in a year-long internship/student teaching experience that prepares you to begin your teaching experience qualified and confident
• Work with faculty who are all experienced K-12 educators, many of whom are scholars who publish important work in teacher education
• Learn together with a cohort of bright, committed colleagues who have been selected through a competitive admissions process
• Attend a program committed to a constructivist approach to learning where you will be an active participant in all learning activities
• The program is TSPC and NCATE accredited and has been highlighted for national recognition for excellence
• Because graduates are so well prepared and have a history of successful teaching, the program is distinguished by a high rate of graduates obtaining jobs, even during the recent difficult job market

Faculty: Students in this program may work with the following faculty members: Kasi Allen, Andie Cunningham, Sara Exposito, Alejandra Favela, Linda Griffin, Vern Jones, Katherine Kondylis, Christine Moore, Cindi Swingen, Marty Voge, Zaher Wahab, David Ward

The elementary preservice program at Lewis & Clark is unique and strong in many ways:

• Interns spend an entire year with one group of children at a school – from beginning to end they are able to witness the development of a group of children over time and to obtain first-hand experience of an entire school year. Many area administrators have commented that hiring a Lewis & Clark graduate is like hiring a second-year teacher—you’re that well-prepared.

• Our program is highly respected by educators across the Pacific Northwest. Many of our applicants come to us because of a recommendation from someone in the field.

• Our curriculum is progressive and constructivist. We not only prepare you very well for teaching—we expect you to be a leader in the field who fights for social justice and change.

• Placements for the yearlong internship are in diverse settings throughout the Portland metropolitan area.

• Our program is based on a cohort model where interns have the support and learn from a group of highly intelligent and qualified students and faculty.

What to Expect

Our program begins in mid-June. You and your cohort members spend this first summer of the program on the Lewis & Clark campus, taking classes, building relationships, and beginning to prepare for student teaching. Beginning in late August, you will join your mentor at your school site to prepare the classroom for the arrival of children and the start of the school year. Student teaching sites include schools in the Portland Public, Reynolds, David Douglas, and West-Linn/Wilsonville districts, among many others.

You are an intellectual. You are a professional. You can make change.Program graduate

During the fall semester, which concludes just prior to the Thanksgiving holiday, you will be on campus with your cohort three days a week and at your school site for two full days. In December and during the first week of January, you will be at your school site full time. In the spring semester, the emphasis shifts even more heavily to student teaching—you will be at your school site three full days per week and taking classes on campus the remaining two days. Following spring break and through the end of the school year, you will be teaching at your site full time. During this time, you can expect to plan, prepare, and teach for six full weeks. The year concludes with time spent co-teaching with your mentor.

Meet Students and Alumni

Without the guidance and education I received at LC I would not have been able to find such success this early in my teaching career. I feel eternally grateful and honored that I was able to participate in such a program in an amazing cohort, under the guidance of such wonderful professors.McKenna Melton, MAT ’06

How to Apply

Visit the admissions website for more information on applying to the Early Childhood/Elementary Program. If you would like more information about the program, please feel free to contact the faculty coordinators, Vern Jones, Linda Griffin, Cindi Swingen, David Ward, with questions. We strongly encourage applicants to complete certain tests before you apply to the program and to submit test scores with your application.

Find the Information You Need

Information Nights for Prospective Students
Scholarships for Prospective Teachers
Testing Required for EC/EL Initial License

For Current Students

• 2011/2012 EC/EL Program Handbook
• Forms
• M.A.T. Program Planning Sheet 2011-12
• M.A.T. Program Planning Sheet 2012-13
• Testing Requirements
• Licensing Instructions: Information on how to apply for your Initial Teaching License after you have completed your program.
• ESOL Endorsement: Information about working toward an ESOL endorsement in your M.A.T. program
• EC/EL Program Calendar

 

 

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