STUDENT TEACHING

The student teaching semester is one of the most important elements in your development as a teacher, and therefore, GCC tries to give you the best experience possible. The Department of Education attempts to match each student to a particular school and cooperating teacher according to his or her personality and teaching style. The department also tries to honor student requests for particular types of schools such as inner-city or suburban, high school or middle school.

Not only is care taken in placing student teachers, but this same type of concern is manifested in the assistance and supervision provided during the professional semester. Education majors are supervised by education department personnel who focus on teaching skills and classroom management, as well as by a professor in his or her discipline who focuses on content knowledge. Students are usually visited at least six times in their classrooms. After each observational visit the professor will meet with the student to discuss the effectiveness of his lesson and suggest those areas in need of improvement. This personal instruction and care helps each student to focus on their individual ability and style and to gain confidence in the classroom.

Student teaching lasts for fourteen weeks. Secondary students primarily stay in the same classroom for the duration of the semester unless their particular school decides to split the experience. If they are being certified in two different subject areas, they will spend seven weeks in one classroom and seven in another. Elementary students always have two seven-week experiences, one at the primary level (grades K-3) and one at the intermediate level (grades 4-6). Students  who are being certified in early childhood education, which can be a stand-alone major but is often added onto elementary
education, have preschool experience along with the elementary experiences.

Additional opportunities afforded education majors include study abroad programs across Europe. These programs allow students to interact with practicing teachers, headmasters and children in several different schools of various levels abroad. In addition, students are given the opportunity to participate in an urban setting with the Extra Mile School program in Pittsburgh. Education majors also have participated as co-presenters with Grove City professors at professional educator conferences.

CAREER AND GRADUATE SCHOOL PLACEMENT

Graduates with teacher certification enter the profession in a wide variety of callings. The Grove City College Department of Education enjoys an outstanding reputation for quality teachers in public, private and Christian education settings. As such, Grove City College education graduates enjoy an outstanding placement record, with an average of 85 percent of graduates placed in teaching positions shortly after graduation. While most graduates begin their careers in teaching positions in both public and private school settings others enter graduate school or pursue work related to the broader field of educational related professions. The Department of Education works in partnership with the Career Services Office to provide specialized career counseling to education majors. A full-time Director of Career Services in education provides enhanced employment opportunities to Grove City College students by giving individualized attention, providing information about job openings, and assisting students in developing credentials specifically designed for the education market.

The curriculum of the Department of Education also offers excellent preparation for work at the graduate level. Grove City College graduates have been regularly accepted into graduate schools throughout the nation and have pursued additional certification areas and specialized fields of study such as reading specialists, guidance counseling, school psychology and leadership and administration.

Other education graduates choose to pursue careers in the area of their secondary certification area, applying discipline
related expertise complimented by their strong skills in teaching and learning.