Amy Knowles, clinical assistant professor of English and director of the English education program, says, “We describe our program as having high expectations and high levels of support. We’re always working with a mind toward what students will need to know when they’re in the field.”

A few years ago, the program shifted to a cohort model. In students’ junior year, they become part of a cohort. From this point, they take all English education courses with the same group of students. The change was implemented to support curricular scaffolding and to streamline the scheduling of classes and student-teaching assignments. But Knowles says it sparked unexpected benefits.

Encouraging Connections

Once the cohort model was established, faculty scheduled group study time. Since everyone was on the same course schedule, it was easy to find a time when they were all free. Originally, faculty envisioned this as an opportunity for students to ask questions and seek help — kind of like next-level office hours. But it quickly evolved into something less structured. Students began using the time to build and reinforce their relationships with each other.

“Then, the next year, we found out they were planning their own outings, like book clubs and study nights,” Knowles says. Essentially, once faculty established conditions for students’ connections to flourish, the relationships really took off.

A Comprehensive ‘Tool Box’

Knowles and her colleagues are thrilled when these networks form, and they hope the relationships continue to thrive after graduation.

“Going out into the field can be challenging,” Knowles says. “Statistics show that after three years, there’s some turnover [in teaching]. We want students to have a professional support system in place when they begin their careers.”

To encourage this, English education faculty organize monthly seminar meetings for students who are completing their student-teaching assignments in local schools. “We focus on sustainability and longevity in the profession,” Knowles says.

During seminars, faculty are straightforward about the challenges students will encounter in their future careers. They often talk about the “tensions” that exist in any job. “These are things that might threaten your sustainability in a job you otherwise love,” Knowles say. “For example, last semester, many of our students wanted to talk about their students’ phone use in class. They were asking: ‘What do we do about phones?'”

Faculty invite students to view these tensions through a researcher’s lens — drawing on the old-school critical thinking and analysis they learned in the classroom. This involves seeking insight from data and scholarship and, as Knowles puts it, “helping them shift their thinking so that the problem doesn’t feel overwhelming.” By leveraging the knowledge they built in their course work, students can tackle professional challenges productively and avoid slipping into reactive mode.

This combination of real-world experience, such as student-teaching placements, combined with solid, academic skills in articulating, evaluating and solving problems gives students a comprehensive “tool box” as they embark on their careers.

“We’re always working with a mind toward what students will need to know when they’re in the field.”

—Amy Knowles

Advising for Accelerated Master’s

As English education faculty work with students, they make them aware of the program’s accelerated master’s track. This pathway allows current undergraduates to earn 12 hours of mixed credits, which count toward both their bachelor’s and master’s degrees.

“When we’re advising, we encourage them to pursue this path, even as they’re beginning freshman year,” Knowles says. It makes a lot of sense because many teachers ultimately pursue advanced degrees. Earning a graduate degree through an accelerated master’s track is an efficient way to accomplish this goal.

In addition to maximizing students’ options, it also recognizes their potential. Knowles say that students respond enthusiastically when a mentor identifies them as a good candidate for an accelerated master’s.

“We see our students as leaders in the field,” she says. “Whether that’s as a leader in the classroom, the department or the district, we believe they’ll be shaping education in the future, and we want to set them up for success.”