Reading, Foundations and Technology Blog

Removing barriers for teachers in training

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Certified teachers are needed in many schools in Missouri right now.  

College graduates with a bachelor’s degree can earn a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) to become a certified teacher. But, it can be difficult to turn down or leave a full-time job to earn a master’s degree.  

MSU recently shifted their MAT coursework completely online. Now, students can earn their master’s degree while working full-time or while working in the classroom with a provisional teaching certificate.  

“With an online program, we’re able to work around barriers while maintaining an academically rigorous program,” said Dr. Pamela Correll, program coordinator for the MAT. “Students are accomplishing two huge milestones with the MAT – a master’s degree and teacher certification.”  

The MAT program is among five MSU online master’s degrees ranked in the top 10 across the nation.  

Teachers in training  

A provisional teaching certificate gives students the benefit of a full-time job and allows school districts to fill vacancies two years earlier.     

“A student can work through our teacher certification office to gain a provisional teaching certificate from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). After that paperwork is processed, they can begin working in the classroom,” Correll said.  

Students who want to earn their MAT can complete the program from anywhere in Missouri.  

“The 75 hours of required observation and student teaching are completed in the school where they are working,” Correll said. “So, they’re earning a salary and are considered to be the teacher of record while they earn both a master’s degree and their regular teacher certification.”  

Creating a plan  

The MAT program is designed to be completed in two years. Mary Bohlen, academic advisor in the College of Education, works with students to create a plan that is suited to their needs.  

“This program is responding to the question ‘what does the world we live in require from us?’ And then, ‘how can we offer that to students?’” Bohlen said.  

“We need a lot of great teachers in this state, and this program works hard to remove obstacles that keep people from becoming great teachers.”  

Explore the MAT program  

Learning About Literacy

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Teaching kids how to read might seem pretty straight forward. Teach them the alphabet. Teach them words. Teach them sentences. You’re done, right?  

Not exactly. 

Reading can be one of the most challenging things students face. Not everyone naturally picks it up. It doesn’t always come quickly. 

The graduate certificate in literacy works to teach teachers strategies to help students pick up reading and writing effectively. There are specific courses within the program that teach different strategies for different types of students.  

How do special education students learn to read and write differently? When does a student’s difficulty reading and writing mean other explanations need to be explored? How do teachers assess student’s literacy success? How do teachers implement diversity into their literacy instruction? 

These are only a few of the topics the graduate certificate in literacy tackles. 

“Teaching literacy is important because literacy is the makeup of students’ comprehension, writing skills, and overall skills in communication,” Lauren Floyd, a current accelerated literacy graduate student said.

“When learning about the different barriers that are faced for students who struggle with literacy, I recognize that these are issues that are so commonly seen.” 

Students who enter into the graduate certificate program can expect to take away invaluable skills in teaching literacy. With only 12 hours of classes required, students can finish this certificate in less than a year and place themselves at a competitive advantage over their peers entering the field. 

There are no specific “required” courses students must take either. Each education student can choose three of the classes from the 13 offered. This allows for tailored studies and ensures students are learning what will be most useful to them in the future. 

“Not only are these courses preparing me for a future as a special reading teacher,” Floyd said. “They are also preparing me to be aware and mindful as a teacher in the everyday classroom setting.”