国产剧麻豆剧 is committed to forming educators who see their roles as teachers, counselors, and administrators as more than merely a job, but a calling to serve others with their unique gifts and passions.
Deb Erickson, Ed.D., is the dean of 国产剧麻豆剧鈥檚 School of Education (SOE). What has helped her maintain the SOE鈥檚 status as one of the top producers of education candidates within not only San Diego, but the state of California, is her missional approach to her work.
鈥淭he mission of 国产剧麻豆剧鈥檚 School of Education is to prepare educators that are going to make a difference in the lives of the students and communities they serve every single day,鈥� Erickson said. 鈥淥ur mission is to equip, transform, and empower educators. That鈥檚 why we spend quite a bit of time interviewing prospective students who want to become teachers, principals, or counselors and making sure they feel called to serve. That doesn鈥檛 mean they have to be Christian 鈥� we have students who aren鈥檛 鈥� but rather that they feel strongly pulled to the work of being educators.鈥�
For Erickson, it鈥檚 this type of philosophy in the SOE that informs its efforts to establish relationships with the San Diego community and explains why it鈥檚 well respected by the many districts of San Diego.
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Who are you called to be?
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鈥湽缏槎咕� is really good at asking questions and seeking information about what the districts need with its teachers and responding to that information,鈥� Michelle Hayes said.
Hayes is the assistant superintendent for personnel services for the Cajon Valley Union School District. She spoke first-hand about working with 国产剧麻豆剧.
鈥淚 was recently meeting with Deb Erickson, telling her about what our teachers need, and her response was always, 鈥榊es, and how can we better do that?鈥� And if it鈥檚 something that isn鈥檛 already in place then she鈥檒l create it since 国产剧麻豆剧 is responsive,鈥� said Hayes.
She further elaborated on how she values working with the school.
鈥淚 really enjoy working with the staff of 国产剧麻豆剧. Their passion for education and their students, and the work that they鈥檙e doing is evident in any setting that I鈥檝e been in with 国产剧麻豆剧,鈥� Hayes said. 鈥淭heir commitment to their students and their program is evident in everything they do and I really value the work 国产剧麻豆剧 is doing.鈥�
A Commitment to Integrity in Education
Erickson also detailed 国产剧麻豆剧鈥檚 commitment to their students as future educators.
鈥淲hen we interview candidates, we鈥檙e looking for people that we would want to be our own child鈥檚 teacher in the classroom. I鈥檓 looking for people who can be the hands and feet of Christ, even in the public setting,鈥� Erickson shared. 鈥淲e can teach people how to teach. We can teach people how to be counselors, but they have to see working with students to change their lives as something in line with their talents and passions.鈥�
Chris Reising, the executive director of HR at the San Diego County Office of Education, remains impressed with 国产剧麻豆剧鈥檚 commitment to integrity, forming morally-sound and committed teachers.
鈥淚 think that 国产剧麻豆剧 takes it very seriously when they look at the moral underpinnings of the teaching profession and what we expect of individuals who are working with the most valuable commodity we have in society 鈥� our children. The candidates that come out of 国产剧麻豆剧 are absolutely well trained and are solid individuals,鈥� Reising continued, pointing to the collaborative nature of 国产剧麻豆剧. 鈥淭he leadership at 国产剧麻豆剧, starting with Deb Erickson, has been collaborative with us for many years. We鈥檝e done a multitude of things together. In fact, we hold our trainings at 国产剧麻豆剧鈥檚 facilities all the time. We鈥檝e held our teacher job fairs, which can garner anywhere from 600 to 800 teacher candidates, at 国产剧麻豆剧 for the last several years.鈥�
It鈥檚 this missional posture that informs the entire school, from the rigorous and in-depth curriculum to the network of 国产剧麻豆剧 professors and staff who help students as they move through the program.
鈥淲e have dedicated faculty who have hearts of wanting their students to do well in the school system,鈥� Erickson shared. 鈥淥ur staff is also incredible in the way they have built support systems for students to ensure they get the right information about the assessments that they need to become licensed teachers and so on.鈥�
Jeff Felix, Ed.D., is a professor in the School of Education鈥檚 master鈥檚 in education program. Before coming to 国产剧麻豆剧, he spent 30 years in the education system as a teacher, principal, and superintendent for various San Diego school districts.
鈥淎s a professor at 国产剧麻豆剧, I realize that I have to make the classroom very collaborative, so that my students feel like we鈥檙e in this together,鈥� Felix shared. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what I try to do as a teacher.鈥�
Since starting at 国产剧麻豆剧, he has remained impressed with both the character and sheer experience of the professors and staff members he works with.
鈥湽缏槎咕� has put together professors who have hundreds of years of collective experience and I think it shows. The 国产剧麻豆剧 students are getting a quality education experience.鈥�
鈥淭he people I get to work with at 国产剧麻豆剧 are a great group of people,鈥� Felix said. 鈥淭here are many retired educators who teach at 国产剧麻豆剧, and they have a fount of knowledge and experience, which they are able to relate to the students. 国产剧麻豆剧 has put together professors who have hundreds of years of collective experience and I think it shows. The 国产剧麻豆剧 students are getting a quality education experience.鈥�
McKayla Carpenter (13), a 国产剧麻豆剧 alum and teacher at a Chula Vista charter school, Discovery Charter Elementary, reiterated this quality regarding the teaching at 国产剧麻豆剧.
鈥淭he way that 国产剧麻豆剧 professors teach is not by telling you how to teach, but by showing you how to teach using the very teaching methods they want you to embody,鈥� Carpenter said. 鈥淵ou can be told all day long not to lecture students, but if the person teaching you is lecturing you, you won鈥檛 learn. Most of the teachers at 国产剧麻豆剧 were trying to be creative and inventive in how they provided us with the content, so that we would do the same when we were teachers.鈥�
国产剧麻豆剧 School of Education in Bakersfield
Additionally, the SOE鈥檚 success within San Diego has been inspired by the example of 国产剧麻豆剧鈥檚 satellite campus in the Bakersfield area (Kern County), where several education programs are offered.
鈥淎 lot of the successful ideas we implement also come from Kern County,鈥� Erickson said. 鈥淎ssociate dean Jill Hamilton-Bunch is doing a fabulous job of reaching out and partnering with their districts. In fact, she鈥檚 done such a good job that we no longer have other competing schools in the Bakersfield area. She and the faculty and staff up there have provided a great modeling for us down here in San Diego.鈥�
Another example of the SOE鈥檚 constant innovative efforts to prepare high-quality teachers is Point Loma's Integrated Studies with an Emphasis in Education, B.A. program. The program is designed for students who want to earn a bachelor鈥檚 degree with a teaching credential in a non-traditional setting, which makes it great for adult students and those who have working or family commitments.
鈥淭his degree is perfect for those who might already be working in the classroom as an aide, but don鈥檛 have a teaching credential or a bachelor鈥檚 degree,鈥� Erickson said. 鈥淢aybe they have 40 units of early childhood education from a community college though. We work with them to take the units they still need, if any, or bridge the ones they already have so that they can earn a bachelor鈥檚 degree and credential.鈥�
A Reputation for Education Excellence in San Diego
国产剧麻豆剧鈥檚 effort to work with the districts within San Diego has helped it become one of the most esteemed producers of teachers and other educational professionals within the area.
As the director of Human Resources for Sweetwater Union High School District, Milena Aubry, Ed.D., vets all student teachers for fieldwork and oversees all of the hiring for certificated non-managerial personnel, including teachers, nurses, speech language pathologists, and counselors.
鈥淲hen we conduct formal interviews with teachers we use a tool called the Teacher Quality Index, a research-based tool, and when we interface with 国产剧麻豆剧 candidates what I notice is that they are very well prepared in many of the dimensions. Not every university prepares them as well in areas such as planning for instruction, short-term and long-term planning, and implementation of instructional strategies that differentiate for different subgroups of students,鈥� Aubry shared. 鈥淎nother thing that I notice about 国产剧麻豆剧 candidates is that 国产剧麻豆剧 does a great job of developing reflective practitioners who really take time to consider what they could have done differently after they teach a lesson, taking ownership and responsibility for the instructional decisions that they made and reflecting about how they could have made different decisions to improve student outcomes.鈥�
Aubry provided the specific example of one 国产剧麻豆剧 student.
鈥淚 know there is one student in particular from 国产剧麻豆剧 that a principal mentioned to me,鈥� Aubry shared. 鈥淪he is a special education teacher, and this principal described her as a 鈥榲ery masterful differentiator,鈥� that she really considers what strategies each student needs to best support their learning and behavioral development. She really individualizes everything and is passionate about helping every single kid that she interfaces with be successful.鈥�
Aubry further explained that it鈥檚 not just the skills that matter, as important as they are, but also a deep passion for teaching and serving students. Hayes agreed, emphasizing the best teachers aren鈥檛 only the teachers with the most technical skills.
鈥淎nd that鈥檚 one of the things I really do value about 国产剧麻豆剧 is that we share the same philosophy of it being about the person first, and recognizing people鈥檚 strengths and the level of support they deserve.鈥�
鈥淔or us in Cajon Valley, we鈥檙e really looking at people first,鈥� Hayes said. 鈥淲e know skills like perseverance, drive, motivation, and passion are very difficult to teach, but if candidates have those traits then we can teach them to be exceptional teachers. And that鈥檚 one of the things I really do value about 国产剧麻豆剧 is that we share the same philosophy of it being about the person first, and recognizing people鈥檚 strengths and the level of support they deserve.鈥�
It鈥檚 also an attitude of collaboration that 国产剧麻豆剧 strives to instill in its students.
鈥淢ost candidates who come out of 国产剧麻豆剧 understand collaboration, they expect to work with their colleagues, they understand learning never stops,鈥� Reising said. 鈥淎nd I鈥檝e seen a lot of that type of sentiment from 国产剧麻豆剧 students.鈥�
The spirit to serve and collaborate with San Diego districts continues to pay off, with some districts taking the initiative of reaching out to 国产剧麻豆剧.
鈥淥ne district, which we hadn鈥檛 really had a relationship with, came to us and said we would love to partner with you on this grant and we want to start hosting your co-teachers and your students who are in the counseling and guidance programs,鈥� said Erickson. 鈥淎nd another district came to us this past March and said they鈥檝e looked and talked to representatives from all the different universities and that 国产剧麻豆剧 is their go-to university. They told us they are going to partner with us because we seem able to be flexible, meet their needs, and help them with problems.鈥�
These type of partnering relationships no doubt help graduating 国产剧麻豆剧 students secure good teaching jobs in desirable San Diego districts. Still, the major strength of 国产剧麻豆剧 goes back to the missional foundation of the school 鈥� preparing teachers who feel a deep calling to serve the students in their communities.
鈥湽缏槎咕� really does instill in their students that teaching is a calling as much as a job, that it鈥檚 more about taking care of these students and helping them have a life and achieve as much as they can achieve, that it鈥檚 a commitment they are making to impact lives,鈥� Reising said.
国产剧麻豆剧 Teachers in Their Own Words
McKayla Carpenter has been teaching for five years in Chula Vista. After she earned a bachelor's degree from 国产剧麻豆剧 in 2013, she enrolled in the 国产剧麻豆剧 dual credentialing and master鈥檚 in teaching program, graduating in 2014. She taught sixth grade for four years and now teaches English and Science in seventh grade. She is thankful for the opportunity to have attended 国产剧麻豆剧, especially because of the professors.
鈥淚 had some great professors. There was one professor at the time, Andrew Troi, who taught my single subject methods course,鈥� Carpenter shared. 鈥淗e was really good about remaining aware of us as people. He emphasized that who we are as people is who we鈥檙e going to be as teachers, and so he was very concerned about us on a personal level.鈥�
It鈥檚 this person-first focus, in addition to providing the necessary skills, that continues to make 国产剧麻豆剧 teachers a sought-after bunch.
鈥淢y principal at Chula Vista often asks me, 鈥楧o you know anyone from 国产剧麻豆剧 who is looking for a job and can come over?鈥� Chula Vista asks specifically for Point Loma candidates,鈥� Carpenter said. 鈥湽缏槎咕� just makes really good teachers.鈥�
Lorean Molina (17) graduated from 国产剧麻豆剧鈥檚 accelerated undergraduate in 2017. She earned her associate鈥檚 degrees after high school and spent five years as a paralegal. She always wanted to be a teacher, though, and when she heard a radio ad about 国产剧麻豆剧鈥檚 new accelerated undergraduate program that could provide her with a credential and bachelor鈥檚 degree in only a year and a half, she jumped on the opportunity. She is now enrolled in 国产剧麻豆剧鈥檚 master鈥檚 in special education program, and will graduate within the year. She is extremely happy she made the decision to become a teacher.
鈥淢y whole experience at 国产剧麻豆剧 was amazing,鈥� Molina said. 鈥淚 feel like it prepared me way more than any other school would have, and I actually just go my annual review last week and my principal鈥檚 exact words were, 鈥橲ometimes I have to remind myself that you鈥檙e a beginning teacher, because you seem so seasoned already.鈥欌��
She especially valued the supportive and intimate cohort of the program, which turned out to be especially poignant for her during a time of tragedy.
鈥淭he cohorts are small at 国产剧麻豆剧, and I got to know my advisors on a personal level. I unfortunately just experienced the passing away of my younger brother to cancer. My advisors were there every step of the way with me as he was struggling with cancer and they became family, and they were one of the first people I reached out to about it. Within a couple of days, I had emails even from professors I didn鈥檛 know. It really is a family, and I think that鈥檚 what the difference is between going to any other university,鈥� Molina continued. 鈥淎ll professors care, but at 国产剧麻豆剧, having that faith element to it, there is just an extra connection there that鈥檚 really helped me and I鈥檓 still really good friends with a lot of the people I was in the cohort with and we bounce ideas off of each other professionally. People like Grace Fantaroni, Denise Necoechea, and Conni Campbell were very impactful for me.鈥�
鈥淚 feel like it prepared me way more than any other school would have, and I actually just go my annual review last week and my principal鈥檚 exact words were, 鈥橲ometimes I have to remind myself that you鈥檙e a beginning teacher, because you seem so seasoned already.'鈥�
Molina had originally wanted to be a kindergarten teacher, but after taking a course with professor Denise Necoechea, Ph.D., and being exposed to special education, she felt this was where she was being called instead.
鈥淧rofessor Necoechea鈥檚 love for children with special needs just motivated me,鈥� Molina shared. 鈥淚 also have a brother with special needs, and I felt like this is what I鈥檓 supposed to do. Professor Necoechea told me, 鈥淵ou can鈥檛 teach the heart, and you have the heart.鈥欌��
After she graduated, thanks partly to meeting someone who worked in Chula Vista鈥檚 HR department at a 国产剧麻豆剧-offered workshop for students, she was hired in the Chula Vista Elementary School District.
鈥淚鈥檓 an upper grade mild-to-moderate special education teacher, and since 国产剧麻豆剧 has a really great reputation, I definitely think it helped me as a first-year teacher and having that on my resume,鈥� Molina said.
Advice to Aspiring Teachers
The field of education continues to be a dynamic one that offers a lot of opportunity for those passionate about teaching and education.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a great time to get into teaching in California,鈥� Reising said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a very stable, long-term commitment. And when considering the pay, if you include the high-quality benefits and the pension, it鈥檚 really more than competitive with the private sector these days. The job market is open, especially since there are an enormous number of retirements happening.鈥�
The best teachers will be the ones that are able to address the shifting landscape thanks to technology and better theories around pedagogy.
鈥淚 think education will continue to move toward a personalization of services for students,鈥� Felix said.
This means gaining the skills through a school that is helping instruct teachers to wield these skills will increasingly be important. Still, the major attribute needed to be a great teacher remains a passion to serve others in the classroom out of love.
鈥淚 would tell anybody considering teaching to get as much experience as they can by volunteering in schools, coaching, or working with students to make sure that they have the heart and the passion,鈥� Aubry said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 an extremely rewarding career, but you do need to have the right attributes 鈥� you have to be adaptable, a good communicator, be willing to take risks, and collaborate with a team.鈥�
鈥淔or me, teaching is my daily way to give back, and I feel that we鈥檙e here on this earth to be of service to others.鈥�
But for those who do feel the desire to serve others in this rewarding and valuable capacity, Molina offered some advice.
鈥淚t鈥檚 never too late to really do what your heart desires and be obedient to God,鈥� she said. 鈥淔or me, teaching is my daily way to give back, and I feel that we鈥檙e here on this earth to be of service to others.鈥�
Carpenter echoed this love for teaching, especially when she sees transformation occur with her students.
鈥淲hat I love the most is learning with the kids,鈥� Carpenter shared. 鈥淭here is that moment when I鈥檓 teaching them something and they take it further than where I took it, and they end up teaching me something. Seeing that level of excitement with the world around them in a way that they might not have previously grasped makes them realize there are other things they can do with their lives. Those are my favorite moments.鈥�