Why Become a Teacher?
Many communities across the nation are facing a major educational challenge as there has been a growing shortage of qualified teachers. The latest estimates for the Federal Department of Education suggest that America needs as many as 2.5 million new teachers over the next five years. Because of this, jobs for people with a background in teaching are expected to rise significantly in the coming years.
Those people with a passion for learning and a desire to share their knowledge and energy with others will find teaching to be a fulfilling career. For more information on why you should become a teacher, visit www.teachingasacareer.org.
Why Study Teaching at Belmont?
The programs at Belmont University's School of Education have been developed to carefully guide and support a community of teachers and learners. These flow from a framework that emphasizes collaboration between all components of the educational community and the need for teachers to continually build their intellectual understanding and teaching skills. Belmont teacher education programs were created to develop prospective teachers for kindergarten, elementary, middle and secondary schools.
Each program is based on three fundamental components. All candidates complete a professional core, made up of courses in Foundations, Educational Psychology, Child or Human Development and Diverse Learners that include at least 75 hours of practicum. Candidates then move into their methods courses, which are followed by a semester of student teaching.
For students planning to continue schooling to earn a Master's degree, Belmont offers the 4 + 1 program. 4 + 1 students complete an undergraduate degree and following a one-year internship, they obtain a Master's degree and initial licensure. For more information regarding the 4 + 1 opportunities, visit our Programs of Study webpage.
Belmont students are grounded in a general education core that is designed to provide a common, yet educationally challenging, experience. This component enriches students' understandings of themselves and the world around them and enables them to engage and transform their work with disciplined intelligence, compassion, courage, and faith. Belmont University teacher education candidates are also required to complete another academic major in addition to their major in education. This ensures that teachers graduating from Belmont (with a double major) are not only able to teach but have an academic background equal to that of any other profession.
