Education Department
OUR MISSION: A COMMITMENT TO SOCIAL CHANGE
The Hartwick College Teacher Education Program prepares teacher candidates to begin their careers with a foundation in research-based learning theory and instructional practices, a commitment to meeting and honoring the educational needs of diverse learners and a dedication to social justice in schools and society.
Our department takes for granted that education is the primary means to life success. Therefore, schools must mitigate against the conditions that threaten equal opportunity and academic achievement for all children regardless of race, ethnicity, ability, religion, income, gender identity or sexual orientation. If schools are to adequately fulfill this responsibility, then teacher training programs play an important role in exposing prospective teachers to the sociocultural issues relevant to the task. Beyond developing a commitment to social justice, students are expected to maintain academic excellence, display a passion for teaching and possess high professional dispositions.
Why Study Education at Hartwick College?
- Because you will graduate certified to teach in the subject area and grade level of your choice. We offer an Inclusive Elementary Education (1-6) major, certification programs in a wide range of content areas (7-12), Visual Arts (K-12) and Music (K-12). We also offer Educational Studies minors: General, Social Advocacy, and Outdoor Education.
- Because getting certified to teach at Hartwick College can take you to so many new and exciting places. In addition to teaching in traditional classroom settings, our graduates teach abroad, with incarcerated youth and in outdoor experiential education to name just a few.
- Because you’ll engage in intensive in-school experiences right from the start. Beginning in the first year, students are immersed in real school settings. Prior to student teaching, students complete at least 420 hours of field experience including one-month in school mini-practicums.
- Because we are not a teacher factory, students receive a robust liberal arts education that prepares them to be the best in their field with solid skills for lifelong learning and professional success.
- Because our program has a unique philosophy that blends social justice and advocacy. Our faculty views schools and classrooms as pro-democracy, pro-peace laboratories where teachers make the difference in creating a more fair, just and equitable society.
Please note: Hartwick College focuses on offering fall, January, and spring term undergraduate courses in person, however circumstances may require us to offer a small number of courses in this department through distance education. In times of emergency, following regulatory guidelines, all classes may temporarily need to be delivered through distance education, including online. We also offer a slate of courses online in the summer to help our students make progress towards their degrees. With support from an academic advisor, students needing particular courses may have other online options as well. If you have questions about the way courses are delivered in your program, please contact your Department or Program Chair.
"I learned that building a positive relationship with your students is at the core, and I thrive in this. I love doing learning games, interactive lessons, having the entire class laughing as they learn brings me an overwhelming sense of joy. When I left my last placement, I left behind a river of my students' tears because I was someone that listened to them, that could relate to them, that tried to make learning fun for them."
Tatiana Auguste '22
Student Teaching Placement Fall 2022
"The Teacher Ed Program prepared me for student teaching by giving me the tools to be successful in the classroom. The program gave me strategies and practice in dealing with different situations and classroom sizes. It allowed me to develop my understanding of what it truly means to be a teacher and how I can improve to become a better teacher. Without the Teacher Ed Program I can almost guarantee I would not be having the successes in the classroom I am today."
Matt T. Beam '22
Student Teaching Placement Fall 2022
