Part 2 of 9

College of Education and Learning Design prepares educators to be innovative, flexible and connected.

Mohamed Mohamud, a graduate of St. Cloud State University's College of Education and Learning Design, was teaching social studies and a new Somali literacy curriculum (which he developed) in area schools, when he felt a calling to do more.

"When I did teach, my whole purpose was to change the lives of individual students," says Mohamud, who returned to St. Cloud State last fall to pursue a master's degree in Educational Administration and Leadership. "But now I'll have the ability to do a lot more for the broader student body."

Each student's journey is unique, but collectively the graduates of the College of Education and Learning Design at St. Cloud State are a continuous thread in Minnesota's legacy of academic excellence.

A College Focused on Supporting the Profession

"We've been preparing teachers for 152 years," says Dr. Jennifer Mueller, dean of the college. "We have five departments and 44 licensure programs. We have teachers in 290 of the 312 school districts in Minnesota, as well as in higher education. 97 percent of our graduates are working in the fields they prepared for."

 

 

That preparation extends beyond graduation. For three years after they start teaching, known as the "induction" period, new teachers are provided extra support and mentoring to help them get through what is often considered the toughest stage of transitioning to the profession.

"We focus on collaboration," Dean Mueller says. "A professional going into a school today is not going to stand in front of a classroom and lecture. You need to be thinking, what is that village you need to create for your students to be successful?"

St. Cloud State emphasizes getting student teachers into the field early and often, Dean Mueller says. Student teachers learn "there's not one way to do it, the children in classrooms are like puzzles." St. Cloud State graduates are trained to bring all of the critical pieces together for success in the learning environment.

Between new teaching approaches, connecting with students as whole people and embracing new technology, Dean Mueller says St. Cloud State aims to prepare teachers who can meet students wherever they are in their educational (and life's) journey.

Advancing Education, Equity and Accessibility

Figuring out the "how" of teaching is an area that requires rigorous research.

Dr. Chukwu(emeka) Ikegwuonu, a professor of higher education at St. Cloud State, conducts research on how organizational decisions in education - policies, tuition, budget and more - affect the student population. He appreciates that St. Cloud State stands for many of the same things his research identifies as important, including diversity and accessibility.

His research findings apply to interactions with future teachers (high school students), Dr. Ikegwuonu says. "I work with students, many of whom are new to higher education, helping them understand how education can be a change agent for them and for their families." When they become teachers, they will then better understand how their work has a lasting impact that goes beyond teaching specific subjects.

As an educator, researcher, and member of the campus community, St. Cloud State has been an excellent fit for Ikegwuonu. "It's an institution that, in my opinion, respects faculty, respects staff, respects students," he said. "The support I received and the It's Time framework" - SCSU's effort to redefine its role as a state school and focus on preparing students for dynamic careers - "these are all things that resonated with me."

 

 

Preparation for Success with Professional Connections

For undergraduate Anna Panek, opportunities to engage with local schools in the city of 70,000 were part of what drew her to St. Cloud State.

"I realized SCSU had a lot of opportunities to stay on the cutting edge of education," Panek said. "It's really important, in my opinion, to be in the classrooms right away, to start thinking of yourself as the leader. You can start thinking how your coursework applies."

The goal, says Dean Mueller, is to develop teachers who are robust in their resilience and flexibility and able to face the unknown challenges of education in the future. Fortunately for St. Cloud State grads, they have a support network they've been building from day one, including teachers who stay connected, peers, and a huge network of alumni.

Alumni often return to help students, completing the circle. Mohamud, for example, volunteers with the SCSU Future Teachers Academy, which welcomes diverse populations of prospective students to the campus each summer.

"I strongly believe in what it means to have an alma mater, which in English means "nurturing mother," said Mohamud. "I feel like St. Cloud State has nurtured my academic thought. It clarified the meaning and purpose of my life."