University of New England

Elementary Education Major

My name is Cara Valletta, and I'm from Riverside, Rhode Island. Currently, I'm a senior in the elementary education program here.

The elementary education program offers classes that are quite relevant to what we need to learn the most, which prepares us for our future careers in education. The professors are down to earth and answer your questions honestly - and more importantly, take the time to make sure they get answered.

The courses require much reflection, which teaches us a lot of beneficial as well as invaluable information about ourselves. In many of the courses you are diving right in and creating unit plans to share with your classmates. My favorite aspect of this program is the hands-on feature. As soon as your education courses begin, you will be observing in real classrooms, having simulations in your own UNE class, interviewing prominent figures in school systems, and of course completing your internship. This feature really allows you to see yourself as a teacher and prepares you that much more to become one.

This University of New England as a whole has one of the better professor-to-student relationships out there. Because of our small professor-to-student ratio, they are always there for you offering their office hours and even sometimes a home phone number. One of the first things I noticed here four years ago was the overall friendliness. There is always a smile to greet you or a wave hello. People are always going out of their way to lend a hand if you need it or get you the answers you need.

The on-campus activities the University provides are fun and definitely student-centered. Students are treated with much respect and have a major voice on this campus, which allows us to create things that we are interested in. I know I will greatly miss all the wonderful friends I've made here and the unforgettable experiences I've had. This university really allows a person to grow to the best of their abilities.

Let's go back to the student teaching internships for education majors. Students who have completed all the course requirements for education take their internship for an entire semester of 15 credits. There are fantastic faculty advisors at UNE who will guide you through every step of this great experience. Once you are set up with a school, grade and supporting teacher, you will enter their classroom and slowly begin to take on responsibilities and teaching the children.

You will also still have a seminar with other classmates and an internship supervisor. Here, you can discuss everything in detail and make sure everything is on track. For each day of internship, you will also be trying to keep a reflection log for yourself. This log will enable you to look back and see what worked, what didn't, and why.

Besides the internship, as an elementary ed student, you will also experience a vast amount of beneficial observing. Throughout the program, professors will require you to observe a certain number of classes in local schools whether they be elementary, middle or high school. A variety of levels is encouraged so that you can truly figure out which level you are passionate about.

Practicum is also a course taken before student teaching. This course goes slightly deeper than the observations. Students are required to work in classrooms each week for a determined amount of time. Practicum is very flexible in that it can be taken for as little as 2 credits or as many as 9. To give you an idea, 2 credits equals 3.5 hours in a class each week. All this training and experience you will receive will help build your confidence and understanding needed.

After graduating this May, I plan to head back home to Rhode Island and apply for an elementary position, hopefully for the third grade. While this takes place I hope to substitute locally. Once I obtain a teaching job, I will attend grad school and focus on guidance counseling.

(Last updated 10/02)