Student and alumni profiles
Meet a few of our M.Ed. and licensure students
Art education
Christian Blanck
initial licensure student
I am from Minneapolis and a product of
the Minneapolis public schools. After receiving a B.A. in
art and religion from Macalester, I spent a few years
exploring different possibilities for my future. I have been
exposed to different segments of the art world: galleries
and dealers, community art programs, private art school, and
studio production. However, I have found the most energizing
and genuine art experience for me is to be in a classroom
with kids, exploring art together. I decided to become an
art educator and entered the initial licensure program at
the University of Minnesota.
I have a lot of experience with clay and have always known that it will be a central part of my teaching career. My student teaching placement was chosen for me with my passion in mind. I am working in a ceramics classroom with a talented and engaging teacher who loves the students and what she is teaching. It is a wonderful experience and has been a strong affirmation of why I am pursuing my license in art education.
The unique program design of the University of Minnesota allows to me to start work on my M.Ed. while still pursuing my initial teaching certification. After I receive my Minnesota teaching license, a year of teaching and a mere six credits will grant me my M.Ed. in art education.
Family and consumer sciences
Heidi Johnson
graduate, licensure recertification
Centennial School District
I currently teach middle school family and consumer science (FACS) for students in grades 6-8. This year, I had the special honor of being designated as Centennial School District Teacher of the Year.
I have been a FACS teacher for sixteen years, teaching seventh and eighth grade students. With new laws in certification, I needed to get recertified to teach the sixth grade students. The University of Minnesota offered the right courses at convenient times so I could continue teaching my sixth grade students.
I was pleasantly surprised by the recertification courses. The classes, in my opinion, were based on best practices. They were rewarding, fun, and helped me reflect on my practice. The structure of the classes provided me with many ideas that I could immediately apply in my own classroom.
There were also opportunities to learn from other colleagues built into the structure of the courses. I was in a small group working on differentiating learning for some of our students whom have special needs. Even after the course was completed, some of my small group members still keep in contact with me via e-mails, sharing curricular ideas and stories of what actually works in our classrooms.
Shawna
Grapentin
graduate, M.Ed. and initial licensure
Osseo Learning Center, Brooklyn Park
After completing my M.Ed. in family and consumer sciences in 2006, I have been teaching at the Osseo Learning Center in Brooklyn Park, Minn. The faculty at the University of Minnesota prepared me well to face the challenges of teaching.
The courses were relevant, practical, and thought provoking. In many of our content-oriented classes, we worked both individually and in small groups to design curriculum units. In one specific class, we developed six different units—three individually and three within a small group. During the process we went through many peer-review presentations to gain feedback and explore how we can develop the best curriculum to fit a variety of learners. Working with other students in a small group has been very helpful in learning how to collaborate and develop curriculum from multiple perspectives. You seldom stand alone as an educator and will be expected to develop a variety of learning tools and assessments for a diverse set of learners with other educators in your field or in your department. Having the opportunity to develop curriculum with others, while pursuing a degree, is an asset that is hard to dismiss when applying for positions.
The University of Minnesota prepares one well to become a great educator. Most people claim that the first year of teaching is about survival, but my experience prepared me well for my first year. I am confident that I can handle whatever happens to cross my path. In my first year, I have been writing grants, contacting presenters, and writing curriculum for my four preps.
I am very fortunate to have the support of the staff and my co-workers and incredible students from whom I am pushed each day to become a better facilitator of learning.
Family education
Amy Timm
graduate, M.Ed./professionals studies and licensure in parent and family education
Second languages and cultures
Ryan Wahlberg
initial licensure student
After
I graduated from the University of Minnesota with a B.A. in
English in 2001, I taught English in Kanazawa, Japan for three
years. On returning to Minnesota, I have worked as a teacher at
a YWCA childcare center in St. Paul and as a City of Lakes
AmeriCorps tutor/mentor at an elementary school in North
Minneapolis. At that school, I taught everything from fifth
grade literacy skills to Korean drumming and leadership. My
experience with children and English teaching has brought me
back to the University to finally get the license, get the knowledge, and
get the first hand experience of teaching ESL in Minnesota’s
public schools.
Before living abroad, I didn’t know what culture was. After moving to Japan, I was fascinated by it. By immersing myself in culture and studying world religions, I began to form a teaching philosophy based on the idea of peace and change: change is possible for anyone; prejudices are all too real and must be abandoned in order for there to be peace in our neighborhoods and in our world. Though our cultures, languages, and values are different, we are the same. I can’t ignore how I am white middle class American, but I can be aware about how I affect people and how I can stop discrimination and empower my diverse immigrant students to realize that this America is as much theirs as it is the sons and daughters of white privilege.
The most enriching aspect of being a SLC student at the University of Minnesota is the cohort. We are very open with each other and share each other’s opinions freely in class. In class, we rarely have enough time to discuss and debate all we want, so discussions pour into the hallways. Our personalities are varied; our backgrounds are diverse. The relationships made between cohort members this year will be a precious asset to all the members throughout their teaching careers.
Tasha Vogt
graduate, M.Ed. and additional licensure
Spanish teacher, Hopkins High School
I came to the SLC program to receive an additional license in K-12 Spanish after receiving countless recommendations from colleagues. I couldn’t be more pleased with my choice from the very beginning. I was particularly impressed with the way that so many accommodations were made for me. I felt they bent over backwards for me to get the licensure that I was seeking in the fastest way possible. Now I’m close to finishing the M.Ed.
Sarah Clyne
graduate, initial licensure
ESL coordinator, Richfield
The post-baccalaureate program provided me with a comprehensive knowledge base about how to teach English language learners. I constantly go back to my texts, discussions, notes, etc. and think about how they align with my beliefs about teaching English language learners (ELL). I use this information to make informed decisions and to educate staff about the needs of ELL.
Candida Gonzalez
graduate, initial licensure
El Colegio Charter School
I loved the time I spent in the second languages and cultures post-baccalaureate teaching program at the U of M. The professors pushed me and always had time for me, the classes were great, and my former cohort members and I still talk and share ideas for our classrooms.
Brandon Locke
graduate, M.Ed. and certificate in dual language immersion
French teacher, South Anchorage High School, Alaska
When searching for a master's program I was looking for one that specialized in second language learning and teaching. I was drawn to the SLC program because of its great reputation. I also knew that this program worked closely with the Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition. SLC offered an M.Ed. and a certificate in language immersion education. It was a perfect match for my interests — a nice balance between practice, theory, and research. I am thankful to have had the opportunity to work with some amazing professors during my two years as a full-time M.Ed. student. I now have a different outlook on my teaching practices and have a grounded knowledge base in terms of both theory and research.
Social studies
Sara
Gabrielson
graduate, M.Ed.
After graduating from Carleton College with a focus on East Asian studies and struggling to decide what I wanted to do, I found myself working in schools near my home in New Jersey. Soul searching led me to realize that my passion was not necessarily with East Asian studies, but with teaching adolescents. I have no regrets, as this program has proven to me that I made the right decision.
Becoming a teacher has not been easy, nor could I have done it without support. Muffet Trout, a doctoral student in social studies, has been a font of support. She has been there for me through times of success, failure, and doubt, always offering words of encouragement and reminding me of the reason I’m here. She has been a great adviser and role-model. I am proud to call her my colleague.
Learning does not stop with the faculty and staff. Camaraderie shared among my cohort has also supported my growth as a teacher. From complete strangers, we have evolved into a close-knit community of practicing teachers. Together we have struggled to learn through rigorous assignments and challenged and supported each other through our student teaching experiences. I feel like I can depend on any one of the people in this program for support and guidance.
As I prepare to enter into the classroom fulltime in the fall, I have reflected on what lessons I will take with me. I’ve learned that not every child learns the same way and almost none of them think the way I do. I’ve explored the teenage mind to decipher what it is that engages students, as well as what makes them the most comfortable in my class. This journey is never ending. As students reach new levels of ability, they also achieve new levels of inquiry, perpetuating the process, and pushing me to discover better ways to educate.
