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Education and Human Development

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DirecTrack to Teaching (DTT) is celebrating its 15th anniversary!

DirecTrack to Teaching celebrated its 15th anniversary on June 14 to honor the program’s legacy and its future. The celebration theme focused on being “Rooted, Rising, and Reimagining” the future of education, taking place at the Children’s Theatre Company in Minneapolis. 

What is DirecTrack to Teaching (DTT)?

DirecTrack to Teaching (DTT) is a program at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities that provides undergraduate students with a unique and first-hand experience of the world of teaching. It presents a strong pathway for aspiring teachers to gain experience and explore teaching through in-school and guided opportunities like observing, volunteering, and tutoring. The program is not an independent major but it allows students to maintain their current undergraduate college and major while exploring their interest in teaching. DTT offers a two-course sequence blending seminar discussions with hands-on, community-engaged learning. 

What has DirecTrack to Teaching been doing for its students?

DirecTrack to Teaching sets aspiring educators up for success. Over the years, roughly 1,000 students have gone on to pursue teacher licensure or careers in education. The program has guided nearly 1,400 University of Minnesota undergraduates as they pursue a future in education. The 15th anniversary marked a significant milestone for the program, highlighting its ongoing commitment to preparing future educators. The program offers preferred admission status to the M.Ed./initial teaching licensure program after meeting certain benchmarks.

From the moment you enroll to the moment you get your teaching license, Direct Track to Teaching has people to guide you through it all. All students who are enrolled in the program work closely with advisors to choose coursework that meets requirements in preparation for teacher licensure programs. Students also have the opportunity to participate in program events alongside other aspiring teachers through affinity groups, application support learning sessions, and community-building activities, such as teacher panels and program-sponsored study sessions. So, not only do you have support from the program, but you also have access to connect with people with similar aspirations. 

Through DirecTrack, I have had several meaningful service-learning experiences, made great friends who are as dedicated about teaching as I am, and have found a community I feel I belong in.
Quynh Van, BA 2018

What is special about DirecTrack to Teaching?

The DirecTrack to Teaching (DTT) program offers a unique pathway compared to other education preparation programs. The DirecTrack to Teaching program allows undergraduate students to pursue their major while completing the teacher preparation program. This gives students the opportunity to gain teaching experience, pursue the path to getting a teaching license, and get a degree at the same time, while traditional teaching preparation programs can potentially take more than a year after completing a bachelor’s degree. DTT focuses on experience. Students get a personal look into what it’s like to work in education. The DTT program also gives students the opportunity to build a support network. 

What does DirecTrack to Teaching have to offer?

The program provides various teaching content areas such as:

  • Art education 
  • Dance education 
  • English education
  • Mathematics education 
  • Science education 
  • Multilingual education 
  • Social Studies education 
  • Theatre education

DirecTrack to teaching provides guidance in choosing an undergraduate major that is directly related to the teaching licensure area you want to pursue.
 

Read more about DTT in the spring/summer issue of CEHD Connect magazine