By Sobia Siddiqui
Reporter
While most education programs consist of a student majoring in a subject and then working towards a supplemental teaching degree, Baylor’s School of Education allows students who are interested in careers in education to focus on learning how to teach.
“We have two divisions in the School of Education. There is teacher education and there is health human performance and recreation,” Lindsey Freed, assistant director of enrollment management and advising, said. “Under teacher education we certify all certification areas — elementary, middle grade, secondary.”
Certification in these areas includes teachers trained in math, science, English and social studies, as well as certification in all levels of Spanish, special education and physical education.
“With any of those programs, students can also get English as a second language certified, which is an area of need in the state,” Freed said.
Due to its high demand, certification in English as a second language can be added onto any grade level certification.
For those interested in the more physical aspects of school, the School of Education has plenty of options.
Majors under this division include exercise physiology, community health, which includes certification in health education specialist, and recreation and leisure studies in both church recreation and outdoor education.
Health science is also available for pre-med and pre-dental students.
“Community health, exercise education, health science studies, athletic training and recreation all have internships that are required for the major,” Freed said.
Baylor is the only school in the State of Texas that offers a yearlong teaching internship, according to the School of Education’s website.
Professors at the School of Education work with students training to be future educators by explaining interactions within and out of classrooms.
Hutto sophomore Kaitlyn Phelps, majoring in secondary mathematics in the School of Education, said the professors are welcoming to the students.
Students take classes in pedagogy and work as mentors in their own classes and in their fieldwork.
“Our students are getting hands-on experience throughout the program and basically enough so that, by the time they graduate, they will have enough experience as a second-year teacher would have,” Freed said.
Hands-on field experience is available for both teacher education and health human performance and recreation students.
