5 Ways an education degree can help you change the world
With its beautiful 90-acre campus, impressive 11-to-1 student-to-faculty ratio, one-on-one advisement, technology-rich resources, and hands-on field learning, the University of Saint Joseph (USJ) in West Hartford has become an obvious choice for undergraduates and graduate students looking for a quality degree in Education. But there’s more to Saint Joe’s than numbers and statistics. What makes the school’s Education program so well-known—and well-loved—are the people who teach and learn here. At USJ, the faculty has captured that special sort of magic, the kind that springs up in those small but life-changing moments shared between teacher and student, when a lesson really hits home, breaks through, and leaves all involved forever changed.
Here, from the mouths of the teachers and students themselves, we bring you five ways that an Education degree from the University of Saint Joseph can help change not only your life but the world.
1. Pay it forward. What’s cool about getting a degree in Education is that you’re given the rare opportunity to truly pay it forward, finding the strengths in others and passing on the most important lessons you’ve learned. “I believe that there is a genius in everyone,” says University of Saint Joseph Associate Professor of Education Barbara Hartigan, Ed.D. “I start by finding the genius in my graduate students so that they can realize the importance of knowing their own strengths as a student or how they learn best. When teacher candidates feel the power that comes from realizing one’s strengths, they will then—hopefully—want to find strengths in their students.”
2. Forge true connections. Thanks to small class sizes and one-on-one mentorship, students of USJ are guaranteed plenty of face time with their professors, as well as unprecedented support and connection. “The best thing about my programs of study at the University of Saint Joseph was the support offered by my professors,” says Dr. Shamel C. Lewis, a former student who now holds two master’s degrees in Education from USJ. “The professors in the Education program are all experienced professionals who bring a lot of wisdom and experience to the courses offered at the University. The professors took time to make themselves available to support my learning, and that was very helpful for me.”
Joanna Macca, who went to USJ for undergrad and came back to get her master’s, concurs. “The best thing about my programs was the support that I was provided. The teachers were all friendly and knowledgeable.” Years after graduating, she remains in close contact with her favorite professor, Hartigan, who adds that her own career was inspired by a particularly great teacher she’ll never forget. “I ask students in my first methods course to think back to that teacher who made a difference in their life,” Hartigan says. “More often than not, these memories have to do with a teacher who saw the best in them, believed in them, and made those personal connections.”
3. Become an agent for change. At the state and national levels, our education system is plagued with inequality, which means teachers must also be forces for social justice, and the University of Saint Joseph holds as a core principle the desire and need to serve others. “I teach at USJ because I am committed to preparing secondary-education teachers to be the excellent teachers and future school leaders that Connecticut needs if it is serious about addressing the many inequities present in Connecticut schools,” says Anthony Johnston, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the School of Education. “Seeing our pre-service teachers, many of whom benefitted from this inequitable system, get fired up about creating changes to the system so that more students in the state receive a high-quality education is my favorite thing about our program.” And it’s working.
“I believe that by the time I graduate, I will have proven myself as an agent of change, which is an indispensable quality in educational leadership,” says Ernesto Davila, who is working toward his master’s in Education at USJ.
4. Instill mindfulness. Being a teacher is certainly rewarding, but it’s not easy. That’s why professors at USJ have gone out of their way to teach self-care practices that their students can carry forth into their own classrooms. “I love how our 4 p.m. graduate classes start with some sort of mindfulness exercise as our teacher candidates are rushing to class from their hectic school day,” says Hartigan, who was awarded a research grant from the American Mindfulness Research Association last year. “There are areas in the brain that are strengthened with mindfulness practice that allows for better learning and social interactions. But I feel that our teacher candidates must first experience the benefits of mindfulness before they can share these with their students.”
5. Inspire future leaders. The University of Saint Joseph has a strong reputation in Connecticut and a history of instilling strong leadership in its graduates. Here, they understand that education goes far beyond rote learning. It’s about creating a values system, a set of standards, and a community that connects, grows, and improves because of those values and standards. “I am currently a pre-school special education teacher in West Hartford,” says Macca. “With the education and preparation provided to me at Saint Joe’s, I was able to achieve my dream job!”
Davila hopes to move into educational leadership after he graduates. “I think that my education at USJ will help me get a job at that level because, through the three out of 10 courses I have completed so far, I’ve been able to start action research projects at my school in the area of curriculum and instruction,” he says. “The leadership at my school has welcomed those initiatives.”
And as for Dr. Lewis? “This fall, I began my seventh year of teaching and sixth year of teaching kindergarten,” he says. “The University of Saint Joseph has helped me reach this point in my career, by helping me realize my passion for teaching and learning. This is what has kept me in the teaching profession.”