Kristina Adams
Associate Professor & Coordinator of Educator Preparation
Educator Preparation
Cottey offers a BA in elementary education, a BA or BS in secondary education, and a minor in education.
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Program Description
The educator preparation program at Cottey College focuses on developing the relational teacher. Cottey’s education students learn about the importance of building appropriate teacher-student relationships and how to maintain those relationships in a classroom setting so that the growth of the whole person is honored.
Experiential learning is a major component of our program with a variety of “in classroom” experiences such as observing master teachers working with students in PK-12 classrooms and working with PK-12 students in small & whole group settings.
Cottey offers certification and non-certification baccalaureate programs in elementary education (grades 1-6) and secondary education (grades 9-12), as well as a minor in education. Our secondary education content areas include:
- Biology
- Business
- Chemistry
- English
- Mathematics
- Social Science
- Theatre/Speech
Our programs are accredited by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), and upon successful program completion, our students may seek Missouri initial teacher licensure. Cottey College cannot guarantee qualification for licensure in Missouri after completing the program due to other individual factors such as criminal background, academic and assessment performance.
The Relational Teacher educator preparation program at Cottey College meets educator preparation requirements for initial teaching licensure in Missouri only. It is the student’s responsibility to seek out a particular state’s licensure board or agency/entity to determine eligibility for licensure in that state, if they choose to seek licensure in another state.
Program Offerings
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Certification for Elementary (Grades 1-6)
Cottey College’s Elementary Education major is focused on contributing highly effective teachers in education for grades 1-6.
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Certification for Secondary (grades 9-12)
Cottey College’s Secondary Education major is focused on contributing highly effective teachers in the sciences and other fields for grades 9-12. Teachers completing an education degree at Cottey are equipped to adapt to the educational needs of the next generation of students.
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Non-Certification Education Studies-Elementary or Secondary
The Education Studies track is intended for students who do not meet state criteria for certification or for students whose career goals do not require teaching certification. Education Studies Track students are not required to meet the Education Program admission requirements.
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Education Minor
The education minor provides students who have an interest in teaching but are pursuing another baccalaureate degree to get hired by a school district on a provisional teaching certificate or a temporary authorization certificate. With this minor, students will meet the coursework required for middle school 5-9, secondary 9-12, and K-12 subject areas licensure requirements, reducing the amount of time they are provisionally employed.
Teacher Education Handbook
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Teacher Education Handbook
Career Outcomes
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Career Outcomes
- Teaching
- Counseling*
- School Administration*
- Instructional Coach
- Curriculum Coordinator
- Athletic Director
* careers that require years of teaching experience and additional coursework beyond degree completion
Signature Courses
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EDU 210 – Foundations of Education
This is the first course of the program and the beginning of a student’s journey to becoming a teacher. This course introduces them to relational pedagogy and gives them the opportunity to interact with teachers and students in the field. Students are excited for this course because they get to start investigating another side of education – the teaching side! Our students also begin building relationships with teachers from nearby schools and interacting with students in the classroom.
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EDU 370 and EDU 372 Teaching in Secondary Schools & Teaching in Elementary Schools
For many of our students, this is their first opportunity to write lessons in their chosen context. They create and teach multiple lessons, which provides rich opportunities for feedback and growth. Students weave all of the educational themes into their lessons and realize how all of the pieces from their other courses fit together. For most students, this course is when they begin to feel like a teacher.
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Methods courses
There are a number of methods courses, depending on the education program. However, all of the methods courses focus on pedagogy, use of assessment data, and trauma informed teaching practices. Students get to implement classroom management strategies and teach differentiated lessons in a real classroom setting during the field experience co-requisite class. We utilize video feedback to improve teaching and make sure they are prepared for their culminating experience—student teaching!
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EDU 490 Student Teaching
Student teaching is the culminating experience for our students. They spend a minimum of twelve weeks in the field with a master teacher. Our students are responsible for all of the duties expected of a full-time classroom teacher. Every experience is unique for our students as they further develop their teaching philosophy and style.
Students who have taken this course found the experience challenging and rewarding. One student said “I didn’t realize how fast I would become attached to these students… I would absolutely do everything in my power to protect them and I’ve only known them two days.” The quote speaks to the passion our students have when it comes to teaching and the dedication they have for their students.
Why Cottey’s education program is unique.
The education programs at Cottey College are unique because they focus on the social-emotional side of teaching, as well as the art of teaching. All courses in the program address how teachers can support the growth of the whole student and the development of caring, competent teachers who will become leaders in their classrooms and at their schools.
We create caring leaders by teaching our students assessment and feedback strategies for listening to, and working alongside, their students. These strategies focus on individual needs to support the growth of the whole student. This program also teaches our students to create engaging lessons that utilize student inquiry and collaboration, again demonstrating our approach of ethics and care.
Faculty
Tracy Lanser
Assistant Professor of Education
