First-year Spanish teacher and M.Ed. candidate Walker Currie recently received the award for Outstanding Student Teacher from the Minnesota Council on the Teaching of Languages and Cultures (MCTLC). He talks with us about his experience in the M.Ed. and initial teaching licensure program.
What is your current position?
This is my first year as a Spanish teacher at Edison high school in Minneapolis.
What is your degree program?
I am finishing my M.Ed. in Second Language Education this spring and have earned a license to teach both English as a Second Language and Spanish in K-12 classrooms.
What drove you to enroll in the program?
I taught English for two years in Madrid, Spain and realized that I wanted to continue working with youth and eventually teach back home. (I am originally from the Twin Cities). I researched options and discovered that the University of Minnesota’s program was both fast (just one year) and very well regarded.
When did you realize you wanted to be a teacher?
I originally went to Spain for the adventure, with teaching simply being the path to a visa. However, as I worked with my students there, I realized this was something that I actually loved doing.
Were there any surprises and challenges along the way?
Certainly, a challenge was the intensity of the program. Although I knew it would be a busy, but I had no idea how busy it would actually be. I had four different student-teaching placements, while having one or two classes most evenings plus homework and lesson planning. It was definitely a marathon experience!
What has been your experience with the faculty?
The faculty were wonderful. They combined excellent content knowledge with also being supportive and caring. They understood the demands of our program and were willing to work with us to help us succeed. Without them it would have been much harder.
What was the most valuable part of the program that you applied to your teaching?
The most useful part of the M.Ed. program was the student teaching placements combined with observations and reflections. Trying out classroom concepts and ideas in the “real world,” and then having the opportunity to learn and grow through reflection of how things actually went in the classroom was very helpful.
Do you feel the coursework and student teaching helped you to begin teaching in your own classroom?
I think the program and student teaching taught me a great deal and I would be totally lost right now if I hadn’t had those experiences. At the same time, I feel like there is no substitute for the real thing when it comes to teaching. Every school, classroom, and group of students is unique and comes with unique challenges. The program and student teaching gave me a toolbox of techniques, theory and ideas, and now I am trying different things out in the classroom and seeing what actually works in my specific context.
What advice would you give to other teacher candidates about the program?
Take things a day at a time and be okay with not getting everything on your to-do list done, or being able to give 100 percent to everything. Make sure you have a strong support group around you for when times are hard, and prepare for a lot of personal and professional growth.
Learn more about the teacher licensure programs in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, including the the M.Ed. and initial teaching license in second language education.
