Learning to teach: SDSU debuts additional degree programs in education

This paid piece is sponsored by South Dakota State University.

As a high schooler, Samantha Kinder faced a college decision, and her plan was to tour two South Dakota schools in one day.

After visiting South Dakota State University, though, she canceled the second trip.

“I just looked at my mom and said, ‘We don’t need to go anywhere else.’ I just knew. From the tour guide to the faculty, they just really welcomed me, and it felt like where I wanted to be for the next five years – which turned into seven.”

Like a lot of young people, Kinder had a favorite teacher growing up. The Aberdeen native aspired to become just like her.

“At SDSU, I gained so much,” she said. “I had so many classroom hours that when I graduated, I had experience in kindergarten, first, third, four and fifth grade classrooms, so I felt prepared to apply anywhere.”

Her early childhood degree program was complemented by a fifth year that certified her to teach through eighth grade. Then, she gained first-hand experience teaching a classroom of preschoolers while earning her master’s degree.

Today, Kinder is entering her fifth year as a kindergarten teacher at Legacy Elementary School in Tea.

“It’s been great,” she said. “And my SDSU classmates became good friends who are still friends today, and now we can talk about our experiences. What I love about having a background in early childhood is all the developmental classes I took. I understand what children are going through developmentally, and I think that makes me a better elementary educator.”

SDSU has long been a strong source of education graduates for South Dakota schools and beyond. This school year, the university is offering even more options on the Brookings campus for those pursuing education careers.

For the first time in the university’s history, students will be able to earn a degree in elementary education or special education.

“We have well-established teacher education programs, including early childhood and secondary education for middle school and high school, and we’ve had successful co-op programs with other universities for elementary educators,” said Anne Karabon, the Wendell and Marlys Thompson Director of the School of Education, Counseling and Human Development, as well as an associate professor of early childhood education.

“But now, we also have wonderful programs in elementary and special education that students will be able to complete in four years, and it really helps round our programs out. We’ve started enrolling students and are really excited to offer it.”

The same focus on practical experience that SDSU is known for will continue in the new programs, said Patrick Hales, assistant director for K-12 teacher education.

“We want to expose them to as much as possible to what they will experience as a teacher,” Hales said. “We get them into the field working with teachers, getting involved in community projects and things the schools have going on. That practical focus goes across all our coursework. We talk about it as faculty and return to it when we develop curriculum.”

That includes allowing students broad access to the on-campus laboratory school, the Fishback Center for Early Childhood Education.

“It was one of the draws that got me here,” said Karabon, who relocated from Omaha a year ago. “A facility like this on campus is a huge asset to the students we work with as well as the community. SDSU students have the opportunity to observe really high-quality teachers and refine their own teaching practices with guidance and feedback from mentor teachers. Our mentor teachers are stellar.”

For those preparing to teach middle school and high school, “we have great partnerships with districts like Huron, Harrisburg and, of course, Brookings,” Hales said. “We have opportunities for students to go into those schools as early as their second year to help out.”

In special education, SDSU has invested and will continue to invest in assisted technologies to teach students cutting-edge ways to help in their classrooms.

“We have done a lot of work proactively to get ready for a solid program. We are planning to hire special education faculty who bring the expertise to tell us what they need to be successful in teaching,” Karabon said. “Additionally, we think it’s very important to include English as a second language to help teachers work with all children and families, including social and cultural aspects of those relationships to help ensure all are successful.”

About 70 percent of SDSU education graduates apply for a teaching license in South Dakota, she added.

“The teacher shortage in South Dakota has shown a need to develop more teachers and absolutely a need for more special education teachers, and we’re very dedicated to having high-quality educators going out into the field,” she said. “That’s why we’re excited to offer a four-year pathway option at SDSU that is competitive with other institutions in the state.”

Alumni consistently praise their connections with faculty, Hales said.

“Our faculty treat teacher candidates like they’re already teachers when they’re in class,” he said. “The expectations are that way, and the conversations are that way. We have one-on-one meetings like we’re colleagues.”

Back in her Tea classroom, Kinder is supportive of the university’s programming and recently had a full-circle experience as an alum.

“I just had a student teacher from SDSU, and that was a great experience too,” she said. “I’ve grown a lot in my confidence, and I feel like I’ve come full circle that they felt I could handle a student teacher and do well with her. And it did go very well. I miss mentoring college students, and because I was just in the program five years ago, it made the process very easy because both of us were from SDSU.”

To learn more about education programs at SDSU, click here.