Introduction

The Teacher Education programs at Warner Southern College have been a positive part of the college since it began. The department has a rich history and a strong tradition of providing a quality teacher preparation program. Warner Southern graduates are serving God as teachers in private or public school classrooms in Florida, other areas in the United States, and in other countries. There are over 200 graduates teaching students in the surrounding four school districts.

The Teacher Education Department majors, professional preparation program, and courses are accepted and approved by the Florida Department of Education. Graduates can become certified to teach in Florida as well as more than half of the other states in the country.

The Teacher Education Department offers majors in Elementary Education and Exceptional Student Education as well as provides the Professional Education component for majors in English Education, Middle School Science, Music Education, Physical Education, and Social Science Education.

Teacher Education students interact with active classroom teachers through practicum field experiences that are designed to get WSC students into classrooms and participate in activities that will integrate their college courses with the skills and competencies they will need as teachers. This is also an opportunity for WSC students to experience the joy of working with students and to learn how much an extra smile and helping hand can mean.

These practicum experiences conclude with the Professional Semester which includes the internship (sometimes called "student teaching"). The internship is the capstone experience for all Teacher Education students and is performed during the final semester of the senior year.

The Teacher Education Department of Warner Southern College is now proud to offer a Master of Arts in Education (MAEd) program. The Master of Arts in Education is a professional degree designed to prepare teachers to serve as model/mentor educators in their schools. Evening and Saturday classes allow students to continue their education while teaching full or part time. Starting from a look at current issues in the field of education and progressing through advanced assessment and evaluation techniques, the program allows for application of that course knowledge into either a Master's Thesis or Action Research Project.

Warner Southern's Teacher Education programs have a good reputation, an excellent faculty, outstanding graduates, and provide a wonderful opportunity to prepare for a career as a teacher--one who can make a difference in lives every day. Warner Southern is committed to preparing persons to serve as God's agents in the classrooms of the United States and beyond.