Wesleyan’s unique Master of Education in Elementary Education program enrolls practicing classroom teachers who desire a shift from mundane educational trends and believe in the power of authentic learning. Twelve educators, including two Wesleyan alumnae, began their journeys on campus in June with a two-week reading and writing workshop. Each course will meet as a group one time at the beginning of the semester and again at the very end of the semester. All other meetings and sessions are conducted one-on-one between the student and the professor. This means that each discussion is unique to that student individually and is completely focused on their research, data, and plan. After a one-week culmination theme-based trip designed by the students in the second summer, the cohort will complete their journeys in August of 2022.
Paula Daughdrill, first grade teacher at Vineville Academy in Macon, said, “I can’t believe I put this off for as long as I did. After just two weeks in the program, I am super excited about the new and innovative ideas I can apply in my own classroom. I’m even more excited about the relationships I’ve already developed among the other students.” Paula completed Wesleyan’s Teacher Preparation Program in 2010.
Wesleyan's learner-centered program focuses on play, creativity, nature smart activities, and oral storytelling, but it is the way the courses are taught that truly makes the program stand out amongst others. “We are the only program I know that provides a special research element where every student has the professor’s full attention, alone, for hour-long sessions,” said Dr. Virginia Bowman Wilcox ’90, M.Ed. program director and associate professor of education.
A two-day trip to the Ron Clark Academy (RCA) is included in tuition. RCA is a demonstration school where visiting educators engage in a vibrant professional development experience by observing best practices in action before participating in hands-on workshops. The Academy has received both national and international recognition for its success for creating a loving, dynamic learning environment that promotes academic excellence and fosters leadership.