Teaching

Students planning to teach in elementary or secondary schools must be formally admitted to the teacher education program and receive permission to student teach; generally students are admitted in the spring of their sophomore year. Information is available from Hope's department of education.

Elementary School
Students completing the teacher education program will qualify for a teaching certificate from the State of Michigan. Although teaching requirements differ among states, the Michigan teaching certificate is valid in many other states through reciprocal certification agreements.

A departmental or composite major, a teaching minor or substantive minor, and the professional education course sequence are the essential components of the teacher education program. An [mdit]Education Department Handbook[med] is available from the department of education.

Secondary School
Students completing the teacher education program will qualify for a teaching certificate from the State of Michigan. Although teaching requirements differ among states, the Michigan teaching certificate is valid in many other states through reciprocal certification agreements.

College
For those interested in college teaching, a major in their chosen field of specialization is advisable. Departmental advisors should be consulted to help these students develop an academic program.

Michigan Scholars in College Teaching Program
Hope College is a participant with four other Michigan liberal arts colleges and the University of Michigan in a cooperative program to provide counsel, guidance, and special curricular and extracurricular opportunities to academically talented students who are interested in college teaching as a profession. In the junior year, such students are advised to follow the special course sequences recommended by their major department, and to continue in mastery of one or more foreign languages.

In several areas cooperative course planning between Hope College and the University of Michigan or the University of Chicago leads to special consideration for graduate study at these universities and preference in scholarship awards.

Visit the departmental home page