MAT program

[jsfowler]

When this program first started, I thought it was a great way to get highly-qualified, educated people into the high school education profession. I did it the old way...I have a middle school science/language arts teaching degree and am ready to finish my Master's in April. There are several wonderful teachers at our high school, especially in science and math, that have used this program. However, I was unaware that anyone could apply for this program to teach any position. This year I have had several problems with one of my son's exploratory teachers. I knew he was a first year teacher so I was giving him the benefit of the doubt and went in to speak to him. I found out he was doing the MAT program. That flew all over me. Why is someone with a business degree (I think) teaching elementary PE? This is crazy - he has never taken an education class or probably PE class except for Freshman health. The kids are out of control and someone gets hurt almost every day. If my child isn't the one getting hurt, he is being blamed for hurting someone else. My child never gets in trouble except in this class! Does anyone else find this ridiculous? Sorry to those of you who are using the MAT program for higher educational purposes...if you are planning on teaching grades 7 and above, I am all for it. Elementary takes special people and I believe you should be trained before putting you in charge of children.

[Chef Dave]

Elementary takes special people and I believe you should be trained before putting you in charge of children.

I agree. I was an elementary teacher for 17 years and I don't think anyone with a degree should be able to step into an elementary classroom and begin teaching. The unfortunate reality is that this does happen. Off hand, I know that New York City has a fellowship program that sounds a lot like this MAT program.

I think a distinction does have to be made for high school and college. A person with a business degree and real world experience teaching business ... or a chemist or biologist geologist teaching science ... or an architect teaching drafting ... yes, yes, and yes ... all of these jobs seem to make sense.

But a person with a business degree teaching PE? :eek:

[upnorthteacher]

I agree. Aside from all of the methods courses for elementary ed., our state requires courses in developmental psychology and educational psychology. Elementary teachers need to have a clear understanding of child development.

[dangercat]

We debated this very subject in my History and Philosopy of Education class recently. There were a couple of people who were on the side that anyone with a degree in anything should be able to jump into education. I was on the side that it didn't seem right that someone with a degree in cooking could be teahcing English without having attained the proper education to do so.

I know someone right now who is going back to school completely to get her degree in education. She already has a BA in theology and now working on a BA in elementary education.

[irish223]

Either some of you are confused about the requirements of MAT, or the programs in your state are different than the one I went through.

I had to take the methods courses and child development courses. I had to complete clinical hours in special ed as well as general ed, prior to student teaching.

I would be very surprised to find a MAT program that graduates students without any classroom experience. For that matter, I would be surprised that your state board of ed would certify anyone without those hours.

I am an elementary teacher, but my first degress was in chemistry. Hardly an elementary subject. However, that doesn't mean that I don't have the necessary knowledge to be a successful teacher.

[busbus]

I was not familiar with the MAT program so I had to do a little research. Now I know that MAT = Master of Arts in Teaching.

I've looked at Ithaca's, Brandeis' and Kentucky's programs and it appears that what Irish223 said is correct. They all seem to be very intensive programs and each causes students to do a lot of fieldwork. Before these folks become stand alone teachers, they have truly been prepared, down to taking and passing Praxis II.

There is an art to teaching and we all had to find our way. I know for a fact that I was ill-prepared to teach at the elementary level with my secondary education degree. However, with mentoring, professional development, reading, asking questions, etc., I began to develop the art of teaching. As I said in an earlier post, I know how to teach and I am good at what I do. I am a reflective practitioner and am always learning. I do believe that, for the most part, this is what we all do.

I sometimes wonder just what is being taught in some of the teacher colleges. Some of their graduates are lacking in so many ways. All in all, there is the good and bad in all programs - and it may not always be the program.... ;)

[jsfowler]

BusBus, I also looked at the state requirements for our MAT program...you are correct that passing the PRAXIS is required but that is a new requirement that will not take effect until May 2008. So anyone already in the program did not have to pass that to begin. People in the MAT program CAN teach while they are still in the program for up to three years. They only have to have taken two courses (Teachers, Schools, & Society and Learners, Teachers, & Action Research) which require 10 hours field experience each...that is ridiculus! I am sorry but after taking two classes where you learn about the "profession" of teaching and 20 hours in a classroom, I do not think you are ready to step in the classroom. Irish223, I am glad you were required to do the work before stepping into the classroom...but can you imagine only having 20 hours field experience and two courses that teach you "theories" before you were left to your own with a classroom of 2nd graders? As a fellow teachers I am unpset...but mostly, I am upset as a mother. I guess I have just had a lot of bad experiences with this and very few good ones.

Irish223 wrote,
"I am an elementary teacher, but my first degress was in chemistry. Hardly an elementary subject. However, that doesn't mean that I don't have the necessary knowledge to be a successful teacher."

I agree that you have the knowledge. I am happy to see teachers with a depth of knowledge. I, myself, had an Anthropology major and went one year to optometry school before becoming a teacher. But if I did not have two years of education courses including an entire semester of methods and then another of student teaching then I would have been a lost ball in high weeds that first year.

I guess my biggest complaint really comes from the fact that three horrible experiences come from people in the MAT program who don't want to be teachers at all...just coaches - and THAT is something I hate even more than the MAT program.

Sorry to rant....but, dang that felt good...

[irish223]

That is nothing like the MAT offered by the universities in my area. Actually, it sounds like the Teach for America program.

I agree with Busbus about finding our own way. There are good and bad in any teaching program.

I also agree that most (if not all) people cannot be prepared for a classroom after a couple of courses and a week (or less) of clinical hours.

I don't blame you for your rant. We all want quality teachers for our kids. I'm sorry yours have been let down.

[irish223]

Well, I got curious, so I googled MAT. As it turns out, there are programs here that offer that degree through the type of program you described. The kind of program I went through is called a traditional MAT program. The newer program is called an Alternative Certification MAT program. Most of the schools that offer the traditional, also offer the alternative.

If I had chosen the alternative, I probably would have changed my mind about teaching before I finished!

[jsfowler]

Thank you guys for letting me rank...I am not normally like this, but this topic really gets my goose. We do not have anyone involved in the MAT program at my middle school, but if we do I will make it my mission to help that person out...if they want it, that is.

[busbus]

Thank you guys for letting me rank...I am not normally like this, but this topic really gets my goose. We do not have anyone involved in the MAT program at my middle school, but if we do I will make it my mission to help that person out...if they want it, that is.

I'm glad that you were able to vent. If you need to, vent some more. I think that I would be venting if my child was being affected as is yours.

Thanks for enlightening me. I only did a little research; but, will research further because of my own curiosity. Now I see that there is another MAT program - Alternative Certification. It would be interesting to see the difference in this program and the traditional program.

I love the fact, even with your bad experiences with people in the MAT program, that you are willing to help out a person who is in one of these programs and working in your school That's class! You have class and I commend you for it.

[sgaestel]

Wow. Here, in order to teach anything you have to have some sort of background in it. For instance, in order to teach a class full time, you must have a certain number of credits in that content area. For me, it was not an issue, since I have an English BA, to come in lateral entry and get an MAT to teach English classes. I ran into a bit of an issue when I started teaching Theatre, since I was two classes short of a Theatre minor. I had to do my research to show that in order to teach it part time, you need to have at least 18 credits from a university in that content. So I am only able to teach up to three Theatre classes a year along with my English classes...which suits me just fine since I want to teach both. After completeing my MAT I do plan to get those other two Theatre classes, just in case I ever need to teach it full time.

jsfowler, it sounds as if your state is just catching up to others in regard to this program, which is a shame...because I think when done correctly, it is a great way to get teachers into schools!