More Than Just Teachers
Teachers who graduate from MLC are special. In their classrooms, they teach more than math and reading. Their primary subject is the love of Jesus.
Take Kassi Aguilar (Cross of Glory-Peoria AZ), pictured here with little Vada at MLC’s Early Childhood Learning Center. In nine short weeks, Kassi went from Vada’s favorite student teacher to Vada’s godmother! One beautiful Sunday in May, Vada, her dad, and her siblings, Owen and Nora Lee, were all baptized into Christ.
That’s the power of the gospel. That’s the power of a Christ-centered education at WELS schools. And that’s what makes an education major at MLC distinctive! From the very first Early Field Experience, MLC provides not just professional education courses but also ministry training. Our seniors graduate with both state licensure and synod certification. No other college can make that claim.
The need for qualified teachers is great! To help fill that need, we’ve expanded access beyond our traditional campus programs. We know there are adult learners who want to make teaching in a WELS school their next career. We’re growing programs to help them do that. Read on!
New Associate Degree for Preschool Teachers
We already have a graduate! This year we opened our new Associate of Science in Early Childhood Education program—and then conferred our first degree!
This 67.5 credit AS-ECE degree is the fourth tier in our “Support at Every Step” program designed to train more preschool teachers. Another dozen are enrolled in this program, which qualifies adult learners to receive divine calls to WELS early childhood ministries.
We’re happy to report that the other tiers of support for early childhood teachers are making a big impact as well:
Tier 1: Free ECE basics for new teachers and aides
APPLE Opens Another Door for Second-Career Teachers
This year we began enrolling students in APPLE!
The Alternative Pathway to Professional Licensure Eligibility is the next step in our exciting competency-based education program, which is opening a door to a WELS teaching call for people like Holly Sloan (right).
Holly has a college degree in biology and chemistry, but she’d like to earn a degree in elementary education with Minnesota licensure. She has a family and is teaching at St. Paul-Onalaska, Wisconsin, so moving to New Ulm is not an option. That’s where APPLE comes in.
We’re excited for Holly and all those adult learners who are working hard to finish an education degree from MLC—the professional courses and the theology courses—while staying in their own homes, communities, and jobs.
