OTC Teacher Education and Orientation to College Department
The mission of The OTC Teacher Education and Orientation to College Department is two-fold: train future educators to effectively teach levels PK-12 and prepare college students for the rest of their higher education journeys.
Teaching is an important, rewarding profession requiring careful preparation, patience and a passion for seeing young learners grow. Our experienced faculty love sharing their years of wisdom with OTC education students. By investing in future teachers, we’re investing in our community’s future.
We offer the Associate of Arts in Teacher Education Degree Program with 12 specific areas of emphasis. This degree is designed for students planning to transfer to a four-year institution to earn a bachelor’s degree and certification to teach grades PK-12. Students with a love of learning and a passion for education should consider this program. We also offer orientation courses for new college students or those returning after a break from their studies. Our goal in these courses is to help students feel at home here at OTC and confident they can handle any academic challenge.
Mission Statement
Teacher Education strives to provide all pre-service teacher education students with the knowledge and skills necessary to become informed and thoughtful professionals capable of teaching a wide array of students and specializations in diverse settings by meeting the mid-level Missouri Standards for the Preparation of Educators (MoSPE).
Program Learning Outcomes
- Students will utilize cultural frameworks to consider curriculum planning that supports all learners.
- Students will develop lesson plans that are mindful of diverse students and student experiences.
- Students will develop hypothetical classroom management processes that create learning communities based out of respect and discovery with an emphasis on modeling.
- Students will express confidence as professional educators by asking appropriate and assertive questions and demonstrating curiosity within the context of coursework, employment, or educator development.