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Program Introduction

Welcome to the Augsburg Education Programs!

We believe in preparing knowledgeable, responsive teachers committed to educating all learners in a diverse and changing world. At Augsburg, developing a greater understanding of your vocation as a teacher is as important as developing the knowledge, skills, and practice of a teacher. Frederick Buechner once wrote “Vocation is where our greatest passion meets the world’s greatest need.”  Developing a deeper understanding of your vocation, of your strengths and weaknesses, your ability to think critically as you respond to others, of your leadership and sense of justice and inclusiveness, your ability to create authentic relationships and mentor students, all become themes around which we focus our courses, our practice, and your experience.

Augsburg Education Department offers a number of unique program elements that enable you to develop the knowledge, skills, and dispositions of a beginning teacher while helping to clarify your vocational goals.  These include:

  • Small class sizes (8-18) that allow you to receive ongoing feedback and mentoring by faculty and classroom teachers.
  • Early and continuous service learning experiences in urban and suburban P-12 classrooms where you work closely with classroom teachers and students in one to one, small and large group instruction and mentoring;  and with allied support professionals and parents.
  • Twin Cities Teacher CollaborativeOpportunities to co-plan and co-teach P-12 students with the classroom teacher in specific partner schools in Minneapolis, St. Paul and the metro area as part of the Bush Foundation TC2 Initiative.
  • NEXT ProgramMentoring through program completion, job search and support resources and services through the first year of classroom teaching as part of the NEXT Bush Foundation Initiative.
  • Professors who get high marks for their teaching and mentoring of students (NCATE, 2011) and demonstrate a strong commitment to serve the P-12 community through a variety of outreach programs, research projects and P-20 professional development efforts.
  • Undergraduate research opportunities in several areas (e.g. urban gardening, gender equity issues in STEM programs, gender issues in children’s literature, special education student self-advocacy)
  • Summer and school year paid work opportunities in STEM enrichment programs; sports, theatre and history camps and after-school tutoring.

We are here to help you understand and further develop your calling…your vocation.