The world needs more excellent teachers, Tarleton State University is producing them

BY: HANNAH BELL / Contributing Student Writer

Tarleton State University’s Teacher Education Program focuses on the success of the students of the past, present and future.Tarleton is known for the teachers they produce through it’s Teacher Education Program. 

Undergraduate students who are seeking initial Texas teacher certification through the Tarleton Teacher Education Program are guided through the program from the time they start their application until they complete all field experiences, testing and are recommended for certification. 

Prospective students can receive a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Teacher Education at Tarleton. This degree will help master teaching skills and specialized knowledge in an academic discipline. 

The goals of this program have led to the success of many student educators. 

Courtney White graduated from the program in 2018 then she started her educational career working as a fourth grade teacher at the Academy of the Arts at Bransom Elementary in Burleson Independent School District. 

“Tarleton prepared me in many different ways to be a great educator but most importantly to value each student as one, rather than a number,” White said. 

One of the main goals of Tarleton’s Teacher Education Program is to continuously be committed to professional growth and development.

“Many of my professors still check in every few months just to see how I am doing, and if there is anything that they can do for me. I really appreciate that because it just shows how invested these professors are in their students, even after their commencement,” White said. 

In 2020, White won Teacher of the Year at her school. 

“I was completely shocked. Winning that award made me realize that everything I had done to get here had been worth it,” she said. 

After teaching fourth grade for four years, White is a Tarleton student yet again, pursuing Master’s in English. 

The excellence of Tarleton’s T.E.P. has not led just White to success, but thousands of other educators that have pursued an education degree from Tarleton State. 

“From the moment I stepped foot into my first class as a student teacher, I knew that this was where I was meant to be. It is all because of the constant support from the program above me,” said current Tarleton student Makenna Frisch. 

Frisch plans on returning to her hometown, Temple, Texas, to teach her own classroom after her commencement in 2024. 

Currently, Texas is experiencing a shortage of teachers across the state. While being part of the Texas A&M system of schools that combined produce the greatest number of teachers in Texas. Tarleton has a stellar reputation for the quality of teachers. 

Tarleton teachers are highly qualified and sought after across the state. Prospective students can find this program at the Fort Worth, Stephenville and Waco campuses.

They can also contact 254-968-9000 to access the College of Education and Human Development.