Senior seminar enhanced educational studies for Kailee Betler ’20
“Art Through a Child’s Eyes” was presented during the 2019-20 school year by Kailee Betler ’20 for her Studio Art Senior Seminar at Ripon College. […]
The educational studies department at the College has two main goals: to promote the study of educational processes, institutions and thought; and to prepare highly qualified teachers for elementary and secondary classrooms. Courses and programs examine education as an essential and complex social process that occurs in formal and informal teaching-learning situations. While the department is dedicated to the preparation of effective teachers, we invite and encourage other students to take courses to develop greater understanding of educational issues and concerns.
Teacher education programs approved by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction prepare students for licensure at the early childhood/middle childhood level (grades PK through 5), the middle childhood/early adolescence level (grades 1 through 8), and the early adolescence/adolescence level (grades 6 through 12). The educational studies department also offers PK-12 certification programs in art, foreign language (French and Spanish), music, physical education, physical education and health, and theatre (pending program approval).
You can learn more in the Teacher Education Handbook
Latest News
We’re still here: Morgan Exner ’20
Finishing the semester off campus has been challenging for Ripon College senior Morgan Exner of Janesville, Wisconsin. “It is a tough position to be in,” […]
We’re still here: Katelyn Spaeth ’20
Katelyn Spaeth ’20 of Kaukauna, Wisconsin, hopes to teach children with disabilities. She has been finishing up her special education certification and student teaching over […]
Faculty
Rigden, Jean
Director of Teacher Education
Some, Touorizou Herve
Associate Professor of Educational Studies, Chair of Educational Studies Department
Williams, Jeanne
Adjunct Emeritus Professor of English
Advising
Ripon College faculty and professional staff are dedicated to helping you reach your goals, whatever they may be and however often they may change along the way. It’s part of our value statement to you.
As a student at Ripon, you will be assigned a faculty adviser based on your area(s) of interest. You will meet with your faculty adviser throughout your time as a student to discuss your current aspirations, plan your course schedule and plot a future trajectory. We also work collaboratively with Ripon College Career and Professional Development to help match your interests and skills to concrete goals and construct a plan for professional success offering personalized career counseling, off-campus learning opportunities and an online job board with potential to connect with local, national and international employers. Our collaboration with Student Support Services provides tutoring and additional academic and skill development, as well as tools to help with note-taking, exam preparation, goal-setting and time management. Likewise, Mentors in the Franzen Center provide in-depth, one-on-one or group mentoring for students about class projects and college-level writing, and can share problem-solving strategies to overcome academic obstacles.
Advising at RiponBe a Teacher
While it certainly is true that good teachers are always in demand, it also is true that changes in the economy, government funding for education, regional population shifts and family lifestyles affect employment trends for teachers. Ripon graduates have success finding teaching jobs, in part, because faculty work closely with students to help them plan programs and conduct job searches geared toward current employment trends.
Some Ripon graduates with teacher certification have elected to take advantage of opportunities for work abroad in the Peace Corps. Others are using their teaching skills in service and business settings. An increasing number of agencies and institutions seek teachers to staff their educational programs.
An additional career route for certified teachers is graduate school. Master’s degree-level programs enable students to add areas of certification such as special education, early childhood education and bilingual/bicultural education. Such specialized expertise often opens new opportunities for securing a teaching position.