Teaching courses, the backbone of the curriculum, include PSYC 272 The Psychology of Education and PSYC 372 Advanced Seminar in Teaching and Learning. These courses are typically offered every other year and have Introductory Psychology (PSYC 101) as a prerequisite.
Students curious about teaching or educational psychology gravitate toward additional 300-level courses in the Psychology department, which often involve an empirical lab component and the opportunity to collect data in local schools. PSYC 338 Inquiry, Invention, and Ideas, PSYC 332 Children’s Mathematical Thinking and Learning, and PSYC 327 Cognition and Education are among the offerings. These courses have 200-level prerequisites according to the subfield of psychology under which they fall.
Independent study projects, theses, or psychology research during the semester or summer may stem from the empirical projects that students conduct in 300-level teaching sequence courses. Particular attention is given to research projects working with children to bridge theory and application.
The Program in Teaching also offers a coordinated cluster of courses in other subfields of psychology, such as social and clinical, and other liberal arts disciplines, such as philosophy, economics, history, comparative literature, and women’s, gender, and sexuality studies. These teaching related courses supplement the core teaching sequence and explore issues like school interventions, children’s literature, early childhood investment, and the finance of higher education.
Students who wish to become teachers are advised to complete a supervised teaching practicum for at least one semester and Winter Study period. PSYC 372, Advanced Seminar in Teaching and Learning, places students in local elementary, middle, or high schools and involves seminar discussion and reflection. Winter Study courses such as CLIA 24: Class of 1959 Teach NYC Urban Education and PSYC 11: Local Education Policy and Practice either allow students to teach in a different setting or continue to build a relationship with an area school. Immersion in the life of a school for three and a half weeks during Winter Study can yield new insights in lesson planning, classroom management, or engagement.
Aside from coursework, students can take advantage of fieldwork, volunteer, and paid outreach opportunities offered by the Center for Learning in Action during the academic term in local school districts. CLiA’s Education Outreach has wide-ranging programs integrated with Berkshire schools such as teaching hands-on science to elementary students, coaching high school students in writing in study skills, providing classroom help, working with a lead teacher, and more.
No specific major is required to participate in the Program in Teaching. Although some lend themselves easily to certification, such as Mathematics, English, Biology, American History, or French, almost all of our majors can provide the basis of subject-area teacher certification. Alternately, students can major in Psychology, take a concentration of courses in a different field, and then pursue that content area more intensively in graduate work.
Students interested in participating in the Program in Teaching are encouraged to meet with the Director, Susan Engel, to choose the sequence of education-related course that best match their interests and experiences.