Walla Walla University is now offering online certification courses for busy teachers completing professional development requirements. Photo provided by Walla Walla University
Walla Walla University believes Adventist education is more important than ever. To train even more Adventist educators who ensure the Christ-focused development of the whole student, WWU is offering job-embedded North American Division Adventist Education Certification courses that do not require summer classes.
To maintain a consistent educational standard, develop professionalism, and ensure a faith-based learning environment, the Adventist Educators’ Certification is required for teachers in Adventist schools. Traditionally, this meant teachers spent summers in classes.
WWU’s new job-embedded Adventist certification courses allow teachers to gain essential skills through online, self-paced courses that incorporate real classroom activities into the teaching and learning process.
“One of the biggest challenges for Adventist teachers who want to engage in professional development is their busy teaching schedule,” said Maria Bastien Valenca, WWU School of Education and Psychology dean. “Because they can do these courses during their school year, teachers can field test what they learn right away in their own classrooms and receive feedback and support from faculty in real time.”
“Taking courses during the school year instead of waiting for summers will allow teachers to work toward their Adventist certification goals faster and improve work-life balance,” she added.
Current teachers with classroom access who are under contract with their Seventh-day Adventist conference may enroll in these courses, even if they do not teach in the NPUC region. For more information about the courses or how to enroll, visit wallawalla.edu/sdacert.
This is not the only innovative new program WWU is offering to support Adventist teachers as they inspire academic excellence and faith in God.
The demand for teachers is outpacing the supply, especially for qualified science, technology, engineering, and math teachers, so WWU is working to make it easier for students to pursue studies in these teaching areas.
“It takes a specialty degree to teach earth science, biology, chemistry, or physics in a school,” explained Brian Hartman, WWU associate professor of education. “Often, a teacher with only one certification would have to work on the side to take the required classes for additional specializations. This makes it more difficult for science teachers to qualify for jobs where they must teach more than one subject. It also makes it more difficult for schools to find science teachers who can teach multiple science areas.”
To help place more qualified science educators, WWU now offers a degree in science education that can lead to endorsements in at least two science areas when paired with a bachelor’s degree in education.
“With this degree, schools can hire a science teacher to teach multiple science areas. It’s one four-year degree, but students receive two areas of specialization for the price of one,” Hartman said.
The School of Education and Psychology partners with the biology, chemistry, and physics departments to offer the degree. Hartman shared that students who complete it may sit for the credentialing examinations in their areas right away. The degree may also be customized for students wanting to become credentialed in more than two science areas.
“College students may not initially think about science education, so we want to raise the visibility of this as a highly valued option,” he said. “A good science teacher can change everything for their student.”
“The work of teachers impacts students and their families for years to come,” added Bastien Valenca. “At WWU, supporting our Adventist teachers as they do their work is a partnership that is more than fulfilling; it’s an investment in eternity.”
~Jodi Wagner is Walla Walla University's