These programs build on the College's strong liberal arts core curriculum and complement students' major area of concentration in human development, humanities, fine arts, social sciences, mathematics, or sciences. Students entering the Rivier College teacher education program will be assuming roles as educators in the nation's schools in the new millennium. Mindful of the challenges of the years ahead, education programs of study are designed to assist students to realize their goals through personal commitment, cultural development, and professional competence. Students develop an appreciation for cultural diversity, compassion for others, and the value of social justice. They expand their creativity and problem solving skills and learn the basic concepts and skills related to effective teaching and learning.
All education courses emphasize sound principles of child development and learning.
They utilize instructional strategies that maximize the psychosocial, cognitive, moral, and physical development of those being taught. The Education Department considers the humanistic approach to be central for the development of future teachers. Concepts from history, philosophy, theology, and psychology prepare graduates to have the background necessary for the formulation of their own philosophies of education. Students observe, demonstrate, and reflect upon child development and teaching. These experiences, provided in a variety of school settings and grade levels, enable students to connect theory with practice prior to their formal field-based student teaching experience.