EducationAssociate of Arts in Teaching

Perhaps more than any other profession, the world needs more teachers. Unlike most career paths, teaching is a calling – one that takes a unique personality willing to listen to, learn from and shape the students they will have in their classroom.

There are few careers as personally fulfilling or as important to the future as one in Education. Within the field of Education, there are many different paths to pursue.

Midland College offers an exciting opportunity to start your career in teaching by pursuing an Associate of Arts in Teaching (AAT) degree. It is a fully accredited program.

The AAT curricula are designed to lead to teacher certification in elementary and middle school (including bilingual and ESL), high school, all levels of arts and special education certification, and
specialized certification for those who plan to teach early childhood through Grade 6. The Education division office will help to align needed courses with your transfer university.

The AAT curricula are designed to lead to teacher certification in three areas:

  • Elementary and middle school (including bilingual and ESL)
  • High school and all levels of arts and special education certification, and
  • Specialized certification for those who plan to teach early childhood through Grade 6
Children playing with slime Children reading books Child in playgrround
     

Program Details

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Marketable Skills

Pursuing a degree in this field of study will provide marketable skills in these areas:

  • Speaking – Talking to others
  • Instructing – Teaching people how to do something
  • Learning Strategies – Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things
  • Reading Comprehension – Reading work-related information
  • Active Listening – Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions
  • Monitoring – Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements
  • Social Perceptiveness – Understanding people's reactions
  • Critical Thinking – Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem
  • Judgment and Decision Making – Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one
  • Writing – Writing things for co-workers or customers
  • Active Learning – Figuring out how to use new ideas or things
  • Coordination – Changing what is done based on other people's actions
  • Complex Problem Solving – Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it
  • Time Management – Managing your time and the time of other people

Career Opportunities

There are a number of exciting and in-demand jobs for students to begin working as soon as they complete an ATT degree, or even start while they are still in school.

  • Teacher Assistant: These professionals work in classrooms with licensed teachers helping to supervise students, provide one-on-one instruction, prepare learning materials, and complete other assigned duties.
  • Preschool Teacher: Depending on the state and the responsibilities of the teacher, it may be possible to work with very young students after earning an associate degree in education. Often, these teachers work in childcare centers rather than traditional schools.
  • Substitute Teacher: Substituting in classrooms gives you hands-on experience as well as guides you into what area you would like to teach.
  • Private School Teacher
  • Home School Teacher
  • Child Care Worker: These workers range from daycare providers to babysitters to live-in nannies. There may be no or only minimal education requirements to work in one of these positions but having any degree in education gives candidates an advantage over other applicants.
  • Tutor: People often become tutors because they have expertise in a subject rather than experience with teaching. Tutors who have both or have a demonstrated ability to impart information are the most in-demand.

Demand

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects the job outlook for individuals with an ATT degree will grow in the following areas:

  • Teacher Assistant – Jobs will grow 8% by 2026 and add 109,500 new teacher assistants to the 2016 total of 1,308,100.
  • Preschool Teacher – By 2026, there will be 10% more preschool teachers than the 2016, totaling 478,500. This projects 50,100 new teachers needed to meet the demand.
  • Childcare Worker – This is a huge field according to the BLS, with 1,216,600 workers in 2016. By 2026, that figure will grow by 8% and add 84,300 new workers.
  • Christa McAuliffe, Teacher, Challenger Astronaut (Bowie State University)
  • Gene Simmons, Singer/Songwriter, Record and Television Producer (Sullivan County Community College, Richmond College)
  • Krista Allen, Actress (Austin Community College, University of Texas-Austin)
  • Kurt Angle, Professional Wrestler, Actor (Clarion University)
  • Lowell Thomas, Writer, Broadcaster (Valparaiso University)
  • Robert Gallery, Professional Football Player (University of Iowa)
  • Judy Blume, Author (New York University)
  • Dennis Hastert, Former U.S. Congressman and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Lobbyist, Teacher (Northern Illinois University)

Midland College has articulation agreements with a variety of schools and programs to assist our students with transferring to a university. Our curriculum maps, located in the catalog, provide a guided path for general transfer to our top five receiving institutions; however, your Pathways Advisor can assist you with a personalized plan for your specific transfer based on university and program. It is strongly recommended and encouraged that you contact your Pathways Advisor for assistance with course selection if you plan to transfer.

When thinking about what grade level and content area you would like to teach, the options are endless, such as Math, History, Science, Government, Music, and so much more. A meeting with the Education Office will help you to choose the right courses for your field of study and pathway.

To be considered for a scholarship, please follow the link below:


General Scholarships

PLEASE NOTE: Completion of Midland College degrees and/or certificates does not guarantee eligibility to take a certification/registry/licensure examination. The eligibility of each person is determined on an individual basis by the regulatory body of the specific discipline. If you have a conviction of a crime other than a minor traffic violation, physical or mental disability/illness, hospitalization/treatment for chemical dependency within the past five years, current intemperate use of drugs or alcohol or a previous denial of a licensure or action by a licensing authority, you will need to contact the specific regulatory body for an individual ruling. Some programs require a criminal background check and urine and drug screen.

Fabby Torres

Fabby Torres

“God made me the youngest in my family so that I could see the directions my siblings were taking and decide for myself which way to go,” Fabby Torres said. “The question I asked myself was – do I want to go to college and try to make a difference?”

Midland native Fabby Torres is the youngest of five children and the first in her family to graduate from college. 

Read more about Fabby

Mayra Garcia

Mayra Garcia

In 2016, as a student in Midland College’s Associate of Arts in Teaching program, Mayra Garcia was assigned to a 2nd grade class at Crockett Elementary School for her field observation course. 

“It was an eye-opening experience,” Garcia recalled. “The majority of students at Crockett were classified as economically disadvantaged. Some of them lived with grandmothers because both parents were in jail, or they lived with a single mom who was struggling to make ends meet and put food on the table. The children came to school in such a good mood, wanting to learn, despite the fact that many of them were hungry. That’s when I knew that my job is to open doors for them, and teaching is my calling.”

Read more about Mayra >

Maricela Guzman

Maricela Guzman

Maricela Guzman found herself in the situation every college student fears: she entered Midland College (MC) as a business administration major; however, after taking only a few business classes, she started receiving mediocre grades and realized she was bored.

“Business was just not for me,” Guzman said.

Guzman received the Legacy Scholarship, which covers tuition and fees up to $1,050 for fall and spring terms renewable for a total of two years. All Legacy scholars complete 40 hours of community service each year for the award. Guzman completed her volunteer hours at a Midland school and thought she might like teaching. Turns out, her second choice major was the charm.

Read more about Maricela >

Lauren Elrod

Lauren Elrond

When Lauren Elrod was little, she was always the teacher as she played pretend with her sister and cousin.

“I told my sister and cousin, ‘You can be a princess student, or a superstar student, but I am the teacher,’” recounted Elrod. “They would ask, ‘Can I be the teacher one time?’ And I would say firmly, ‘No, I am the teacher.’”

Lauren is making that childhood dream a reality. She graduated from Midland College in 2017 with an Associate of Arts in Teaching degree. She graduated from Texas Tech in 2019 with a bachelor’s degree in PreK-6 Education with a Math and Science emphasis

Read more about Lauren >

 

Visit the course catalog for the most complete and up-to-date information.

 

Contact

Education Professor

Denise McKown-Yorkman
Pre-K Academy and Center for Teaching Excellence Building, Room 214
(432) 685-6839
dmckown@midland.edu

FACULTY

Education Faculty Contact Information

 

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