As David Sholtes entered his senior year of college as a finance major and began his job search, he started to feel a disconnect between his values and those of the corporate world that he was about to enter. Thinking back on how much he had enjoyed past experiences working with children in various volunteer settings, he decided to change his plans and pursue a career in elementary education.
Sholtes was initially attracted to Northwestern’s Master of Science in Education Program because of its outstanding reputation. “Its graduates are well regarded and often establish the latitude to practice progressive and thoughtful pedagogy,” he says. Upon further research he was pleased to learn that the program’s framework aligned with his own goals as an educator. “It focuses on useful topics like supporting diversity, challenging urban assumptions, and considering multiple teaching perspectives.“
Since entering the program, Sholtes has been impressed with the people that surround him. “There is a wonderful sense of camaraderie amongst the students,” he says. He also values the real-world experience that the staff and professors bring to their classes. “Most have worked in schools and understand what we need to know about being a teacher.”
He has also appreciated the help and resources that the staff provide during the job search process. An e-mail announcement from program staff about a job opening helped him land a part-time job at an elementary school, where he has gained experience and confidence around children.
Sholtes’s favorite class in the program so far has been Problems in the Philosophy of Education, in which students develop their own philosophy of education through guided discussions of classic educational philosophy texts. “Aside from helping me create my own philosophy of education, this course showed me how to lead group discussions,” he says. “I look forward to using this discussion technique with my students.”
During his free time, Sholtes has enjoyed taking advantage of Northwestern’s diverse array of opportunities to learn through offerings such as lectures and symposia.
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