Teacher Pathways

What is Teacher Pathways?

In short, it is a partnership between Lewis & Clark’s College of Arts and Sciences and its Graduate School of Education and Counseling that is designed to support students in becoming teachers.

Lewis & Clark undergraduate students can register for Teacher Pathways as incoming or current CAS student. While in Teacher Pathways, you meet with your Teacher Pathways advisor and have access to enroll in undergraduate education courses with a social-justice focus. These courses are taught by graduate faculty—allowing you to establish relationships with the very professors who you will learn from as a graduate student—and will introduce you to educational theory and practice. The pathway also provides participants with the unique opportunity to attend events focused on education and social justice alongside current MAT students, and to experience a hands-on practicum at a local K-12 public school.

Learn More: Teacher Pathways advisor and professor Liza Finkel discusses the program and the opportunities it brings in her recent faculty spotlight.

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“I have been inspired by the preparation Teacher Pathways students bring to their work in our MAT program. In addition to having a strong liberal arts background, Teacher Pathways applicants start the program having already begun their journey towards becoming educators, fully committed to creating a classroom community of learners where each student is known and valued and where issues of social justice are explored.”

- Kimberly Campbell, teacher education department chair

Pre-Recorded Panel Discussion

On November 2 we hosted an online panel discussion featuring five double alums from Lewis & Clark’s College of Arts and Sciences and the Graduate School of Education and Counseling who shared their journey through the pathway and into the teaching profession. Please see below for the event recording.

What majors are eligible for the pathway?

The curriculum at Lewis & Clark offers a great deal of flexibility to students interested in teacher education. Many of our teacher pathways students choose majors in psychology, philosophy, sociology, and anthropology. If you are interested in teaching at a middle or high school level, we recommend majoring in the content area you want to teach.

I love that all of the L&C students I have worked with (both undergraduate and graduate students) are really passionate about doing something good in the world and making a difference in their communities. They are willing to put in the hard work and creativity needed to make that happen, and they are also willing to take risks and explore new ideas in pursuit of those goals.

- Liza Finkel, teacher education professor and teacher pathways advisor

How do I get started?

1. Submit the form below to enroll in Teacher Pathways.
2. Email Liza Finkel, your Teacher Pathways advisor and graduate school faculty, at lfinkel@lclark.edu to schedule a time to meet.
3. Plan to enroll in undergraduate education courses.