Trevecca Nazarene University has an impressive array of faculty members who are experts in their fields. Over the next few months, we’ll be delving into subjects that highlight our faculty members’ expertise in this ongoing blog series.
Today’s post is written by Dr. Tandy Taylor. Taylor is a valued faculty member in Trevecca’s School of Education and the coordinator of teacher education (pictured left with some of her students). She regards teaching as a calling and strives to provide relevant instructional experiences in school settings to her students.
Never has the Christian educator been more needed than in today’s public, private, and home school settings and never has the challenge of training Christian educators been greater. With increased state and federal regulations regarding licensure earned through Educator Preparation Programs (EPPs), small private institutions face the challenge of meeting and exceeding benchmarks for program approval with limited budgets and personnel. The approval process is rigorous, and maintaining the earned state and national accreditation is a daunting task.
Despite the seemingly insurmountable obstacles for achieving and sustaining Christian educator program excellence, Trevecca’s School of Education remains committed to ensuring our graduates continue to emulate competence, character and compassion as stated in the department’s mission statement. The University’s commitment to continuing the rich heritage of the past in training Christian educators of the future has never been stronger, and the desire to prepare teachers and administrators that set themselves apart in the work place has never been more passionate.
The future of Christian educator training at Trevecca Nazarene University looks bright. What is the cause for optimism? The answer is provided in our annual State Report Card data with the longevity in teaching of our alumni and employer satisfaction.
Our alumni go into the teaching profession for the right reasons. With the teacher’s heart and a sincere desire to make a difference in the brokenness of the world, our graduates go and make the difference so needed in the profession. They make a difference daily by the way they interact with their students, students’ families, colleagues and administrators. As Christian educators, they answer their call to teach not primarily because of salary or benefits. They answer the call to teach to further God’s kingdom through the relationships they build and the way they lead their lives.
Change in education is inevitable, because of changes in the needs of society. One thing remains constant, our democracy depends on an effective educational system and at the root of our educational system are teachers and administrators. Trevecca can take pride in knowing the Christian educators prepared on our campus are “up to the task” of sustaining our democracy. One cannot help but smile when thinking of the quote by Henry Adams, “A teacher affects eternity; he never knows where his/her influence stops.”
The preservation of our democracy is in the able hands of Trevecca School of Education alumni. The scope of their influence will continue to be felt for generations. This is the Trevecca story.
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