A Reputation for Excellence:
St. Mary’s University’s Bachelor of Education Program is proud of our sterling reputation for graduating excellent teachers who are well-prepared to be effective teachers on day one of their teaching careers. The quality of our graduates is further punctuated by the long list of district and regional winners of the Edwin Parr Teacher Award for outstanding first-year teachers who have come out of our program. Our reputation for fostering the development of excellent teachers means that our graduates are sought after by Catholic and Public districts and international organizations seeking teachers for overseas positions. St. Mary’s students’ strong reputation in the education community translates into employability. Nearly all graduates in the most recent graduating class secured employment before the start of September, and over 50% had job offers before they had even completed their final practicum.
Program Overview:
The two-year Bachelor of Education (Elementary & Secondary Streams) After-Degree program at St. Mary’s University is designed to prepare teachers to teach at the elementary (K-6) and secondary (7-12) levels in Alberta schools.
The degree is designed to provide an intensive orientation to and mastery of the knowledge, skills, and attributes essential for those who would teach in Alberta and beyond, with particular reference to the unique environment of the Catholic school system in Alberta. Instruction is delivered by a combination of core education faculty members and experienced field practitioners who have attained advanced academic training in educational studies combined with extensive experience as teachers in Canadian schools. Our innovative curriculum blends theory, practice, and reflection, from highly qualified professors. A robust teaching practicum requirement in each semester of the program ensures graduates leave with highly practical and up-to-date teaching approaches.
Guiding our teacher preparation program is our signature pedagogy that values the dignity of human experience as a pillar of the Catholic intellectual tradition. A three-pronged approach of academic coursework, practicum teaching, and ongoing professionalization runs as a cohort-based model which aims to foster communities of practice built on trust and high-quality educational dialogue. We are a program dedicated to fostering stewards of the teaching profession who see the importance of holistic education that connects heart, mind, body, and spirit in honoring the uniqueness of each learner. Further, our program provides foundational learning for understanding the context of our First Nation communities and our histories as a process of reconciliation and healing dedicated to creating a welcoming environment for Indigenous students and a place of intentional and meaningful dialogue for all.
B.Ed. Mission Statement:
St. Mary’s University Bachelor of Education program supports the development of new teachers who are
leaders in holistic teacher education rooted in ethical and responsive praxis.
Program Features & Opportunities:
teacher and a university practicum advisor who provide feedback and guidance.
In addition to in-province practicum placements, St. Mary’s University offers its Education students international and out-of-province experiences for their third practicum. These opportunities have taken place in Mexico, Taiwan, and British Columbia (Catholic Independent Schools of Prince George).
Participating preservice teachers receive sustained mentorship from their practicum site, community, and dedicated Practicum Advisor. At the same time, they take on the role of researchers by investigating strategies to enhance and support the school experience. For this research, pre-service and their mentors will pay careful attention to their school environments to better understand how fostering an intentional community of learners might inspire “bright spots” in teaching and learning.
The results so far have been incredible, with graduates from this program have gone on to win teaching awards, present their work at conferences, apply to graduate school, and feel confident that they are valuable members of their school communities.
Students who are successfully placed in this program are given enrichment opportunities to develop their French Language skills and their understanding of the pedagogy of teaching French in an immersion setting.
French Immersion schools in Alberta always look for bright new teachers, but this in-demand skill can often be hard to find. The Federal Government estimates that only 7% of Albertans are fluent in French. This means that students in our B.Ed. program with the gift of a second language possess a niche and critical skill are highly sought after by schools that have a high demand for talented bilingual teachers.