News Flash! We have a Living-Learning Community [Part 1]

This is the first installment of a three-part blog series related to our Education Leaders Living-Learning Community, written by LLC program coordinator Carla Van Devander:

MBU’s College of Education is proud to announce a relatively new program: the Education Leaders Living-Learning Community (LLC).  This is a unique opportunity for students (who know that they want to become teachers) to graduate with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) and Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) degree in only 4 years. This program is fast-paced and rigorous. You might be wondering what it’s all about, and if it is for you.  Why not get your answers straight from the horse’s mouth?  Here is a compilation of thoughts from six members of our pilot group last academic year 2016-17 who are currently part of our Education Leaders LLC.

What initially peaked their interest in the Education Leaders LLC was the fact that they can get both a BA and MAT in only 4 years. As one student put it, this fast-track “allows me to start teaching and doing what I enjoy most- working with special education students.” Another said, “When I was first applying, I knew that I wanted to be a teacher. I wasn’t sure the path to get me there and this LLC seemed the best way to get me on track. I would have opportunities to learn and be with others that are like-minded. I knew we could learn things off of each other.” A third student reflected on how both MBU and the LLC have impacted her life so far: “The LLC and MBU have taught me about differences; not everyone thinks the same way and there’s lots of different ways to get to the same goal. I’ve never been in a community where every voice matters and people listen. I was forced to listen and really think about what people say. You get that in this LLC and at MBU.”

I recently asked students to reflect on their experiences in the LLC thus far. They all commented on how much they’ve enjoyed getting to know each other and becoming friends. Not only do most of them live together, but they are in most of their classes together, which makes for automatic “study buddies.”  Many of them enjoy the increased rigor and appreciate the individualized support they get from LLC advisors. To illustrate, a student said, “One thing that I like the most about being in this program is that we have a lot of support from advisors as well as our peers.  Each person in the program has something different to offer and we all make each other better.” The LLC members enjoy the opportunities to get into the local schools and work with students beginning as early as their first semester.  One student said, “I like having a group of people I can go to that know exactly what I may be going through. I also like being given opportunities to get out into the Staunton community to help with various things, such as the Harry Potter book night. Being in the LLC, I have learned how to manage my time efficiently, which will definitely come in handy later on down the road.”  

You will be welcomed if you decide to apply and join our Education Leaders LLC! Our current members are very excited to have new students join them. One student said, “I’m really, really, really excited about the freshmen! The six of us have a lot of ideas…. We’re going to be peer mentors and I’m excited about that too…. I can’t wait to live with other members of this LLC. The opportunities to learn and lead, which will help in the classroom, seem to be endless. I am excited to learn what a teacher, mentor, and friend can do!” Others are excited to continue to dive deeper into their education classes and are eager to do more with students in the local schools. They are interested in continuing to grow their “network” with educational professionals, and are excited to meet new people who share their passion to positively impact young lives. “I look forward to having a larger group of people who share the same interests with me.”

Stay tuned for Part 2 of this series to learn about the workload and LLC expectations!

Part 3 will be written by, and include experiences of, a current LLC student.