Western Texas College

Western Texas College is excited to announce a new teaching degree opportunity. "Tech Teach Across Texas" is a new program designed to meet the needs of students who want to stay in local West Texas communities.  

TechTeach Across Texas offers a one-year teacher preparation that fast-tracks clinical experiences with online course work within district based partnerships in Snyder, Big Spring and Lamesa. 

Laura Caswell, WTC Director of Counseling, says the first group of students will begin in the summer of 2015 and finish with a Bachelor Degree in the summer 2016. Requirements for acceptance into the program include an earned Associate Arts in Teaching Degree, a minimum 2.75 GPA and 66 transferable credit hours. Students must also meet the required foreign language requirement. 

New teacher candidates have the advantage of experiencing classroom experience under the mentorship of veteran teachers while they complete practical course work that prepares them to improve the learning of their students. This program is one of the first of its kind in the country, blending hands-on clinical education experience with classroom experience aimed toward improving one's teaching skills.

 Students in the program will begin working in the classroom in their first semester, under the tutelage of mentor educators to achieve the goals set forth by the degree plan. Along the way, students will receive feedback designed to improve their skills. The curriculum is practical and designed for maximum impact on student learning. 

This partnership with the Snyder, Lamesa and Big Spring school districts is designed to allow teaching candidates to finish their course work and student teaching (through the supervision of Texas Tech University) in one calendar year, without leaving their home area. The coursework is online and the teaching practicum takes place in the local partnership school districts.  

For more information on this Fast-Track teaching program, contact Laura Caswell - lcaswell@wtc.edu