July 13, 2006 - 5:00pm
Education has always been a passion for Patrick Ross.
So when he was appointed to act as interim Dean for the Education Department in addition to maintaining his regular duties as Vice President of Student Services, he was thrilled.
“I’ve always considered myself a teacher first and foremost even while working as an administrator,” said Ross.
“My passion is teaching. This is a wonderful opportunity for me to provide this interim bridging before a new dean is hired.”
Eleven years and more than 1,000 BC certified teachers later, Dr. Mike Grant retired from his position as Dean of Education this month. During his time at Malaspina, Grant helped develop the present Concurrent and Post-Baccalaureate degree programs.
Ross will fill in as dean until a suitable replacement is found for Grant.
“We have a well-developed and reputable teachers’ education program at Malaspina University-College,” said Ross.
Ross isn’t new to the education scene. He has over 30 years experience with the Kindergarten to Grade 12 system. He also taught in Malaspina’s Education Department for eight years and worked as the assistant superintendent for the Nanaimo/Ladysmith School District.
While his primary task as interim dean will be to hire a new dean, Ross will also be working with the department to revise and improve the present five and a half year Concurrent Education Program.
The program is the only one if its kind in British Columbia. It allows students to earn two degrees in five and a half years and teach students from Kindergarten to Grade 12 (the Post-Baccalaureate degree program only allows teachers to work in Kindergarten to Grade 7 classrooms). Students also get more practicum time in the classrooms than in the regular four-year education program.
The extra practicum time makes for a more experienced teacher, said Ross.
“If you’re going to be a good teacher then you need to have time to develop your classroom skills,” said Ross.
“To be a great teacher you need to garnish respect from your students. Teaching is about managing a classroom effectively and to relate to a wide-range of students. The concurrent degree program lends itself beautifully to teaching in high schools which means job opportunities for grads in that program are greater.”
While the Concurrent Education Program is an intense one, graduates say the challenge has opened up a lot more opportunities for them.
Margie Radigan graduated from the Concurrent Education Program in 2004. Before taking the program she spent years working as an Educational Assistant in three BC school districts.
“The Malaspina Education program offered me a multitude of opportunities to enhance and refine my professional skills,” said Radigan. “The program pushed me beyond my personal limits, allowing me to realize my potential.”
While taking the program, Radigan won the BC Teachers Federation Maxwell Cameron Award for Student Excellence and is now teaching Kindergarten at Park Avenue Elementary in Nanaimo.
“The concurrent program at Malaspina provided me with an excellent foundation for entering the ‘real world’ of teaching,” said Concurrent Education grad and teacher Diane Cartier.
“The credentials that I brought from Malaspina – and more specifically the diversity of courses – opened many doors as I began my career as a teacher.”
Cartier teaches at St. Mary’s School in Medicine Hat, Alberta.
To make the Concurrent program even better, Ross and the education faculty will be reviewing the program this fall. Because of the intensity of the program, which often has students taking up to seven courses a semester (full-time Bachelor of Arts program is five courses), Ross thinks the timetabling may change to make the program more workable for students.
For more information about the Malaspina University-College Education program go to www.viu.ca.
Tags: In the Community
