Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University has one of the oldest Teacher Education Colleges in
Western North America (founded 1897). It has been accredited by the Northwest
Association of Schools and meets or exceeds US and International standards
common in the teaching profession. The curriculum required for teacher
certification in the state of Utah includes a comprehensive four-year program
that includes studies in child development, learning, and teaching methods.
Also required is a second BS degree and/or two minors. A special course,
pioneered by SUU and known as "The Block", places its students in the schools
for 10 weeks (in addition to the required 10 weeks of Student Teaching). The Block
students are given instruction in teaching core subject areas part of the day,
and the remainder is spent in the elementary/secondary classroom.
To broaden the students perspective of teaching, two weeks of the block are
spent in classrooms typically in another state, in both an urban and rural
setting.