Why the School of Education?

With small class sizes and faculty who are dedicated to mentoring students, the teacher preparation program at Cal Poly Humboldt includes undergraduate, graduate, and credential programs that emphasize practical experience working in classrooms with diverse students at local K-12 schools.

Classroom Immersion

From your first semester at Humboldt and throughout the program, you’ll be in the field, at any number of local schools that span 31 school districts in Humboldt County, working with youth from a wide range of linguistic, ethnic, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds, including tribal and Hmong communities. That means doing everything from observing how professional teachers interact with youth to one-on-one tutoring and preparing and teaching lessons. 

To help create an exciting and rigorous learning environment of honest reflection and teaching practices, faculty and professional teacher-mentors will support you every step of the way, observing you in the field and providing one-on-one, constructive feedback. 

The goal is to provide a broad range of teaching experience and understand the demands of the profession. By the time you graduate, you’ll be prepared to take that next step in life as a teacher or whatever you decide to do. 

Social Responsibility

Addressing the array of backgrounds, needs, and abilities of today’s youth, our program is built on a foundation of equity and social justice. 

We have a longstanding commitment to critical pedagogy and anti-racist education that nurtures future teachers into leaders who can create spaces where silenced and marginalized children and youth can be heard and where the experiences they bring to the classroom are valued. We pride ourselves on valuing diverse ideas and the diversity of backgrounds of our colleagues and Humboldt students, as well as the depth and breadth of knowledge they bring to the critical work of teacher education.

Close-knit Community

Building a sense of belonging among students and faculty is a cornerstone of programs in the School of Education. 

As a cohort, the same group of students will start and end the program together. Having the same classes and professors from beginning to end together fosters friendships, helping to build a network of support you can lean on as you go through the program. Cohorts also cultivate deeper, more meaningful relationships with the campus and networking opportunities with the local community, which is especially important as you work in local K-12 schools and prepare for your teaching career. These connections are critical to your personal and academic success.

Humboldt’s small class sizes also means you won’t be a nameless, faceless person in a crowded lecture hall. You’ll work closely with faculty, getting the mentoring and personalized attention you need to thrive as a student.

Our goal for all of our students is that, upon graduation from our program, they will become exceptional classroom teachers and take on leadership roles within public schools across the state as strong and articulate advocates for children and adolescents and for public education.

Teachers for Social Justice

Teachers for Social Justice (T4SJ), the freshman Learning Community, is an educational community created for freshmen majoring in Liberal Studies Elementary Education, Art Education, or Kinesiology Education. You’ll automatically be part of this year-long program to interact with the world of teaching and social justice. As a participant in T4SJ you’ll gain a network that supports you academically, enlightens you professionally, and connects you to resources that will help you smoothly transition into the world of teaching.

Learn more about T4SJ