Dr. Constance Nihart teaches at Montreat College and says, "Working with the first grade at Black Mountain Primary School allowed our Elementary Education students to take what we have been learning in Classroom Management and apply it in the real world of teaching. The students had an opportunity to develop lesson plans as well as teach and manage in a classroom setting for three weeks. This experience was priceless to their development as our future educators."
The opportunity came as part of a program called "Learning to Teach, Learning to Serve," which is funded by SCALE, the Student Coalition for Action in Literacy Education. SCALE's mission, in part, is “to mobilize and support college students and campus-based programs to address the literacy needs of this country.” A federally funded effort, SCALE's "Learning to Teach, Learning to Serve" initiative is a new project aimed at "working with North Carolina institutions of higher education to infuse teacher education programs with service-learning instruction."
As part of the LTLS project, college students and educators tutor K-12 students during their training while being introduced to themes of service and civic responsibility. Montreat College's three-fold mission -- Christ-centered, student-focused and service-driven -- makes the LTLS goals a close fit for educators and students at Montreat. SCALE currently funds 12 colleges and universities in North Carolina through the LTLS program, including Mars Hill College and the UNC-Asheville.
Montreat College is a Christ-centered liberal arts institution with its main campus for four-year traditional students in Montreat. The accelerated School of Professional and Adult Studies program has campuses in Asheville, Charlotte, and Black Mountain, with courses being taught in Cherokee, Murphy and other NC locations.