Department of Teacher Education
Education offers people the opportunity to make a difference and create a better world. It’s an inspiring field with a strong potential for personal fulfillment and satisfaction. At Saint Joseph’s, we believe that the teaching profession is truly a vocation, a calling to serve as educators.
In the Department of Teacher Education, we connect theory, research and practice. Our innovative programs teach future educators critical aspects of education — from empowering students to be critical thinkers and creating culturally relevant pedagogy to adapting instruction for individual and special needs. Students work closely with distinguished faculty and have several field experiences observing and working in real classrooms with children beginning their first year.
Department News
Elliott Drago, Ph.D. ’06 was recently honored with the 2021 Lindback Award for Distinguished Teachers. Drago, who doubled majored in history and education at Saint Joseph’s, sat down with SJU News to discuss teaching during COVID-19, avoiding a return to “business as usual” and helping his students recognize just how much they matter.
Elaine Estes credits her immersive experiences at St. Joe’s – including shadowing teachers in Cuba, and researching bilingual programs across the country – with shaping her overall educational philosophy.
The Philadelphia Regional Institute for STEM Education (PRISE), of which Saint Joseph’s is a founding member, is a partnership among colleges in the Philadelphia area and focuses on STEM teacher recruitment, professional development and retention.
My education classes at Saint Joseph’s introduced me to the idea of teaching for social justice through Jesuit ideals and values. I was always challenged and supported by my professors to think deeper about the issues in schools and how I can be an agent for change.”
![Morgan Falvey '18]()
Morgan Falvey '18special education teacher, AIM Academy
