Courses include Foundations of Education, Educational Technology, Classroom Management, Teaching Language Arts, Math Methods and Social Studies Methods. Students are exposed to a variety of schools and classroom settings to begin building a foundation of knowledge to successfully meet the needs of all learners. Students work with their education advisor to develop a customized three-year plan of study. 

Students are immersed in a year-long internship while continuing to take professional education coursework. In the fall courses include Science Methods and Literacy Methods focusing on teaching vocabulary knowledge and reading.  Students are required to spend one full day in their internship classroom in the fall and student teach full-time with their clinical educator in the spring semester.

As first year teachers, students continue coursework designed to support new teachers and research application in the classroom. Professors serve as coaches to help ensure the first year of teaching is a success.

The Cato School of Education provides students with hands-on experience in local classrooms beginning in their first class. Cato provides students with strategic, hands-on classroom experience that shapes effective, successful teachers. Students are involved in clinical settings that provide experience teaching one-on-one, small group and whole group instruction. Students work with data to learn to effectively develop, implement, analyze and plan instruction to meet the needs of all learners. Students have a variety of experiences in different school settings with all types of learners preparing them to be successful when completing their student teaching experience.

The Cato School of Education provides courses that prepare our future teachers to work with students from a wide range of backgrounds, as well as students with special needs. Specific courses such as, Teaching Students of Poverty and ELL, Teaching Diverse Learners, Critical Issues and Exceptional Learners are designed to address various types of learners. In clinical settings students practice with master teachers to help them become successful in teaching all learners.

The Cato School of Education prides itself on having a small program with small class sizes where faculty truly get to know each student. Being small, we are able to follow each student closely to ensure they are successful and following the correct path. During the year-long internship in senior year, faculty serve as university supervisors to ensure mentoring and coaching continue during this culminating experience. In addition, faculty offer mentoring and coaching during the first year of teaching for graduates.

The Cato School of Education is committed to continuous improvement. Cato is accredited by NCATE and is preparing for reaccreditation with CAEP in Spring 2022. Faculty continually attend state, national and international conferences presenting research and increasing their learning. Faculty publish articles, chapters in edited books, books and manuals in their fields.