Help your student make a difference; help your student become a teacher You have made a difference in the

life of your student, and now you want to see that student make a difference for someone else. You can encourage your son or daughter to change the lives of others by becoming a teacher. The BYU David O. McKay School of Education prepares educators and leaders by providing them with classroom experience, mentoring, and research opportunities. The following list briefly explains a few of the programs and initiatives that the McKay School offers to prepare its students to become outstanding teachers. BYU-Public School Partnership: For 28 years the McKay School has participated in a partnership with five area school districts and with other colleges on campus to provide its teacher candidates with exceptional opportunities for internships, student teaching, and educational research. The Educator Preparation Program (EPP) unites seven other BYU colleges to provide teacher preparation in subjects that are not taught in the McKay School: participants are the Colleges of Fine Arts and Communications; Biology and Agriculture; Physical and Mathematical Sciences; Life Sciences; Humanities; Family, Home, and Social Sciences; and Engineering and Technology. Mentoring: Many McKay School programs provide mentors for their students. Your student will learn from current educators what to expect as a teacher and how to best prepare. The McKay School also maintains channels through which current students can learn from alumni. For example, a recent alumna shares her experiences as a first-year teacher with future teachers in a video at http://mckayalumni.byu.edu/s/1085/09education/index.aspx?sid=1085&gid=10&pgid=3372 . PETE: The McKay School provides an excellent coaching and physical education program for students interested in sports and fitness. The PETE program teaches students to perform a variety of sport, fitness and dance activities, preparing them to teach and coach others. Learn more about it at http://education.byu.edu/news/2012/05/01/have-you-met-pete/. Language endorsement: As the number of English language learners in public schools increases, the need for qualified teachers to help them increases as well. The McKay School now requires students in its elementary education program to complete a TESOL (Teaching Students of Other Languages) minor, which meets Utah state requirements for the TESOL endorsement and prepares students to obtain the same endorsement in other states. You and your student can learn more about the departments and majors in the McKay School by visiting its website http://education.byu.edu/prospective/.