Careers in Teaching | The University of the South | Sewanee

      Skip to Main Content

Teaching is a craft, encompassing elements of both art and science. The classroom of an experienced teacher is a distinctive and even unique environment, yet research can identify shared methods that are highly effective at engaging students. The best educators meet the challenges of the profession with an approach that includes empathy, consistent expectations, self-awareness, and deep understanding of their subject matter.

Why Prepare for a Teaching Career at Sewanee?

Sewanee's educational ethos both models and cultivates many of the traits of effective teaching, and so it's no surprise that many alumni have gone on to distinguished careers in the profession. Students are able to build a strong base of content area knowledge within majors across the college's liberal arts curriculum, as well as benefiting from top-notch job search support through Career Readiness. The southern middle Tennessee region also affords a wide variety of opportunities for students to make a difference in the community and to gain experience working in a school environment.

Teaching before Graduation

Domestic Teaching Programs

Independent School Teaching

Teaching Abroad

Teacher Licensure

Graduate Degrees in Education

Substitute Teaching

A Sampling of Courses

Adolescence

Psychology

An examination of physiological, social, and emotional factors affecting all stages of individual development during adolescence. Major theories and research on the subject are introduced. Among the topics addressed are biological changes, identity, autonomy, peer influences, substance abuse, and intimate relationships. Students are expected to present results from research studies they conduct on issues of adolescence.

PSYC 221

Children and Childhood in History

History

This course focuses on the lived experiences of children and traces the emergence of a new "ideology of childhood" in the early modern world (c. 1300 to 1800). The course examines the major social, political and economic changes that unfolded throughout this period, including related programs of religious, scientific, and educational reform, and studies how these changes affected children's roles or status within families and communities-in-transition. It also asks whether a fundamental change in the meaning of childhood by 1800 corresponded to the emergence of an increasingly global, colonial, and industrial world order.

HIST 120

Methods of Teaching Writing

Education

The course surveys the expectations for successful writing in several disciplines and explores various strategies peer and professional tutors may employ to help student writers attain their goals. Participants will examine samples of student writing, discuss possible responses, and develop model interactions between tutors and students.

EDUC 220

Slavery, Race, and the University

History

An exploration of the importance of slavery to the development of higher education in the United States through a close study of the history of the University of the South, its antebellum roots in the slaveholding South, and the continuing impact of the legacies of slavery and racial injustice on its development. The course also examines campus monuments and memorials that shape collective memories and identities at Sewanee and considers the ethical questions of how universities may seek justice and reconciliation in light of their historic and long-unaddressed connections to slavery.

HIST 328

Being Human in STEM

Non-Departmental

This course is an interdisciplinary, project-based learning course focused on exploring and promoting diversity and inclusion within the STEM community (STEM = Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math). Students and instructors collaborate to investigate issues related to belonging in STEM on campus and beyond, by evaluating scientific literature on diversity and inclusion within STEM fields, developing tools and approaches, and sharing findings with the community. This course is intended for students interested in pursuing a STEM major.

NOND 130

Contact

James Ross Macdonald

Associate Professor of English

jrmacdon@sewanee.edu

Gailor Hall 129, ext. 1338

Connecting the Dots

Sewanee Career Readiness

Unsure? You've come to the right place

No matter where you are in your career exploration process, Sewanee Career Readiness can help. You'll get assistance with cover letters, resumes, networking, and preparing for an interview. Likewise, if you just feel overwhelmed by this new experience called adulting, make an appointment and get a pep talk from Career Readiness.

Office of Civic Engagement

Transformational learning that is life enriching and socially beneficial

Together with our campus and local to global communities, the Office of Civic Engagement fosters authentic and reciprocal relationships, facilitates collaborative inquiry and deliberation, integrates robust academic and civic learning, and catalyzes individual and collective action for a just and compassionate world.

Office of Global Citizenship

Engaged citizens solving global problems

The Office of Global Citizenship is dedicated to promoting activities that link Sewanee with the rest of the world and training students to address global problems. As part of that effort, we strive to cultivate global citizens in our community who can effectively engage across boundaries–linguistic, cultural, class, and religious–and respond to challenges facing the world.