Finding Purpose through Teaching
When Hannah Vanderhooft graduated from Dordt in 2022, she landed a job in Minneapolis through a connection at church as a middle school paraprofessional and musical director. Through this role, she was surprised to discover her love for teaching. "I ended up loving the connections I was making with my students and the ways I was watching them grow in a classroom or a theater rehearsal," shared Vanderhooft.
Hannah knew that her next step was to earn her teaching certificate to continue in education. She began browsing graduate programs back home when she noticed Calvin's Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program. "What really attracted me to the program was the one-year timeline. It was efficient and provided a teaching certificate and a master's degree at the same time."
Moving to Michigan
With acceptance to the MAT secured, Hannah packed up and moved to Michigan for this on-campus, full-time program. "Calvin has made the transition to Grand Rapids smooth," Hannah shared, "The hardest part of moving has been adjusting to the cloudy winter."
Students in the MAT attend as a cohort, allowing them to build a community of adult learners pursuing the same goal. "We built the MAT as a one-year intensive, guiding a group of students together through the program who can offer each other support as they develop teaching expertise," explained Erek Kooyman, director of the MAT. Hannah has appreciated that community. "I’ve felt connected with students and professors through the classes I’ve taken, and I’ve really connected with my mentor teachers in the placements I’ve had."
Gaining Classroom Experience
In an accelerated timeline, MAT students start education courses in the summer and then move into student internships in the fall followed by student teaching in the spring. Those experiences have been rich for Hannah. "During fall semester I was placed at Grandville High School with an AP English Language & Composition class. I worked with juniors on argumentative essays. This spring, I’m at Excel Charter Academy with 7th graders for student teaching. I’m teaching a unit on Anne Frank, and I’ve seen students gain new understanding of the Holocaust and WWII as they read about the story through the eyes of a girl their age."
During the student teaching semester, the State of Michigan provides students with a Michigan Future Educator Stipend of $9,600. In addition, the Michigan Future Educator Fellowship offers a $10,000 scholarship to those who commit to teach in a Michigan public school. These financial incentives help many MAT students complete the program without incurring debt.
Through these experiences, Vanderhooft has felt a deep sense of purpose. "I love watching students make connections with the world around them and see things in a new light." She has also felt fully supported.
Mentored by Experts
Calvin carefully chooses its mentor teachers to ensure students are learning from caring experts. And Hannah has noticed. "At both of my placements I’ve made strong connections with my mentor teachers and felt deeply cared for and nurtured under their guidance. I’ve also made strong connections with a couple of my education professors. They all care so deeply about their students and care about us outside of the classroom."
What's Next
Vanderhooft is on the hunt for a job back home in Iowa. "I am both nervous and excited for what's next! I think that Calvin has prepared me well through my internships and support that I’ve had from professors. I’m currently applying and interviewing to schools in Iowa, where I’ll be moving to after I get married this summer. I’m looking for middle or high school English positions."
With a shortage of teachers in Michigan and countrywide, Calvin is pleased to help fill the gap through an accelerated teacher preparation program paired with a master's degree, serving promising students like Hannah who are ready to pivot into teaching careers. Learn more about the MAT at calvin.edu/go/mat.