While Southern California has a lot of options for teacher education programs, I chose the Antioch University program because I was immediately drawn to the MAE/TC's focus on social justice and ecological literacy. At Antioch University we not only learn how to be engaging and reflective teachers, but we also learn how to be agents of social change and how to contribute to the greater common good by teaching our students to take care of themselves and our Earth.

I also chose Antioch University because I wanted to make sure that I worked closely with my colleagues, professors, and master teachers. I wanted the teacher education program I chose to be personalized, student-centered, and reflective. The Antioch University program is exactly that. I feel that I have close relationships with my cohort members and I love that our advisors and professors are readily accessible and always willing to help us out. We all seem to feel comfortable discussing our teaching experiences in our classes, both good and bad, and we work as a team to come up with future strategies to refine our teaching.

Before I came to Antioch University, I never really formulated a true educational philosophy. What I have learned in my classes at Antioch University has helped me to clarify my ideas about education and as a result, my educational philosophy has evolved from an amorphous set of ideas floating around in my head to a clearer, more solidified expression of my educational beliefs. I think I have learned more in one year at Antioch University than I did during the nine years of teaching in private schools!

- Betsy Basom
Master of Arts in Education Program