Laura Barbour

Tell us about Elementary Education program at L&C.

Our full-time, one-year Elementary Education Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program provides a strong pedagogical foundation for future elementary school teachers to learn the art of excellent teaching, while being empowered to address issues of equity and access in schools. Through a combination of on-campus courses and extensive, field-based teaching experiences, our students become skilled at helping children learn and grow using creative, reflective, and culturally responsive approaches to teaching, learning, and research. By the end of the program, our students earn a master of arts in teaching degree and qualify for an Oregon Preliminary Teaching License.

Our part-time, two-year Elementary Education MAT program for school employees is uniquely designed for classified district employees who hold a bachelor’s degree. This district-affiliated, part-time program expands access to Lewis & Clark’s MAT program and opens a new pathway for individuals with proven success working with children to become teachers.

What does your role as program director entail?

My work as the Elementary Education MAT program director is relationship-based and student-centered. I build relationships and develop partnerships with our students and their administration, mentors, and supervisors. I recruit, teach, advise, and advocate for all of the students in our full-time and part-time cohorts. I closely collaborate with our Elementary Education faculty to guide our program and maintain a safe, supportive, inclusive, and affirming learning environment for all of our students to learn, reflect, and grow.

What would prospective students find most interesting about this program? What makes it unique?

The Elementary Education MAT program has a long-standing reputation for preparing high-quality elementary teachers with an intensive and rigorous graduate program. The Elementary Education program provides teacher candidates with an education that prepares them to integrate strong knowledge of subject matter, extensive understanding of pedagogy, and passion for the well-being of all children into their teaching. Our program produces transformative educators who are dedicated to promoting democratic school reform and social justice in a diverse and multicultural society. Our graduates distinguish themselves as exceptionally caring, competent, and qualified teachers.

Our part-time program is unique as it is a two-year part-time delivery of the Lewis & Clark Elementary MAT program designed for classified district employees who hold a bachelor’s degree. The program offers a combination of on-campus class meetings with distance learning coursework. The practicum is designed to allow students to maintain current employment. Additionally, all school employees in the part-time MAT Elementary cohort receive a scholarship that reduces total program cost by approximately 32 percent compared to the full-time MAT Elementary program. All of our students receive highly individualized support throughout their graduate program and practicum experience. Our program is student-centered and provides interconnected layers of support, which includes faculty, staff, mentors, supervisors, clinical supervisors, and the program director.

What do you enjoy most about Lewis & Clark students?

Our students engage fully in their graduate education with their hearts and minds and bring 100 percent to the classroom. I admire our students’ passion for education and their motivation to inspire, empower, and make a real difference in children’s lives. Our students are committed to social equity advocacy and creating an educational culture where every student can thrive.

How does Lewis & Clark prepare students for careers in education?

Our students are prepared to become transformative educators through challenging courses, meaningful assignments, engaging discussions, and carefully chosen practicum placements in public schools. Our students are provided with extensive opportunities to observe a wide range of teachers and to practice teaching under the careful supervision of a skillful mentor teacher. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are at the heart of everything we do at Lewis & Clark Graduate School of Education and Counseling. This work requires us to learn, grow, practice, reflect, and model cultural competence and humility. Lewis & Clark provides a rigorous learning environment and a democratic approach to education for our graduate students to create systemic change and advocate for their future students, families, colleagues, and school communities.

What should incoming students know about L&C?

All of our programs are grounded in social justice, equity, and access. Our students are guided to become agents of change who disrupt systems to create a more just society.

What brought you to Lewis & Clark?

As a student, I was drawn to Lewis & Clark because of the graduate school’s reputation for academic excellence, social justice focus, and supportive community. I returned to Lewis & Clark as a faculty member for the collective commitment to social justice, equity, and access.

What’s your favorite spot on campus?

Our campus is beautiful in every season inspiring a sense of wonder and pride. The classroom is my favorite spot on campus because I love teaching our graduate students!

What’s your favorite thing about living in Portland?

I love exploring the natural beauty which surrounds us both inside and just outside of Portland!

Describe your involvement with your research that you want to highlight. What should incoming students know about this work?

I conducted a quantitative research study on preventing burnout among educators. I am passionate about cultivating resilience and disrupting systems that promote exhaustion and burnout in all care-giving professions.

What’s one of your favorite L&C memories?

I love the pure joy and all the emotions felt on commencement day! It is highly rewarding to see our students graduate and celebrate their many accomplishments with their friends and families.

Share something you think your students would be surprised to learn about you.

I am a Lewis & Clark Graduate School of Education and Counseling alumna. I
earned my licensure in school counseling. I loved my time here as a graduate student, and now I am truly honored to be a professor and program director.

Elementary Education