Middle & Secondary Education

The University of Maine at Farmington Middle & Secondary Education program prepares you to teach children in grades 7 to 12: the middle school / junior high school and high school levels.

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The University of Maine at Farmington has earned a reputation as having one of the premier teacher education programs in New England. The many opportunities to work and learn in real-world classrooms, the liberal arts foundation in the content you’ll teach, and the fact that all courses are taught by full-time faculty are just a few of the factors that have led to UMF being recognized as a leader in the field of Education.

To help you sharpen your focus and skills in a particular teaching area, you may choose from four different Middle & Secondary Education concentrations.

Many of our Middle & Secondary Education students choose our optional, value-added Coaching Minor to pursue their passion for mentoring sports-focused high schoolers and middle school students and to become even more valuable job candidates.

Farmington Middle & Secondary Education students often serve as volunteer coaches in our area’s youth sports programs and UMF graduates work as coaches across New England and beyond: in high schools and middle schools, at NCAA colleges and universities.

See our Education students describe why they chose Farmington.

Throughout your progress in the Middle & Secondary Education program, you’ll work closely with UMF faculty who are content area specialists — teaching courses in English, literacy, mathematics, science, social studies and technology. You’ll also work with experienced practitioners who will serve as your off-site supervisors during your Practicum and Student Teaching experiences.

Students in Middle & Secondary Education have participated in regional and statewide professional education conferences, such as the Annual Education Technology Conference sponsored by the Association of Computer Technology Educators of Maine (ACTEM) and the Central Maine Educators Regional Conference. These are wonderful networking opportunities where students get to present their scholarly work to education leaders from across the state.

With a degree in Middle & Secondary Education from UMF you will be certified to teach in grades 7 to 12 in Maine and many other states. Our state and national accreditation ensure that our program is of the highest quality, a fact widely recognized by principals and superintendents seeking to hire new teachers.

Save more than $5,500 per year in tuition. This University of Maine at Farmington program qualifies for the NEBHE Tuition Break.

Through the NEBHE Tuition Break program, students from Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont receive a $5,670 tuition discount on all UMF degree programs.

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What can I do with a degree in Middle & Secondary Education?

Data comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and other sources. Median Salaries for positions in Maine typically fall below those of other New England states.

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Farmington Education grads get hired.

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At Farmington, you’ll get experience inside a real school classroom setting early and often. In fact, your first teacher-side-of-the-desk experience will typically happen in your second (sophomore) year.

Here, we connect our Middle & Secondary Education students with relevant job and volunteer opportunities around the campus and in the Farmington community.

The first component of your UMF Middle & Secondary Education program is the First Year Experience, where you take an introductory course specific to the age group you want to work with as a professional. This allows you to gain experience in the field your very first year at UMF.

The second component is Practicum. Here, in your sophomore year, you combine coursework in teaching methodology with significant time spent working, teaching and learning in a public school classroom.

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Student Teaching is a capstone experience for Education students

Next, the senior capstone experience, Student Teaching — is an immersive 16-week program where you’ll work in a professional capacity in a public school setting with mentoring by UMF faculty and a mentor-teacher in the field.

Our Education students describe their senior year Student Teaching assignment as the most meaningful experience of their UMF career. It’s when they’re teamed with a mentor school teacher (often a UMF alumnus) and they get to practice in a school classroom what they’ve learned in their UMF college classes.

Finally, UMF Middle & Secondary Education students participate in a Portfolio Presentation. Each UMF teacher candidate produces and presents to faculty, staff, fellow UMF students and the public a professional portfolio of their work including lesson plans, assessments, teaching samples and more.

Our campus is conveniently located in the heart of the local K-12 school district, walking distance to the Mt. Blue Middle School and a short drive to the Mt. Blue Regional High School / Foster Career & Technical Center Campus

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The University of Maine at Farmington is considered one of the premier teacher education programs in New England.

At our founding in 1864, the University of Maine at Farmington (then called Western State Normal School) took an innovative approach to teacher education, integrating a strong liberal arts foundation into teacher training. Our founders believed that only those with a strong background in the liberal arts could effectively teach the arts and sciences. Obvious as that may seem, it was not the rule among teacher education programs of the time.

Now, 160 years later, the University of Maine at Farmington continues to be recognized for its innovation and excellence in teacher preparation.

• UMF is one of only three nationally accredited teacher education programs in Maine
• UMF was the first in Maine to receive national CAEP accreditation (formerly known as NCATE)
• UMF received full Maine State Board of Education accreditation
• UMF full-time faculty supervise you in your off-campus practicum and student-teaching field experiences
  

The UMF Center for Assistive Technology is the only public or private university-based assistive technology lending and demonstration center in Maine.

Assistive Technology is any device or product that makes it easier for someone with a disability to live more independently. Here, you’ll have full access to specialized on-campus education-focused resources such as UMF’s Children’s Programs and our Spenciner Curriculum Materials Center, which includes assistive technology resources, children’s literature, and early childhood curricula.

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The Best Teachers Start at Farmington

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Contact Us

Office of Admissions
University of Maine at Farmington
246 Main Street
Farmington, Maine USA 04938-1994
tel  207-778-7050
fax  207-778-8182
TYY (via Maine Relay Service) dial 711
umfadmit@maine.edu