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The Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) Program, Bard's fifth graduate program, began its inaugural year in June 2004. The program's goal is to train math, English, biology, and social studies teachers who are willing to make a long-term commitment to public high schools. Of the initial group of 24 enrolled students, 10 are recent Bard graduates. Catherine Belin '04, who is studying to be a math teacher, entered Bard intending to study photography. A math class changed her mind and, probably, her life. "While I was going through the process of moderating into the Photography Program, I was taking a calculus class that I really loved," she recalls. "Math becomes more fun as it becomes more abstract." She moderated into the Mathematics Program and never looked back. During the fall of her senior year, Belin ran into Ric Campbell, the MAT Program's founder and director, who had been one of her Workshop in Language and Thinking instructors. "Ric remembered that I'd enjoyed tutoring math in high school, and he said, ‘I'm starting this program so you can be a math teacher.'" Belin's interest was piqued. She attended lectures given by math professors who were applying for positions in the MAT Program. "Listening to the candidates, I realized that this was for me. Liking your subject is not the same as being able to explain it. I can. And I enjoy it." Belin isn't worried about her career prospects. "That's the beauty of this program. When I finish, I'll receive my teaching certification from New York State, the only certificate that's recognized by all 50 states. I don't expect to have trouble finding a job. I've never been west of Columbus, Ohio. I'd like to see what's out there." High school math departments in the western United States, take note.
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Math Teacher for the Future