Learn Why One UD Degree Wasn't Enough for Thomas Johnson

“I chose UD for my bachelor’s degree because it offered more financial aid than any other institution I applied to, but it turned out to be a great choice for other reasons. With guidance from advisors, tutoring services and other student support services, I was able to switch my major to mathematics education. I am beyond lucky to have made the switch that ignited my passion for teaching mathematics. I am proud to say I am a fifth-year high school math educator in Delaware and absolutely love what I do.

The education course content was incredibly relevant to my role as a Delaware educator, and I found many of my undergraduate courses prepared me for success in my exceptional children and youth graduate degree program. During my time at UD, I established many relationships with faculty and staff who truly cared about my well-being and professional growth. UD taught me the newest research-based practices and really prepared me to navigate leadership roles, where I can share best practices with my colleagues and work toward positive student outcomes.

I was a 4+1 student, which lets you complete your bachelor's and master’s degrees in just five years. After completing my undergraduate student teaching placement, however, I was immediately offered a job for the following school year. Pivoting from a 4+1 program to teaching full time was a seemingly daunting conversation to begin with faculty. I was incredibly pleased to find that everyone was excited for my decision to enter the classroom and guided me in developing a plan that would allow me to continue my graduate education after I got my footing as a first-year educator.

I’ve found that the classes, assignments, readings and projects that I did in graduate school are still extremely relevant to my role as a high school math teacher. The materials I submitted for assignments then are still helping me teach my own students. From universally designed secondary math lesson plans to differentiated instructional materials, I still use many of these products in my classroom to this day.

My advice to other students is to take advantage of as many of the opportunities to learn from others as you can. This can be through enrolling in an elective you’re curious about, or simply attending a panel discussion on a topic of interest. There is so much we can learn from each other, and I wish I had taken more time to attend some of the events held on campus.”

- Thomas Johnson