Elle Warne: MAT Student Spotlight

As one of the first graduates of Furman’s new Master of Arts in Teaching program, Elle Warne Joins us to discuss her experiences through the program. After her graduation, Elle is preparing to take on her new role as the French teacher at Riverside High School starting Fall 2021.

Why did you choose to pursue your Master’s in Teaching at Furman?

I got an undergraduate degree in French and Francophone studies from the College of Charleston. I then took a job in admin, and I felt very lost, and hated it. After that, I did some substitute teaching and that was kind of when I really knew that this was what I wanted to do.

I saw this program came available, and it was perfect. I know Furman is an awesome school, and everyone always talks about how great is. There’s not really many like it. It was amazing to get my initial certificate within a year.

How has Furman impacted your approach to teaching?

It’s so fun. It feels like they’re throwing you in the deep end initially, and you panic, and then you are eternally grateful for what you were just asked to do because you feel very well prepared. I learned just how much goes into teaching there is so much behind it that you don’t think of especially when you’re a student. We had to take psychology courses and diversity and the different experience students have with their different backgrounds. There’s just so much that goes into teaching and reaching out to each student that you don’t really think of when you’re on the other side of it or when you’ve not experienced it. It’s really that kind of reaching or teaching to every student that is kind of the main thing I learned from Furman.

My in person class, I loved. It was with Dr. Thomas, and it was a literacy course. That was great discussion, but even through our online classes there were good discussions. I think everyone was just very excited to be there and very interested in the content.

How have Furman’s graduate courses impacted your career in teaching?

I think back to when I was substituting, and I wish I knew then what I knew now about general classroom management, how to interact with students, and motivating students to do things. I think due to being a master’s student at Furman, I interviewed with my first high school and they called me eight minutes later to offer me the job.  I think that has a lot to do with the preparation I received with Furman, because I knew how to answer the questions.

What would you tell other educators considering attending Furman?

I would  tell them that they will come out of the program as some of the best prepared teachers in the area. You focus explicitly on pedagogy, and it’s harnessing your content area knowledge so that you’re able to transmit that to students.

They’re just so strong. Furman has so many strong connections with the surrounding schools and you’ll be put with an incredible cooperating teacher and also your supervisors are going to be really helpful. I know my supervisor she did practice interview with me and helped me with questions that I could ask.

Yeah, it’s great! You will be incredibly prepared when you leave the program.