Mrs. Swartzentruber's Home Page
Welcome! I am excited to introduce you to Career Pathways in Education & Human Services at Hood River Valley High School
About me: I have been teaching in Hood River for 23 years and prior to that I worked for 11 years as a mental health therapist in hospitals, treatment centers and alternative school settings in California and Oregon. Teaching these courses allows me to blend a few of my passions: Developmental Psychology, Learning and Education.
What about you? If you'd like to explore a career working with children and families in education, health or social services, these courses might interest you! All of the classes I teach (except Sociology) are offered as dual credit college courses through CGCC and transfer as part of AAOT or MTM credits to four year Oregon Universities.
Need more information? For more details about these classes, read on and watch the Slide Presentation above & read the student-friendly course descriptions on the menu--or contact me! rebecca.swartzentruber@hoodriver.k12.or.us
Mission: To provide HRVHS students with opportunities for meaningful career and interest exploration and remove barriers to higher education.
Vision: Growing our own qualified, diverse teacher/educator workforce.
CTE Core Values: Students first: Integrity, Inclusivity, Innovation, Intentionality.
Two pathways are offered at HRVHS in ED and Human Services to help you explore your interests or launch your studies early and save you money.
The courses align with CGCC requirements and rigor, but students have more time to complete the courses and more face-to-face contact here at HRVHS.
**SEE "course descriptions" tab above for student-friendly, thorough descriptions of courses and syllabi.
Start here: The foundational course for both pathways:
Child Development & Psychology, a year-long , two trimester, active learning course that covers prenatal development through adolescence. You may opt to take this course for 4 college credits at CGCC (HEC226, Child Development). This course gives you the foundation for understanding the forces that shape who we become and why and how children learn and develop. Anyone interested is welcome in this course! This is a required course for AAOT in education, and ECE/Family Studies AS & AAOT, and meets general elective credit for other AAOTs.
Grades 11-12 Students who want to continue to explore a career in a related field can choose a path:
Education:
If you think you might enjoy a career as an educator in a K-12 setting or in a support role, these classes are for you.
ED Internship/Teachers make a difference: Learn about professionalism in the field and the many roles of teachers and the challenges they face. Begin to understand the process of lesson planning & participate in an internship 4 days per week for one trimester in K-6 classrooms. . This course is a great way to find out if you'd be suited to a career in Education or not!
Introduction to Education: This class is for students who have decided they want to explore a career in education and want college credit. ED101 is a prerequisite and Child Development prerequisite or concurrent. Learn about the foundations of education in the USA, career options, benefits, current issues and challenges, and elements of successful schools. 3 CGCC credits (ED216) transferable to WOU, EOU, OSU.
Early Childhood Education:
If you enjoy working with very young children and/or their families, a career as an early childhood educator may be for you.
ECE Internship/Exploring the ECE Field: Learn about professionalism in the field, the many career options in ECE, the roles and challenges of teachers, and developmentally appropriate curriculum for early childhood. Participate in an internship 4 days per week in ECE classroom settings in Hood River. This course is a great way to discover if you'd be suited to a career in ECE or not!
BOTH pathways or those interested in college credit in human service fields:
General Psychology: This is a college course through CGCC and meets the requirement for both the AAOT in Early Childhood Education and Elementary Education. It is a course on the Oregon Major Transfer Map and transfers as a social science credit to most 4 year universities and is a pre-nursing requirement. 4 CGCC credits (Psy201a).
Advanced ED or ECE internship/Capstone: This course takes the ED or ECE internship to the next level. Students spend 5 days per week in an early childhood education or other educational setting and take on more responsibilities in the classroom while supervised and supported by a mentor teacher and Mrs. Swartzentruber. Here's a chance to really apply what students have learned in prerequisite classes (Child Development, ED/ECE internship 1), expanding their knowledge base.