Professional development case study:

"Immersed" in family, career, and education

Peggy Rigaud, a certificate student in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, knows all about juggling. As a full-time teacher and single mom, she found that going back to school for a certificate in language immersion education took some planning.

It’s been worth it. The college’s certificate in language immersion is the only such program anywhere in the U.S. “Immersion” schools and programs refer to settings where students acquire a second language (e.g., Spanish, French) through being taught all of their regular school subjects in that language.

A typical day for Rigaud often involved getting up before dawn to be at school by 7:30 a.m., spending an hour after school prepping for the next day, picking up her daughter around 5 p.m., running errands, making dinner, having family time, and then doing her own homework for the certificate program. Sometimes the only way it worked was just to stay up late, Rigaud admits. “I didn’t have much of a social life, to be honest,” she says with a laugh.

But Rigaud is proud of the certificate which she completed this past summer. As a first-grade teacher at the Normandale French Immersion School in the Edina school district, she finds the extra schooling enriches her work in ways she didn’t expect. Not only did she improve her teaching practices through a better grasp of the intricacies of integrating content and language, but she made valuable contacts with University faculty and other educators.

For example, she presented groundbreaking research on attrition rates in four Midwest elementary immersion schools during a summer institute this year sponsored by the University’s Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition (CARLA).

“I had to stand up in front of 40 people from all over the U.S.!” said Rigaud, who has never had to make a presentation to such a large group. “What’s nice about the U is that because it’s so big, you have a wide range of possibilities.”

Rigaud began the certificate program in language immersion education in 2001, after completing a master’s degree in education at the College of St. Catherine in St. Paul.

Many participants take from two to four years to complete the 15-credit certificate, which is offered through the college’s second languages and cultures focus area. Some participants complete the certificate while also working on a master’s degree.

The certificate program, which began in 2001, is the first and only one in the U.S. to incorporate a coherent set of courses designed specifically for K–12 immersion teachers. Typical classes draw 15–20 students, and some required classes are offered only every other year.

Rigaud decided to pursue the certificate because she enjoys furthering her knowledge. Every class offers “something to chew on,” she says. “I think there are a lot of people out there who have their master’s degree, but don’t necessarily want to get a doctorate,” Rigaud said. “In taking on a certificate program, you’re not looking at another five years of school. It’s very doable.”

—Suzanne Miric