LEWISTON – An informational workshop, “Everything You Always Wanted to Know about Teacher Certification: Methods and Issues,” will be held Thursday, Oct. 30, at the University of Southern Maine’s Lewiston-Auburn College.

The presenter will be Dr. Christy Hammer, assistant professor at the college. She will share a brief PowerPoint presentation on teacher certification at USM, then give a review of theory and research of certification and the issues surrounding “alternative certification.” A question-and-answer period will follow.

The USM teacher preparation programs that will be highlighted include CLASS, a field-based undergraduate program offered at LAC that results in grades kindergarten through eight certification, and ETEP, a program that also offers secondary certification options for individuals who already hold their bachelor’s degree.

The USM teacher education programs are designed around cutting-edge methods that have been shown to produce teachers who succeed from the first day in their own classrooms.

The informal session will be held in Room 170 from 11:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 30. It is free and open to the public. Attendees can bring a lunch. Anyone interested in learning more about USM’s professional teacher education programs or about Maine teacher certification is encouraged to attend.