John Lantz

After earning a degree in business, John Lantz wasn’t sure what to do with his career. But then he got a job as a substitute teacher and discovered he very much liked working with kids. Especially the kids who needed extra help.

John decided to enroll in Sage’s Childhood/Special Education M.S. Dual Certificate program. This would prepare him to teach all learners in the elementary school setting.  

More than just the degree he needed, John says, the Sage program gave him the kind of learning experience he wanted.

“The mentor/mentee relationships I found at Sage were invaluable,” he says. “And I appreciated the real direct approach to teaching. There was no sugar coating of the subjects we discussed.”

In other words, he found his Sage professors to be his kind of people. They earned his respect, he says, but they also could laugh together. “You can have real relationships there.”

It had been John’s experience going through school that often as a student you feel reluctant to ask for help. “That was never the case at Sage,” he says. “In fact, just a couple of weeks ago I texted one of my professors for guidance about a student I’m working with.”

John teaches now in the Queensbury, New York, school system.

“My teachers at Sage were models of what you should be as a teacher,” he says. “They treat all their students as people, deserving of your time and real concern. And what you find out is that they’re going to always be there as a resource.”

John also appreciates how he was prepared for the day-to-day rigors of teaching. “Sage always preached the discipline of crafting lesson plans. That’s really helped me. It helps me visualize what I need to get done, and it makes the approach consistent.”

Summing it all up, John says: 

“Sage gave me the tools I needed in my tool kit, so that if most anything comes up I know I can handle it.”