Early Childhood and Elementary Education
This program prepares candidates to teach Pre-K to Grade 8 in a self-contained classroom. The curriculum provides content background in reading, science, language arts, mathematics, social studies, and the arts.
Professional coursework with a heavy emphasis on methodology and strategies that improves student learning is a hall mark of the Concordia pre-service Early Childhood/Elementary program. This prepares them for their clinical experiences. Clinical experience begins with an initial tutoring experience, followed by actual classroom experiences culminating in teaching from prepared work samples in practicum and student teaching.
Candidates will enjoy the opportunity to teach early and often. You may begin teaching as early as your sophomore year, serving as a tutor in an area classroom. During your junior and senior years, you'll gain valuable field experience (i.e., a combination of observation and teaching lessons at a community school) while concurrently taking courses in curricular methods and strategies. During your last semester, you will spend fifteen weeks in one classroom completing your student teaching.
More on this Academic Program's requirements.
Application Process
Application is made to the College of Education during your sophomore year, or if you're an upper division transfer student, during your first semester on campus. To be admitted, you must maintain a 2.5 cumulative grade point average, achieve a passing score on one of the standardized basic skills tests (CBEST or PPST), and receive a positive recommendation from the Education Faculty Admission Review Committee. Concordia then requires students be endorsed in two authorization levels for the Oregon teaching license, the first representing a student's preferred level, the second the supplemental level.
For directions on applying to Concordia University, please visit the Office of Admission.