CURRICULUM & TEACHING: TEACHER EDUCATION

“The most important lesson I have learned as a student in the School of Education & Human Sciences is how much educators impact the lives of young students and how much of a difference they make each and every day.”

Grace Mosier, unified early childhood, ’22, now pursuing a master’s degree in counseling psychology at KU

“My favorite thing about the elementary education program at KU is receiving a high-class education with empowerment of invested faculty and peers that become family. The School of Education & Human Sciences is one where excellence is the standard and perfection is a consistent goal. The faculty educate the holistic student, making every experience you encounter valuable so that you may then go and educate.”

Javen Betts, elementary education, ’23

“The STEMTeach program at KU gives me the opportunity to combine my love of science with my desire to guide kids throughout their educational journey. It has broadened my horizons on how young people learn today, as well as their enthusiasm for science and math. The program has allowed me to explore different career paths and has given me many mentors and friends along the way.”

Michael Abeita, STEMTeach KU

Students can study abroad, take advantage of learning from prestigious faculty, and gain diverse experiences through their fieldwork in Lawrence and surrounding school districts. The four-year initial licensure programs cover a wide variety of age ranges and subject areas. Licensure endorsements are available in Teaching English for Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). Once they graduate from one of these teacher education programs, Jayhawks are prepared to pursue a teaching license in Kansas with support available for obtaining licensure in other states.

Elementary education and our two blended general education/special education programs (unified early childhood and elementary education unified) are each set up in a cadre model, which means that students complete a majority of their teacher preparation courses with a small group of 25 to 30 others. Students in secondary teacher education gain expertise in their chosen teaching interests by focusing a large percentage of time in that specific content area, while elementary teacher education students cover a wide breadth of subjects.

Unified Early Childhood

A bachelor’s degree in unified early childhood teacher education prepares you for work in inclusive settings to meet the learning needs of young children, ages birth through 3rd grade, including those at risk for and with developmental delays or disabilities. Students who complete this program are prepared to apply for a teaching license in general education and special education.

Elementary Education

A bachelor’s degree in elementary teacher education prepares you to teach children in kindergarten through 6th grade. This program combines general education courses and professional education coursework with multiple field experiences at the elementary level in diverse communities.

Elementary Education Unified

A bachelor’s degree in elementary education unified prepares you for work in inclusive settings to meet the learning needs of all children in kindergarten through 6th grade, including those with disabilities. Students who complete this program are prepared to apply for a teaching license in general education and special education.

SECONDARY HISTORY & GOVERNMENT

The bachelor’s degree in secondary history & government teacher education prepares individuals to teach in both middle school and high school classrooms. History and government is also commonly known as social studies. The teacher education program combines history, political science and geography courses, as well as professional education coursework, with multiple field experiences in diverse communities.

Secondary English Education

The bachelor’s degree in secondary English teacher education prepares pre-service educators to teach adolescents in both middle school and high school classrooms. The program combines literature-based theory and knowledge with culturally diverse readings and discussions. In addition to the course offerings in the School of Education & Human Sciences, courses taught by faculty from the Department of English offer students learning options in rhetoric, linguistics and literature.

Field experience

Foreign Language Education

The bachelor’s degree in foreign language education prepares individuals to teach foreign language to children and adolescents in Pre-K through 12th grade settings. The program serves native language speakers, as well as second language speakers, and allows students to select from four different language options: French, German, Latin and Spanish.

Stemteach Ku

Careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) all require creative thinking and leadership. STEMTeach KU is designed to fit the unique needs of STEM majors in a way that develops their ability to be leaders in their field and in the classroom. In this program, students can pursue a teaching license alongside earning a degree in one of several STEM fields. This program is offered in collaboration with the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences.

KU students leave our initial teacher licensure programs with a clear understanding of the expectations of the teaching profession and with approximately 600-1,000 hours of field experience.

Student teaching

Student teaching is a requirement for all of our initial teacher licensure programs. Students have the opportunity to teach in a variety of settings — urban, suburban, or rural areas. Student teaching is completed within a 50-mile radius of the main campus in Lawrence, Kansas. Many of our teacher education programs include two semesters of practicum and student teaching, as well as multiple semesters of experience in education settings. STEMTeach KU, PE+, visual art education, and music education include just one semester of student teaching. Students interested in visual art education or music education should contact the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences or the School of Music for more information.

Learn more about student teaching and other field experience opportunities at KU: soehs.ku.edu/student-life/field-experience