Education Careers

Overview

In its most basic form, elementary education is teaching students in kindergarten through grade 6. Fieldwork at Goshen College takes place in a variety of classroom settings where students learn to teach language arts, math, social studies, science, art, physical education and music. Students also explore approaches to classroom management, discipline and evaluation.

Goshen College seeks to graduate teachers who interact with their students and the content they teach, lifelong learners who are professionally active and who put their faith into practice in all aspects of teaching and learning. Goshen College is authorized by the Indiana Office of Educator Licensing and Development to prepare teachers for elementary and secondary schools. The teacher education program is accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation.

About the Coursework

An important part of Goshen’s teacher education program is learning first-hand in the schools. School systems in the area cooperate with GC to provide strong and varied student teaching experiences. During the student teaching experience, students will work 12 or more weeks full time in a local school system and will be supervised by classroom teachers and college professors.

If Study-Service Term (SST) is part of the international education experience, students will also have the opportunity to work with children or youth in another culture.

Possible courses include:

• Foundations of Education
• Child Development
• Learning Disorders
• Exceptional Students
• Education Psychology: Elementary
• Curriculum Studies: Science
• Children & Adolescent Literature
• Transforming Conflict & Violence

For a full list of requirements and courses, refer to the course catalog.

After satisfactorily completing an approved teaching program and the corresponding Pearson CORE exams, students will apply and be recommended for licensure. Goshen graduates are generally eligible for initial certification in other states.

Possible Career Paths in Addition to Teaching

While the elementary education major prepares students specifically for teaching at the elementary level, education alumni work successfully in many different careers. The list below will provide you with several career options, but it is not exhaustive. Please note that some positions require additional education.