Associate Professor Kaka, Assistant Professors Nobel, Kang, and Deitz
Instructor Hall
The Ohio Wesleyan University teacher preparation program in Elementary Education is committed to helping prospective teachers become knowledgeable, caring, competent professionals who are dedicated to nurturing the intellectual, social, and aesthetic growth of children. Students in our program are introduced to a core of knowledge that includes an understanding of child development from ages 3-10, a philosophy of teaching and learning which they can successfully put into practice, skill in nurturing family and community relationships, awareness of appropriate assessment and evaluation strategies, and special competence in working with children who have learning or physical challenges. The development of these understandings is a continuous, integrated process. Students are introduced to core concepts that are encountered repeatedly in subsequent courses.
Knowledge is deepened by many opportunities to work directly with children in a wide variety of planned field and student teaching experiences. In this way students can clearly see how sound research and theory guide practice. Preservice elementary education teachers pursue their general liberal arts education requirements while taking foundational education courses. Once accepted into the education program, preservice teachers will take a carefully sequenced set of discipline-specific courses and accompanying field experiences to prepare them for the roles and responsibilities of working in elementary schools. Preservice teachers will pursue in-depth study of educational theory, evidence-based instructional strategies, assessment of student learning, and differentiated support for academic and behavioral goals. Coursework includes an emphasis on strong reading and literacy instruction, subject specific instruction, classroom and behavior intervention, collaboration, and assessment. Pedagogy is made relevant by application in planned field experiences in elementary classrooms. The culminating experience for the Elementary Education licensure program is the 15-week student teaching experience supervised by both university faculty and experienced educators.
Ohio Wesleyan offers programs preparing students for teacher licensure at the elementary school, middle school, and high school levels. Candidates working toward the Elementary Education, Inclusive Elementary Education, Middle Childhood Education, Special Education, Integrated Science, or the secondary content areas will pursue an OWU major in Education. Candidates pursuing Music Education will complete the Multi-age Education minor.
