B.A. in Elementary Education: What It Is and How It Can Advance Your Career
The Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education is a teacher-licensure degree for individuals who have decided to become elementary classroom teachers before college. This degree program combines a student's General Education coursework with Elementary Teaching Methods. Upon graduation, candidates are granted a state teaching license and are ready to enter the classroom as elementary teachers. Several universities across the country offer this degree. National Louis University offers the B.A. in Elementary Education through the Undergraduate College of National Louis University's National College of Education.
What Is a B.A. in Elementary Education?
Elementary education programs are generalist in nature and are designed to prepare teachers to teach students in a single classroom for most of the school day. These teachers will teach reading and language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies. In addition to learning how to teach these subjects, students in elementary education programs will learn about child development, teaching literacy and math, classroom management, and student assessment. The majority of the program will consist of fieldwork, during which students will gain experience in real classrooms. Students will also have the opportunity to complete a student teaching experience in the final year of the program.
The B.A. in Elementary Education can also be used to prepare students for initial licensure to teach elementary grades in Illinois. The program follows a model similar to other undergraduate education programs offered by NLU's National College of Education and Undergraduate College.
Why Pursue a B.A. in Elementary Education?
The typical college student who wishes to become an elementary school teacher is certain of their choice by the time they enter college. If they wait until their junior year of college to decide on a major, they will probably choose the M.A.T. program in elementary education rather than the B.A. program, because they will already have completed an unrelated bachelor's degree and wish to complete a teaching credential in the shortest possible time.
Elementary education is one of the most accessible forms of teacher preparation in terms of the amount of in-depth study required for single subjects. This form of study is typically found in secondary content-area preparation, where students study in depth to become specialists in academic subject areas. Rather, elementary education students study to become generalists in a full elementary curriculum.
Several individuals are drawn to the elementary education degree because they wish to form close relationships with their students over the course of an entire school year. In elementary grades, students are typically in a single classroom for most of the school day. Students benefit greatly from having a teacher who knows them individually and can respond to their particular learning style. In many schools, teachers of the older elementary grades also teach younger students for part or all of the school day.
Key Questions About This Degree
What grade levels does this degree typically prepare me to teach?
Elementary education programs can prepare students to teach in grades K-3, or in some cases, K-5 or K-8. The PEL or license that elementary education programs lead to is specified in the state's specific PEL or license structure. Some programs divide elementary and middle-grade education, so a student would get a PEL or a license to teach in the specific grade band for that program.
How does this differ from pursuing an M.A.T. in Elementary Education later?
The B.A. in Elementary Education degree is designed for students who have decided early in their college careers that they want to become teachers and elementary teachers. The B.A. in Elementary Education is a four-year degree that allows students to complete both their general education and teacher preparation requirements. An M.A.T. in Elementary Education is a graduate degree designed for individuals with a bachelor's degree in a field other than education who are seeking an endorsement in elementary education to become teachers.
What does student teaching typically involve?
Student teaching for B.A. Elementary Education candidates complete a full-time, supervised teaching experience in which they gradually assume full planning and teaching of their own classroom. Candidates are placed in classrooms with experienced mentor teachers of elementary school students. A University Supervisor is assigned to each candidate to guide, support, and evaluate their growth during the final year of program study.
Can I add additional endorsements to this degree?
Endorsements: In undergraduate elementary education programs, most allow students to add endorsement(s) to their graduate degree while completing their undergraduate degree. Some of the most common additional endorsements for elementary education students include ESL/Bilingual Education and Special Education.
Career Outcomes
Elementary education is one of the largest teaching fields today because every public school serving students in kindergarten through grade 5 or 6 needs elementary classroom teachers. Employment of kindergarten and elementary school teachers is expected to remain in steady demand over the decade from 2020 to 2030. While kindergarten and elementary school teachers are expected to be employed in all states, the number of current jobs and job availability are significantly affected by region and school district. Many rural, as well as some high-poverty urban, school districts have chronic shortages of qualified teachers for elementary grades, while in many wealthy suburban school districts, there are more than enough qualified teachers applying for available positions for every elementary grade-level teaching job.
Occupational Outlook Handbook, Kindergarten and Elementary School Teachers.
The Elementary Education major prepares students for careers as kindergarten, first-grade, or other elementary teachers. Many of our graduates go on to become Reading Interventionists, are hired as Curriculum Specialists, or work as Instructional Coaches. With additional graduate studies, our students can become school administrators. Students who have added the ESL/Bilingual or Special Education endorsement can apply for more jobs, as many schools are currently seeking elementary teachers who can teach in general education settings and support English language learners or students with disabilities.
B.A. in Elementary Education at National Louis University
This is a B.A. in Elementary Education at National Louis University, through the Undergraduate College at the University's National College of Education and Undergraduate College. It is one of several programs for preparing to become teachers of young children, in early childhood, combined elementary/early childhood, and infant-toddler studies. The program includes study of general education courses, teaching methods for elementary school, and fieldwork in schools. This program leads to eligibility for the Professional Educator License (PEL) in Illinois.
