Elementary Education

Why choose elementary education at North Central College?

You’ll learn with the best of the best professors—people who demonstrate what great teaching means every day. As an elementary education major you’ll rack up 50 more hours of field experience than required by the State of Illinois. This additional experience will boost your teaching skills and confidence and strengthen your position in the job market. It will help you become a world-class educator who inspires young people to achieve their best.

You can also:

Student-teach in a variety of settings, from high-need schools in Chicago and Aurora to nationally recognized schools in and around Naperville.
Gain a special education endorsement through the new concentration in Learning Behavior Specialist I (LBS I).
Connect with working teachers and administrators who enjoy mentoring the next generation of teachers.
Study in an education department that’s fully accredited by the Illinois State Board of Education, which uses National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) standards to assess the programs offered at North Central College.

Stephanie Theis ’05 Hawkins, winner of 2012-2013 Milken Educator Award

North Central College alumna earns national award for teaching excellence

North Central College alumna Stephanie Theis ’05 Hawkins was recognized for excellence in teaching with a 2012-2013 Milken Educator Award.

North Central’s Tyson Education Center to benefit from local 5K

North Central College’s Tyson Education Curriculum Resource Center to benefit from funds raised at Metea Valley High School 5K run/walk on June 1.

Mary McMahon, associate professor of mathematics

McMahon presents to teachers in high-need schools

Mary McMahon, North Central College associate professor of mathematics, co-presented a talk on mathematical modeling at ACI’s Teacher Induction Academy.

more news

Internships

Aide, Owen Elementary, Naperville
Aide, Highland Elementary, Naperville
Classroom assistant, Oak Park School, Oak Park, IL
Aide, Junior/Senior Scholars, Naperville
Aide, Naperville Safety Town, Naperville
Exploring diversity intern, Dietrich Elementary, Aurora, IL
Exploring diversity intern, Ryerson Elementary, Chicago
Exploring diversity intern, Bardwell School, Aurora, IL
Marquette University
National University of Health Sciences
University of Notre Dame
Aurora and East Aurora School District 131
Chicago Public Schools
Naperville School District 203
Indian Prairie School District 204
Plainfield School District 202

Graduate Schools

Recent graduates in elementary education have been accepted at:

Marquette University
North Central College

Careers

Elementary education graduates frequently find teaching positions in districts within a 30-mile radius of North Central, like:

East Aurora School District 131
Chicago Public Schools
Naperville School District 203
Indian Prairie School District 204
Plainfield School District 202

Emma Majerus

Elementary Education major

What distinguished North Central’s education program for Emma was, “the amount of time and how quickly you get into the schools. I was tutoring during my first education class and in my first field experience my sophomore year … all real-world experiences that let you try out different ages and environments and find your best fit.”

Emma discovered her “best fit” when she joined other North Central students for a summer service trip to Kenya and worked with orphans in the schools.

“I saw their drive for learning and I loved the experience. I had considered teaching in high-need schools, but not seriously. Now I know I want to teach in a high-need environment.”

Schools around the College are...

Amanda Chlebek

Elementary Education major

Each year, Naperville’s Beebe Elementary School welcomes more than 20 North Central students like Amanda for field experience. These teachers-in-training spend 20 weeks observing the latest methods for teaching reading and language arts, developing and teaching lesson plans and working with small groups of pupils. It’s an inspiring experience for Amanda. “I look forward to spending more time learning with the students and watching them grow with the knowledge I help provide,” she says.

Previous Pause Next

1 of 1